Is there a recommended way to send additional values as part of the google analytics data? I need to pass following additional values to the Google Analytics which can help business.
These additional values are not page dependent and should be sent to GA in all cases.
This is how it has been implemented by someone but seems not to work
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', googleAnalyticsTrackingId]);
_gaq.push(['_setBrand', brand]);
_gaq.push(['_setCatalog', catalog]);
_gaq.push(['_setCountry', country]);
When using above code, I can see following error in the console (I am using GA debug plugin)
Called method "_setBrand" threw exception.TypeError: Cannot read property 'apply' of undefined
ga_debug.js:30 Called method "_setCatalog" threw exception.TypeError: Cannot read property 'apply' of undefined
I looked into the document and seems that we can create custom attribute like
_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',
1, // This custom var is set to slot #1. Required parameter.
'brand', // The top-level name for your online content categories. Required parameter.
brand, // Sets the value of "Section" to "Life & Style" for this particular aricle. Required parameter.
3 // Sets the scope to page-level. Optional parameter.
]);
I tried this approach but unable to see any values (Brand) being passed to GA.
Can someone help me to understand the correct way or point me to documentation to do this as I have very limited knowledge of GA tagging API?
Related
I have implemented a feedback star rating on my website at the bottom of each page. They can select one to five stars and optionally send free-form comments. I have implemented gtag.js to send the star rating integer and comments to my GA4 dashboard. Code snippet is below; I have omitted the JavaScript which allows the user to set the variables, but this is working.
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=MEASUREMENT_ID"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());
gtag('config', 'MEASUREMENT_ID', {
'custom_map': {
'rating_dimension': 'rating_key',
'comments_dimension': 'comments_key'
},
'rating_key': 'this.value',
'comments_key': 'commentsValue',
});
</script>
gtag('event', 'rating_event', {'rating_key': this.value });
gtag('event', 'comments_event', {'comments_key': commentValue });
I went under Configure>Custom definitions and added the dimensions under the Event scope.
The data is being sent as an event, because this is something the user can optionally do on a page. I have verified that the data is sent to GA, I have the Google Chrome GA Debugger, and can see that it is arriving in the Realtime report under Events.
I would like to build a report which shows the page title/URL, the number of views, the length of time spent, along with its average star rating and any comments. I would like to have some adjustable controls so that I can configure this to be shown for a specified length of time. For example, if the page is modified, I can see the average rating before and after the change. Unfortunately, I am not able to build even the most rudimentary view of this data in the new GA web interface. I tried to modify various existing reports to include my custom dimensions, but they don't offer this option. I went under Explore and tried to add a Freeform report, but I can't get the data to show up there either, it only counts the number of times the event has occurred, which is not what I care about at all.
I have gone to a lot of effort to send the data to GA and had expected to be able to access the data and build a basic report.
Is it that you are unable to add custom dimensions and metrics to the free form exploration? Or when you want to add dimensions or metrics, they don't even show up in the custom section?
Normally you have to wait more or less (some say up to) 24 hours before being able to use custom definitions (metrics and dimensions) in any report.
this might not be your case, but I found your post looking for an answer to my problem, which is the custom metrics and dimensions are there, I am just unable to add them to the report, it looks like a bug, I click the + button, check the custom dimensions and nothing happens.
In Google Analytics Classic/Universal Analytics we could get the name of global object using such code:
window['GoogleAnalyticsObject']
And then we could get the object by its name:
window[window['GoogleAnalyticsObject']]
Looks like in GA4 such approach is not working, I am getting undefined if I try to get this name. Is it possible somehow to get this name in GA4 ?
Also this is my use case: I have a site on which GA4 was added, there is a possibility that the global object - gtag was renamed (but I don't know about that), theafore I need to get current name of the object and then to get the object by its name.
Per the updated Google Analytics 4 site tag documentation, it appears that object may now be in window.dataLayer. I'm thinking either:
window[window.dataLayer['GoogleAnalyticsObject']]
or
window.dataLayer['GoogleAnalyticsObject']
According to Google's gtag.js guide, it seems like we're able to define custom parameters. However, when using the code examples, only the Event Action gets populated. The Event Label is recorded in Google Analytics as "(not set)" and the Event Category as "general".
Code Example from developers.google.com:
gtag('event', 'video_play', {
'video_title': 'My promotional video',
'duration': '01:32'
});
It's also interesting to note that I cannot figure out how to show custom parameters as the columns in Google Analytics seem to be statically set to "Event Category", "Event Action", and "Event Label". These correspond to the default keys of "event_category", "event_action", and "event_label". Using these keys sends the values correctly. The following code works:
gtag('event', 'redirect', {
'event_category': 'Announcements',
'event_label': '/announcements/index.jsp',
Has anyone gotten custom parameters to work or is this a feature that hasn't been implemented yet in gtag.js? Is there additional configuration needed that I may have missed?
If you you were thinking of GA Custom Dimensions and Custom Metrics, yes it is available in the gtag.js / Global Site Tag syntax, see
https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gtagjs/custom-dims-mets
in the form of a Map of CD indexes and attribute explicit names, followed by setting values to explicit attribute names.
for example
// Maps 'dimension2' to 'age'.
gtag('config', 'GA_MEASUREMENT_ID', {
'custom_map': {'dimension2': 'age'}
});
// Sends an event that passes 'age' as a parameter.
gtag('event', 'age_dimension', {'age': 55});
See also https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gtagjs/migration#custom_dimensions_and_metrics
However, gtag.js is a wrapper to make analytics.js easier to implement by hiding some its complexity.
If you are used to analytics.js, keep using it, you get more control on its behavior.
Or move to GTM, it's way more flexible.
I want to add a Custom Variables called Custom Variables to my website.And I defined a datalayer on Google Tag Manager.I also add the code snippet on the page which I want to get the Custom Variable.
<script type="text/javascript">
var external_id = jQuery('#edit-external-id').attr("value");
dataLayer = [{
'externalID': external_id
}];
</script>
I debuged the configuration of GTM．Here's the picture
I got the message.But I can't see the value statics on my Google Analytics.I think the menu path of GA is Audience-Custom-Custom Variable.Am I right?Anyone can help me?
Writing values to the dataLayer does not make them appear in Google Analytics; it just makes them available in GTM.
You need to set up a Google Analytics Tag - there is a tag template for Universal Analytics where you can insert the Google Account id. Use the default "all pages" trigger. Since you are receiving data I assume you already have done this.
Now in GTM go to the "variables" menu, click "new" and select "Data Layer Variable" as type. Enter the key from the dataLayer that you want to be evaluated, i.e. "externalID". Give your variable a name, I suggest to simply use the dataLayer key. Save. Now you can use the variable by calling it via its name surrounded by {{curly brackets}}.
Go back to your GA tag. I assume you want to save the value as custom dimension, since custom variables are deprecated in the current GA version. You need to create a custom dimension in Admin/Property/Custom Definitions/Custom Dimensions. When you create a custom dimension you will get a numeric index to address the dimension by. Go to your GA tag, advanced configuration, custom dimensions and click "add". Enter the numeric index and after that select the variable you want to send.
Custom variables do not show up by default in the standard reports; you can either selected them as "secondary dimension" from the dropdown above the data table, or create a custom report.
First, you must never, ever use dataLayer = [{...}] after the container snippet (preferably don't use it ever). You're overwriting the container snippet by reinitializing it as a new Array. As you can see, in your Preview panel there is no "Page View" event (should be just before DOM Ready), which means e.g. the All Pages Trigger won't work.
Second, "Custom Variables" are deprecated. They've been replaced with Custom Dimensions in Universal Analytics.
Third, did you actually add this variable/dimension to a GA Tag?
Here's how it should work:
1) In your script replace dataLayer = [{...}] with:
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
window.dataLayer.push({
'event' : 'variablePushed',
'externalID' : external_id
});
This is the safe way to interact with dataLayer.
2) In GA Admin / Property Settings / Custom Definitions / Custom Dimensions, create a new Custom Dimension with the appropriate scope, and make note of the assigned Index number. If you are unfamiliar with Custom Dimensions, you have some reading to do. Start with https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2709828?hl=en
3) Create a new Custom Event Trigger for Event Name variablePushed, name it e.g. "Event - variablePushed" (without quotes).
4) Create a new Data Layer Variable for Variable Name externalID, name it e.g. {{externalID}} (without curly braces).
5) Create a new Event Tag, with Event Category: External ID, Event Action: {{externalID}}, and set the Non-Interaction field to True.
6) Browse to More Settings -> Custom Dimensions in the Event Tag, and add a new Custom Dimension. Set the Index number from (2) and set the value to {{externalID}}.
7) Add the Trigger you created in (3) to this Event Tag.
What happens now is that when the externalID dataLayer.push() takes place, the Event Tag fires a non-interaction event to GA (so it won't affect Bounce Rate), which piggybacks the Custom Dimension with it.
I have a search functionality set up in my website, which uses a third party extension retrieve the search results. The search terms are not passed as query parameters.
Below is my sample URL for my search results:
mysite.com/search/results/dGVzdA/
I cannot change the URL to pass the search terms as query parameters.
So I'm trying to send Async Tracking from the google analytics javascript :
<script>
var _gaq= _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-XXXXXXX-X']);
//Push search query into google analytics
if ({url_segment_1} == 'search' && {url_segment_2} == 'results')
_gaq.push(['trackPageview'],['/search/?q=test']);
else
_gap.push(['trackPageview']);
(function(d,t){var g=d.createElement(t),s=d.getElementsByTagName(t)[0];
g.src=('https:'==location.protocol?'//ssl':'//www')+'.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s)}(document,'script'));
</script>
The javascript logic seems to be executing fine, I've tested it by placing alert options. So is there anything that I'm implementing incorrectly with respect to _gaq.push().
Could someone throw light on the same
A couple of errors:
It's _trackPageview, with an initial underscore.
The argument for _trackPageview needs to be inside the array, like:
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview','/search/?q=test']);
[edit] There's also typo: _gap.push should be _gaq.push