Connecting Google Analytics

Adding the Data Source

1. Go to the Setup Settings

2. Follow the instructions in the article How to Connect a Direct Data Network Connection to begin the process of making the Network connection

3. As in step "7" in the above, linked article you will be presented with a pop-up window to authenticate with the required credentials and also allow the appropriate permissions

4. Click the "Add Network" button near the bottom right

Connecting Advertiser-Specific Integration Data to a NinjaCat Account

1. Follow the instructions in the article How to Add a Single Data Connection to a NinjaCat Account to begin the process of making the client-specific data connection
2. In step 4 in the above, linked article there will be two options to pick from provided by Google Analytics
3. Click on the desired Google Analytics option from the list

4. Follow the provided instructions in the help text on each Google Analytics product connection page to obtain and submit the right credentials for the right Google Analytics product

5. Click "Connect" near the bottom right

Google Analytics 4 Update

GA4 is a new property designed for the future of measurement, and will eventually completely replace UA. Starting July 1, 2023, new data will no longer be processed through a UA property. However, your already processed data will still be available to you in your Google Analytics account for at least 6 months after this date.

Major changes that come with GA4

• Better ways to track the customer journey by collecting both App + Web data
• Completely event-based instead of session-based

To view the comparisons between GA4 and UA at length, visit Google's support article.

Universal Analytics and GA4 in the Template Builder

• Both UA and GA4 are able to be pulled into the same NinjaCat template, and for some segments, the same widgets. However, be careful with the metric overlap as some metrics are calculated much differently between UA and GA4. A few examples are Users, Sessions, and Bounce Rate. For more information, review this Google Support article which explains the extent to which you can and cannot compare metrics between UA and GA4.
• The "Google Analytics 4" data source is available as a separate option in the template builder to add to your widgets

Using Universal Analytics Segment Filters

• "Segment Filter Value" advertiser data source connection field - If this field remains blank, then it is ignored. If it contains a value and it matches exactly to a segment filter that exists in that agency's GA network, then we will segment the data within the template builder widget to reflect that for that particular advertiser's GA data, if the user identifies within the widget that the segment filter should be followed (see below).

  • If there are multiple Google Analytics data source connections applied to one account, and a value exists for each connection, then the template builder widget filters accordingly to each given filter per connection/mapping.

  

• The "Segment Filter" dropdown menu - includes the following options:

  • "Do Not Use": This is the default of the dropdown menu. When selected, there is no segment filter value applied to the widget, regardless if there is a value that exists at the advertiser-network level.
  • "Use Widget Only": Even if there is a value set for the Segment Filter Value at the advertiser level. the widget will respect the value in the widget-level segment filter value only. If it is blank, it will be ignored and the data of the widget will remain as-is without a filter applied.
  • "Use Advertiser Only": Even if there is a value set for the Segment Filter Value at the widget level. The widget will respect the value in the advertiser-level segment filter value only. If it is blank for any of the GA data source connections, it will be ignored and the data of the widget will remain as-is without a filter applied.
  • "Use Widget Unless Advertiser Override": If this option is selected for the widget, the following logic is applied: If there is a widget-level Segment Filter Value given, the widget will respect that UNLESS there is a Segment Filter Value given for a data source connection at the Advertiser level for that advertiser. The widget would then respect that advertiser-level filter. If neither exists, the data in the widget remains as-is without a filter applied.

• "Segment Filter Value" Template Builder field - Appears if GA exists as a data source in the widget. Allows the application of a GA Segment Filter at the widget level in the template builder.

Use NinjaCat DataCloud to store Universal Analytics Data after July 1st, 2023

On July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics (UA) properties stopped processing new data. However, your already processed data is still available in your Google Analytics account until July 1, 2024. On this date, data for Standard Universal Analytics properties can no longer be accessed within Google Analytics. Learn more about this timeline from this Google Support article. Storing that UA data in NinjaCat's DataCloud will allow you to hold on to this data past July 1, 2024.

1. Follow the instructions in the linked article named [How to Build a DataCloud Datasource](View a Google Analytics Report Template example). Make sure to select all of the Google Analytics Universal Analytics Networks that contain the desired data you need to keep.