Tab Center Metrics

A summary of the metrics the Tab Center add-on will record.

Definitions:

• Tab Center — The vertical tab tray on the right side of the browser.
• Pin/Unpin Tab Center — Locking or unlocking the tab center UI to/from a fixed position.

Data collection

Metrics gathered from the Tab Center add-on will be reported to the Test Pilot add-on, which will augment that information and relay it to Firefox’s telemetry system via submitExternalPing. This is not currently implemented on the Test Pilot side; those efforts are encompassed by issue #234.

Telemetry Based Diagnostic Measures

We will collect measures on how users use Tab Center so that if the engagement metrics collected by Test Pilot rise of fall, we can diagnose why/how users might be using the feature differently.

Tab Center will record and report each of the following metrics:

• Session length
• Tab behaviors
• Tab creations per session
• Tab closes per session
• Tab position changes per session
• Tab pins per session
• Tab unpins per session
• Tab persistence (how long do tabs stay open)
• Tab Center actions
  • Tab Center pins per session
  • Tab Center unpins per session
  • Tab Center expnansion events (mouseover of condensed tab view)
• Browser/Client metrics
  • Release Channel
  • OS
  • Firefox Version
  • Using Lightweight theme?
• Window metrics
  • Is browser in fullscreen mode?
  • Client window dimensions?
  • Display resolution

This data will be used in three ways:

1. To gain a deeper understanding of how users make use of Tab Center.
2. To gain a deeper understanding of how Tab Center users compare to non-tab center users.
3. To segment users of other metrics.

Data analysis

The collected data will primarily be used to answer the following questions. Images are used for visualization and are not composed of actual data.

Key performance indicators

Tab Center's Primary KPIs will be derived from the random survey score and engagement metrics generated by Test Pilot.

Additional analysis

User retention

To Tab Center users have longer sessions that other users with Telemetry enabled? Do Tab Center users have longer sessions that other Test Pilot users w/o Tab Center enabled

This is not intended as a precise comparative measure but it gives some insight into the overall stickiness of tab center as a differenttiationg feature.

Average Tabs per session

Do users with T.C. have a higher average number of tabs per session?

Do users with T.C. have a higher average number of tabs per session than other users with UI Telemetry enabled?

Do people default to the Pinned or Unpinned state more often? At what rate do people change back and forth?

This will give us an understanding of usage patterns within Tab Center. Does the expand/cotract UI with great freqency over a session or do users bucket into mostly pinned and mostly unpinned?

At what rates to people reorganize or pin Tabs?

Helps determine the priority of UI optimizations around these features.

Do client window dimensions and fullscreen mode affect Tab center usage?

How do user agent settings affect Tab Center? Is tab center more used at certian display sized and resolutions?

Release Channel & OS

Different versions of Firefox have Differente overall UI (OS X/ Windows/ Linux & Release vs Dev. Edition). Does Tab Center usage track to the borader distribution of Test Pilot users? Anomolies here will help us idenfify os/version specific issues.

Is lightweight theme enabled?

Themes can specify color schemes, this metric tracks what % of our users make use of themes. If a high number we will consider modifying the color scheme of tab center to better match dark themes.