---
title: Pathways
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: Docs > Product Analytics > Charts > Pathways
---

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.datadoghq.com/llms.txt).

# Pathways

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com, us2.ddog-gov.com

{% alert level="danger" %}
This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site.md). ({% placeholder "user-datadog-site-name" /%}).
{% /alert %}

{% /callout %}

Pathways charts visualize all user journeys across your application to analyze the critical path.

{% image
   source="https://docs.dd-static.net/images/product_analytics/journeys/pathways/pathways_chart.0e8e9d6b483da04139267d14a93dd3b1.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=850 1x, https://docs.dd-static.net/images/product_analytics/journeys/pathways/pathways_chart.0e8e9d6b483da04139267d14a93dd3b1.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=850&dpr=2 2x"
   alt="The default Pathways diagram for an app." /%}

Each node represents a view the user visited. The thickness of each node represents the count of user sessions on that page. A page with fewer visitors has a thinner node in the diagram.

If a user visits the same page multiple times during their session, that page is only counted once.

Action events are not supported in pathways charts.

## Create a pathways chart{% #create-a-pathways-chart %}

Build a pathways chart around a single view, then choose whether to show the steps users take before or after it.

1. In Product Analytics, select Create New > Pathways.

1. Select a step in your user journey to explore, and use the adjacent dropdown to display steps before or after it.
Pathways charts support [Datadog wildcards][1], so you can match multiple views with a single entry, such as `/department/*`.
1. (Optional) Filter chart results based on properties such as country or device type using Filter by criteria.

## Analyze a pathways chart{% #analyze-a-pathways-chart %}

After you build a pathways chart, the diagram displays the most common paths users took across the selected number of steps.

Each node shows the percentage and number of sessions that reached that view relative to the previous step. Hover over a node to see the exact count. Dropoff represents sessions that stopped before reaching another view within the selected number of steps.

{% image
   source="https://docs.dd-static.net/images/product_analytics/journeys/pathways/pathways_analysis.3604d999a2630b19e1b069e244102040.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=850 1x, https://docs.dd-static.net/images/product_analytics/journeys/pathways/pathways_analysis.3604d999a2630b19e1b069e244102040.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=850&dpr=2 2x"
   alt="A Pathways chart with numbered callouts for the top paths and steps controls, the time range selector, a diagram node, an open node menu, and the Build Funnel button." /%}

You can refine a pathways chart in various ways to zero in on the paths you want to analyze.

1. Use the view controls to change how many paths display, and how many steps each path includes.

1. Use the time range selector to change the period of data the chart analyzes.

1. A node represents a view a user visited. The thickness of a node reflects the number of sessions that reached that view.

1. Click a node to open a menu with options to start a new pathways chart from that view (in either direction), view all visits to the view in Analytics, view a sample session replay, or view heatmap data.

1. Click Build Funnel, then click the nodes you want to include. Click Create Funnel From Selection to convert your selection into a [funnel](https://docs.datadoghq.com/product_analytics/charts/funnel_analysis.md), a chart that tracks conversion through a fixed, ordered sequence of steps.

## Further reading{% #further-reading %}

Additional helpful documentation, links, and articles:

- [Build Sankey widgets in Dashboards](https://docs.datadoghq.com/dashboards/widgets/sankey.md)