Unknown is a collection condition, not a performance result
Treat absent evidence separately from a verified weak result. A disconnected source does not prove that the business received no activity.
An unavailable metric cannot distinguish between no activity, a disconnected source and a definition that has never been configured. Replacing all three with zero makes a report look complete while changing its meaning. Start by separating the collection question from the business question, then decide which can actually be answered.
A worked example
A hypothetical report contains 30 verified form inquiries but no calendar feed. The team can discuss the form count. It cannot conclude that bookings were zero or calculate an all-source inquiry total from that evidence. If the calendar connection later supplies 12 bookings, first review overlap with the form records rather than automatically reporting 42 unique people.
How to apply it
- Record the metric, expected source, period and whether collection was attempted.
- Test a known source record and distinguish an empty response from a failed request.
- Restore the missing source, then compare definitions and duplicates before combining totals.
What the result can establish
Acceptance means the missing value has a documented explanation and a tested collection path. In SharkBlade, inspect evidence coverage alongside the score; do not improve a score by substituting guessed values. A later change in coverage must be identified separately from an increase in actual demand.
Reference: Google Analytics: recommended events.
Supporting documentation
Google Analytics: recommended eventsGoogle: Search Console performance reportGoogle: helpful, reliable content