Can you trust the numbers in Ghost?
Ghost is an open-source platform that lets publishers build a website, publish content, send email newsletters and offer paid memberships. Its own help pages give 3 reasons its numbers can look different from what you expect. The first to rule out: The same person can be counted again in a later 24 hour window, as Ghost's help pages say.
What does Ghost keep track of?
Ghost keeps a source for each new member, noted at the moment they sign up or start paying.
In Ghost's own words:
Ghost automatically records the source of a member at the time of sign-up or paid conversion
Member sources - Ghost, read 2026-11-12.Ghost keeps newsletter open and click averages for whatever date range you choose.
In Ghost's own words:
These metrics show your average open & click rates across all newsletters sent during the selected date range.
Native analytics in Ghost, read 2026-11-12.
What can make Ghost's numbers look wrong?
The same person can be counted again in a later 24 hour window, as Ghost's help pages say.
In Ghost's own words:
Instead, we count unique visitors within 24-hour windows.
Native analytics in Ghost, read 2026-11-12.Visit figures start from when Ghost 6.0 began, as Ghost's help pages say, so older history will be missing.
In Ghost's own words:
Web analytics were introduced in Ghost 6.0, and will only be available from that point onward.
Native analytics in Ghost, read 2026-11-12.Member sources are blank until the setting is switched on, as Ghost's help pages say.
In Ghost's own words:
Member sources must be enabled from Settings → Analytics for Ghost to collect source information.
Member sources - Ghost, read 2026-11-12.
How do I check Ghost's numbers myself?
Check the date range first, since Ghost starts on the past 30 days and not on all time.
In Ghost's own words:
The default view is the past 30 days, and can be adjusted ranging from today to all time.
Native analytics in Ghost, read 2026-11-12.You can tag a link with your own source and see whether new sign-ups from it are credited to that source.
In Ghost's own words:
Ghost will automatically track all new members who sign up from those URLs and attribute them to that custom source.
Member sources - Ghost, read 2026-11-12.
How does Ghost work with Feder?
Connect Ghost to Feder and it joins your Interest apps. Feder only reads. It never changes anything in Ghost.
When you connect Ghost, Feder checks the connection straight away and shows Connected only when that check passes. If a reading cannot be taken later, Feder shows it as not read, never as zero.
Other apps that feed Interest
- Jotformform submissions
- Klaviyonew profiles
- Mailchimpclicks on today's sends
- ActiveCampaignnew contacts
- Cal.combookings made
- Intercomnew contacts
Questions owners ask about Ghost
- Why did my member count change in Ghost?Members who cancel a paid plan are counted as free once their paid access ends, so the free count can rise while paid falls.
- Why did my Ghost newsletter open rate drop?Open rate is opens divided by the number of recipients, so a change in either number moves the rate.
- Why did my Ghost newsletter subscribers change after I imported members?Members imported as subscribed join every newsletter set to take new members, so one import can raise several newsletter counts at once.
Where do these answers come from?
Everything this page says about Ghost comes from Ghost's own pages, quoted above with the date we read them. Last reviewed 2026-11-12. We read them again by 2027-11-12. If one changes, this page changes or comes down.
Know the day a number breaks, not the month after.
Some numbers are too quiet to judge daily, such as a form filled in a few times a week. Until there is enough of your own history to judge a change, Feder says it is still learning and scores nothing, rather than guessing.