This document provides a high level overview of the Google Analytics
Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API. For a detailed reference of the API, read the
Reference Guide
.
Introduction
The Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API enables you to request Multi-Channel Funnels data for an authenticated user.
Data is derived from conversion path data, which shows
user interactions with various traffic sources over multiple sessions
prior to converting. This allows you to analyze
how multiple marketing channels influence conversions over time. For more details on
what data is available, read the
About Multi-Channel Funnels
, as well as
About Multi-Channel Funnels Data
.
With the Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API you can:
- Create custom reports using Multi-Channel Funnels data. For example, you
could use the
Top Conversion Paths
data to report on attributes such as
relative position of interactions in a conversion path.
- Integrate Multi-Channel Funnels data with your business data.
For example, you could correlate online conversion data with offline sales
data and media cost data to arrive at a more complete picture of marketing
ROI.
- Display Multi-Channel Funnels in new environments. For instance,
you could create visualizations and other presentations of the data that
communicate the value of different marketing channels in driving
conversions.
Conceptual Overview
The fundamental concepts underlying the Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API are:
- How reports relate to users and views (profiles).
- The structure of a report and how to build queries.
- Conversion path data and attribution concepts.
- Working with the API response.
Reports, Users, and Views (Profiles)
To request report data for a user, your application must identify the user
and specify a view (profile) for which to retrieve the data.
A user is identified by obtaining
authorization credentials
and passing them in each API request.
A view (profile) is identified by a View (Profile) ID.
Views (Profiles), among other entities, are part of the Google Analytics
configuration hierarchy
.
Your application can use the
Management API
to traverse this hierarchy and obtain a view (profile)
ID.
Querying for Dimensions and Metrics
You query the API for Google Analytics report data, which consists of
dimensions and metrics. Metrics are the individual measurements of user
activity like conversion counts and values. Dimensions break down metrics
across some common criteria and can either be primitive values representing
individual interaction events on conversion paths, or sequences representing
the series of interaction events of entire conversion paths.
Use the
Dimensions & Metrics Reference Guide
to explore all the
dimensions and metrics exposed through the API. Also, read the
Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API Reference Guide
to learn about how to specify
dimensions and metrics in an API query.
Conversion Path Data and Attribution Concepts
Multi-Channel Funnels reports are generated from conversion paths: the sequences of
interactions (e.g. clicks/referrals from channels) that led up to each
conversion and transaction. The conversion paths are collected via
the Google Analytics cookie which records interactions by the same
browser and machine. The Multi-Channel Funnels data combines the Google Analytics
conversion data with the sequence of interactions captured in the cookie.
Multi-Channel Funnels report queries return data based on a sample set of 1 million
conversion paths. If the date range includes a total conversion count of
1 million or less, the report will be unsampled. Otherwise, a sample set of
1 million will be used to generate the results. This contrasts with the Core
Reporting functionality, which samples on the basis of sessions. For more
information on the data and related concepts, please read
About Multi-Channel Funnels Data
. You may also find it useful to read the
Analyzing Channel Contributions
article, which defines core concepts such as
Assisted Conversions.
Working with Reports
The data returned form the API can be thought of as a table with a
header and a list of rows. Each API response consists of a header
that describes the name and data type of each column.
The response also contains a list of rows, where each row is a list of cells
with data in the same order as the headers.
Read the
Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API Reference Guide
for more information about the API response.
Each cell value either contains a primitive value of string type, or a
conversion path value. This conversion path value is an array of objects
which represent all the nodes of that path. We can use the type information
in the column headers to parse each cell value to its appropriate type.
More of this
here
.
Quota Policy
The Multi-Channel Funnels data query handles millions of operations. To protect the
system from receiving more operations than it can handle, and to ensure an
equitable distribution of system resources, it is necessary to employ a quota
system. Read the
Limits and Quota
guide for more details.
Next Steps
Now that you understand how the API works, we have a bunch of resources
to help you get started: