What Help Center Analytics Should I Track?
Track these help center metrics: article views, search queries, failed searches, AI resolution rate, and ticket deflection. Here's what each tells you.
TL;DR
Track five help center metrics: (1) article views (what's popular), (2) search queries (what people look for), (3) failed searches (content gaps), (4) AI resolution rate (chatbot effectiveness), and (5) ticket deflection rate (overall self-service success).
The five metrics that matter
1. Article views. Which articles get read most? High-traffic articles deserve the most polish and should be kept updated. Low-traffic articles might have discoverability problems.
2. Search queries. What are customers typing into search? This reveals their exact language and needs. Use these exact phrases as article titles.
3. Failed searches. Searches that return zero results. Each one is a content gap — a question you haven't answered yet. This is your #1 signal for what to write next.
4. AI resolution rate. What percentage of AI chatbot conversations resolve without human handoff? This measures how well your content supports AI-powered self-service.
5. Ticket deflection rate. Of all customers who need help, how many resolve through self-service vs creating a ticket? The overall measure of help center effectiveness.
How to use the data
Weekly: Check failed searches. Write 2-3 articles targeting the highest-volume gaps.
Monthly: Review article views. Update the top 10 articles for accuracy. Delete or merge articles with zero views.
Quarterly: Assess deflection rate trend. If it's not improving, your content addition pace is too slow or article quality needs work.
The goal is a feedback loop: data tells you what to write → you write it → deflection improves → new gaps emerge → repeat.
Tools that provide these analytics
Most basic help center tools only give you article views. For the full picture (failed searches, AI resolution, content gaps), you need a tool built around the feedback loop.
Kairoo provides all five metrics in its dashboard plus a "Content Gaps" report that ranks missed queries by frequency. It also tracks article helpfulness ratings.
See the full comparison of help center tools or learn how to reduce tickets using analytics. Start free.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good AI resolution rate?
40-60% for a help center with 20+ articles. Below 30% means your content has major gaps. Above 70% means your self-service is mature and effective.
How often should I check help center analytics?
Check failed searches weekly (to identify what to write). Review overall metrics monthly. Assess trends quarterly. Don't obsess over daily fluctuations.