Troubleshooting dashboard and export mismatches
If you're seeing different numbers in different places, or numbers that seem to shift unexpectedly, you're not alone. Here's how to quickly diagnose what's happening.
First: Where are you looking?
The most important question is where you're seeing the number. SEO Gets presents data in three different ways, and each has distinct behavior:
Dashboard view — The live charts and tables on screen
Chart image export — PNG downloads of your charts
CSV export — Spreadsheet downloads of your data
Each of these can show different numbers for valid reasons. Here's how to tell which one you're dealing with.
Dashboard vs chart export (PNG)
If your exported chart image doesn't match what you see on screen, the most common cause is a comparison mode shift.
PNG chart exports default to Previous Period comparison—even if your dashboard is set to Year Over Year (YOY). The export compares to the immediately preceding period, not the same dates from last year.
For example, if you're viewing January through April with YOY enabled, your dashboard compares to those same dates last year. But your exported chart compares to the previous period of equal length instead.
What to check:
Is your dashboard using YOY comparison? The export may have switched to Previous Period.
Do you have annotations in your date range? The earliest annotation can shift your chart boundaries.
For the full breakdown, see Why chart exports show different date comparisons than the dashboard.
Dashboard vs CSV export
CSV exports should match your dashboard—they respect your current date range, comparison mode, and any filters you've applied. If your CSV looks different:
What to check:
Did you export from the right section? Each table and visual has its own export.
Are filters applied? Active filters (by query, page, country, device) create a subset of data.
Does the date selector match? Double-check the active range before exporting.
For step-by-step export guidance, see Export data as CSV.
SEO Gets vs Google Search Console
If you're comparing SEO Gets numbers to what you see in Google Search Console directly, expect differences:
Row limits — GSC's interface shows up to 1,000 rows. SEO Gets pulls up to 50,000 rows per export through its API connection. Your SEO Gets CSV can contain far more data than GSC's native view.
Comparison modes — GSC's interface handles comparisons differently. Make sure you're comparing the same date range and comparison type.
Filters — Applied filters in SEO Gets create subsets. Clear filters before exporting if you want raw totals.
SEO Gets vs GA4
GA4 data in SEO Gets is filtered to show SEO-relevant traffic only—organic search plus select AI and referral sources. GA4's default view includes all traffic sources (paid, social, email, direct, etc.).
This means:
SEO Gets shows filtered organic + AI/referral traffic
GA4's raw view shows all traffic
For the full explanation of what gets filtered, see Why doesn't my GA4 data match what I'm seeing in SEO Gets?.
Why charts and numbers shift after page reload
If numbers seem different when you return to a dashboard, the most common causes are:
Date picker presets — "This Month" shows month-to-date, which changes daily. "Last Month" shows the full previous calendar month and stays fixed.
URL persistence — If you saved or bookmarked a URL with specific parameters, it may retain different filter or comparison settings from a previous session.
Annotations — Adding an annotation within your date range can modify where your chart starts and stops. Check if new annotations appeared in your selected range.
Interval changes — The interval setting (day, week, month) can reformat your date range. For example, "week" interval includes complete weeks, which may adjust your boundaries.
For more on date picker behavior, see How to build monthly reports in SEO Gets.
Quick diagnostic checklist
When numbers don't match, run through these checks in order:
Where are you looking? Dashboard, PNG export, or CSV export—each has different behavior.
Is it a chart export? Check if YOY reset to Previous Period.
Any annotations? These can shift chart boundaries.
Comparing to GSC? Remember SEO Gets pulls up to 50x more rows.
Comparing to GA4? Account for SEO-focused traffic filtering.
Did you return via saved URL? It may have old filter or comparison settings.
Need an exact match?
If you need your export to match your current dashboard view exactly—especially for YOY comparisons or specific filter sets—take a screenshot of the dashboard instead of exporting the chart image. Screenshots preserve whatever comparison mode and filters you have active.
Still stuck?
If you've checked everything and the numbers still don't make sense, reach out through in-app chat. Share:
The exact date range you're viewing
Which export type you used (CSV or chart image)
Any active filters or comparison modes
What you expected to see vs what you're seeing
For deeper dives into specific mismatch types, see Why your export counts might not match the dashboard.