How hits are grouped into Channels in Google Analytics

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How hits are grouped into Channels in Google Analytics

And how to interpret the Channel reportsBalasingam-Chow Yu Hui (@yuhui)

22 April 2015

http://www.sparkline.com



Reference: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3297892?hl=en

It is important to know how GA defines its default channels.

For example: GA's "Paid Search" System Defined Channel will match any session where the Medium (i.e. "utm_medium") is any of these:

● cpc● ppc● paidsearch

DO NOT USE YOUR OWN ASSUMPTIONS.

GA System Defined Channels



https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3297892?hl=en


How GA groups the channels

Remain unclassified:sessions where Medium is not "cpc", "ppc" or "paidsearch" (and also not "organic")

cpc ppc paidsearch

Paid Search

Remain unclassified:sessions where Medium is not "ppc" and Campaign is not "remarketing" (and also not "organic", "cpc", "ppc" nor "paidsearch")

Remarketing

ppc remarketing+

Implication for "Remarketing":

Since sessions with "ppc" Medium were classified under "Paid Search", so these sessions will never be classified into "Remarketing".

Example

Organic Search

organic

Remain unclassified:sessions where Medium is not "organic"

Medium

CampaignHow the channel is defined:




Type of Channel Group How the report works

Default Channel Group GA aggregates data based on the group's setup at the point when data is collected.

custom channel groups GA groups the data when you run the report, regardless of when the data was collected.

Only the "Default Channel Group" can be used with Custom Reports and through GA's Reporting API.

More info: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6010097?hl=en

Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels

Default vs other Channel Groups





13 Marupdate Default Channel Group

9 Augupdate Default Channel Group

Collected data is grouped based on 13 Mar's Default Channel Group

update.

Collected data is grouped based on 9 Aug's Default Channel Group

update.

Collected data is grouped based on pre-13 Mar's Default Channel

Group.

Interpreting Default Channel Group's report




13 Marupdate custom channel group

9 Augupdate custom channel group

All data is grouped based on 13 Mar's custom channel group's update.

All data is grouped based on 9 Aug's custom channel group's update.

All data is grouped based on pre-13 Mar's custom channel group.

Interpreting custom channel groups' reports




Interpreting Default vs custom Channel Groups' reports

Channel Group 3 Aug:Run a report for

1-31 Jul

Channel group

updated on

31 Aug:Run a report for

1-31 Jul

31 Aug:Run a report for

20-25 Aug

Default Channel Group

Report is based on pre-9 Aug's setup

9 Aug Report is based on pre-9 Aug's setup

Report is based on 9 Aug's setup

custom channel group

Report is based on pre-9 Aug's setup

9 Aug Report is based on 9 Aug's setup

Report is based on 9 Aug's setup

Question: On 25 Dec, I run a report for 1-31 Aug for both channel groups.

Assuming that there have been no changes made to any channel group after 9 Aug, how do I read the reports for both channel groups?

Answer:

Default Channel Group: the report combines 2 sets of data: 1-8 Aug (based on pre-9 Aug's setup) + 9-31 Aug (based on 9 Aug's setup).

custom channel group: the report is based entirely on 9 Aug's setup.




Making things more confusing…

Multi-Channel Funnel (MCF) reports do not use the same channels as the Acquisition reports.

MCF reports have their own channel groups, prefixed with "MCF":

These channel groups need to be setup separately within the MCF reports:

More info: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1191184?hl=en

Multi-Channel Funnel reports







Internet

How hits are grouped into Channels in Google Analytics