Google Analytics

The Qlik Google Analytics Connector uses several Google APIs to extract web visitor data, such as page views over time or top landing pages, from your Google Analytics-enabled websites and load that data into your Qlik Sense apps or Qlik Cloud Data Integration.

Ways to access your data

To access your Google Analytics data, you will need to authenticate the connector with your Google account credentials. After you create a connection and select Google Analytics as your data source, you will be redirected to a Google login page to retrieve your authentication token.

Creating a data source connection

Loading data from tables

After you authenticate the connector with your account credentials, use the tables to fetch your data. Some tables are preconfigured to access a specific set of data while others let you create custom queries. The table below outlines some of the use cases for some of the tables that are available.

In Qlik Sense, some tables are only available in the Data load editor, and are not available in the Add data interface.

Tables that can be loaded
Table	Available in	Description
DataFromQueryURI	Data manager and Data load editor	Use this table to fetch data using a Query URI. Use the Google Query Explorer to build and test your URI. Building a data feed manually
DataFromQueryURIQueryInfo	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch information about the specified Query URI.
DataFromTemplateQuery	Data manager and Data load editor	Use this table to fetch data from preconfigured templates, such as time on site or top landing pages. Using prebuilt data feeds
MCFData	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnels report data, according to specified metrics. Dimensions and Metrics reference
MCFDataQueryInfo	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch information about the specfied MCF Data table query.
RealTimeData	Data load editor	Use this table to request real time data for a profile view. The request must include the ids parameter and at least one metrics parameter. ids=ga:XXXX&dimensions=DIM1,DIM2&metrics=MET1,MET1 Real Time Data: get
MetaDataColumns	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch a list of supported dimensions and metrics, with additional information about each.
Accounts	Data load editor	Use this table to list all accounts that can be accessed by the authenticated user.
WebProperties	Data manager and Data load editor	Use this table to list web properties that can be accessed by the authenticated user.
WebProfiles	Data manager and Data load editor	Use this table to fetch the details about all of your connected accounts. Many other tables require web IDs or account IDs which are listed when you run this table.
CustomDimensions	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch custom dimensions that have been added to the account.
CustomMetrics	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch custom metrics that have been added to the account.
Segments	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch a list of advanced segments.
Goals	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch a list of goals that have been added to the account.
GoalsEventDetails	Data load editor	Use this table to fetch a list of details for goals with the EVENTS type.

To select and load data from a table, enter the required table parameters and click Preview data. Required parameters are marked with an asterisk (*). The table fields are displayed under the Data preview tab. You can select fields individually by selecting the box beside each field name. Select Insert script after you have made your selection.

Creating a connection and selecting data

Using prebuilt data feeds

A simple way to get started with the Qlik Google Analytics Connector is to use a prebuilt report using the DataFromTemplateQuery table.

Do the following:

Select the DataFromTemplateQuery table.
Select one of your available Profile IDs from the drop-down list.

Information noteIf you don’t see any Profile IDs check that your Google account has access to some by logging into the Google Analytics website or contacting your website administrator.
Select a Query from the drop-down menu and enter a date range using the format DD-MM-YYYY.
Click Preview data.
Click Insert script.

Building a data feed manually

You can manually build a URI using the Query Explorer from Google Analytics Demos & Tools. This gives you full flexibility over the dimensions and metrics that are returned.

To use the Query Explorer, the website and the connector must be authenticated with the same Google account.

Do the following:

Open the Query Explorer and enter your query parameters.

Query Explorer
Click on Run Query.

Tip noteThe Query Explorer provides a detailed view of your dimensions and metrics based on your query parameters.
In the Qlik Google Analytics Connector, select the DataFromQueryURl table and paste the API Query URl from the Query Explorer into the Query URI field.
Click Insert Script.

You can include up to 7 dimensions and 10 metrics in your query. To improve download times, the connector automatically sets the max-results to a value of 10,000. This does not mean the results are limited to the first 10,000 rows. It means that each page of requests will pull down the maximum number of requests that is possible. The connector will loop through as many pages of data as it can, in the background, to get all the results.

Using custom variables

If you have custom variables setup on your website and you want to use them for your data feed, then you need to replace the XX in ga:customVarValueXX or ga:customVarNameXX with the relevant index of the custom variable.

Example:

The dimensions field = ga:date,ga:customVarValue1.

Custom Variables or Columns - Dimensions & Metrics Explorer

Working with the Google API quota limits

The Google APIs impose a rate limit of 10,000 requests per profile per day.

You receive an error message that you have reached the API rate limit

Reference - Google Analytics developer documentation

You can refer to the Google Analytics developer documentation to learn more about the requirements and restriction imposed by the Google API.

Google Analytics Documentation

Troubleshooting

You receive an error message that you have reached the API rate limit

Possible cause

You have exceeded the API limits that are imposed on the Qlik Web Connectors by the Google APIs.

Proposed action

To reduce the impact of reaching the API rate limits, develop your app with the following in mind:

Extract only the data you need.
Reload one Google Analytics-based application at a time.
Ensure that loops in your script that make API calls will not result in infinite loops.

You are receiving unexpected data or conflicting data

Possible cause

Differences in data can be due to a misinterpretation of the dimensions and metrics or due to the sampling used by Google Analytics.

Proposed action

Request data over smaller periods, for example, instead of requesting data for a month at a time, request data over a day or a week at a time.

Check that you also get the same numbers in the Google Query Explorer. The connector gets the data from the same system, so there should not be any differences.

Use the following procedures to identify and reconcile the differences:

Run exactly the same metrics in the connectors as on the platform.
Use the connector or the Query Explorer, and not your application, to check values by recreating the metric and looking at the data tab in Qlik Web Connectors.
Try to match the manual report to the connector, so if the connector gives you three columns of data, that is, date, pages visited and average time, then get the same report manually and compare the values.
Match the time scales. If the connector gives you each day's data for a month, but the manual report just gives you one figure for the whole month then values like averages will be affected.
Try a smaller time scale or data set as this will make it easier to identify where data is missing, so check numbers on a day by day basis.
Check the ranges coming back in the connector. If you select a date range, check that all those dates are in the data, that is, the first or last days are not missing.

If the values in the connector can be matched to the manual reports, but there is still a problem in the application, then you need to review your script, data model, expressions and objects, to check what you get in Qlik Web Connectors is the same as that fed into your application.

You cannot authentication because everything is greyed out or disabled

Possible cause

The embedded browser is failing to refresh.

Proposed action

Press F5 to refresh the embedded browser, which should enable it.

You receive a time out error for your request

Possible cause

This may be due to the volume of the data you are requesting.

Proposed action

Split your request in your load script and check if this solves your time out issue.

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