Google Analytics
The Adjust Google Analytics integration makes it easy to pass data from Adjust to your Google Analytics dashboard. This guide describes how to configure your Adjust Dashboard to fill in attribution data in Google Analytics.
Note: Google Analytics and its related documentation use slightly different terminology. You can refer to the Google Analytics naming conventions section below to compare Google’s terminology with Adjust’s.
Before you begin
Here's what you need to know before getting started.
Helpful information
Google Analytics provide 3 properties:
- Web
- App
- App + Web
To activate the Google Analytics module in the Adjust Dashboard, you need a Tracking ID. This is only available only with a Web property.
To find your Tracking ID in Google Analytics, select Admin > Property > Property Settings.
App + Web properties. Consequently, if you have the Firebase SDK integrated within your app you cannot use the Adjust Google Analytics module.
Activating the Adjust Google Analytics integration
Adjust can share attribution data with Google Analytics in just a few easy steps. Follow the instructions below to activate the Adjust Google Analytics integration.
How to activate the Google Analytics module in the Adjust Dashboard
In the Adjust Dashboard
- Navigate to your app and select your app options caret (^)
- Select Partner Setup > Add Partners > Google Analytics
- Enter your Google Analytics tracking ID in the TRACKING ID field
- You can find this tracking ID in your Google Analytics admin panel. If your app has multiple country-specific tracking IDs, enter the global (top-level) tracking ID. Learn more.
- Select Save
Once you have completed the steps above, Adjust will immediately begin to forward install data to Google Analytics. Read on for further instructions to set up and customize the Adjust Google Analytics integration.
If your app includes the Google Analytics SDK
If the Adjust SDK and the Google Analytics SDK are both integrated into your app, you must add session partner parameters to the Adjust SDK. (See our relevant documentation for iOS and Android.)
This is required because Google creates a cid -- a unique client ID -- for every device which installs an app containing the Google Analytics SDK. If Adjust sends data to Google without a matching cid value, then Google can’t match their data with ours.
Session partner parameters allow the Adjust SDK to track Google’s cid and include it when sending data to Google. If the Adjust SDK doesn’t include session partner parameters, Adjust will automatically send the advertising ID (idfa or gps_adid) instead and this won’t match the cid value on Google’s end.
If your app has multiple Google tracking IDs
If your app has multiple country-specific tracking IDs, use the global (top-level) tracking ID to activate the Adjust Google Analytics integration.
Then, you can use the google_country_property_id=[value] click parameter to append country (lower-level) IDs onto clicks. This parameter will result in multiple callbacks being fired: one for each ID. Note that click parameter values are not always available, e.g., for organic traffic.
Customizing the Adjust Google Analytics integration
Forward Adjust-tracked events to Google Analytics
Event linking allows Adjust to pass detailed event data directly to Google Analytics. Every Adjust-tracked in-app event can be mapped to a predefined or custom Google Analytics event. A predefined event refers to a select list of preset labels that Google Analytics will use in organizing user data, while custom events refer to unique naming conventions determined by you, the account user.
To share in-app event data with Google Analytics, follow these steps:
In the Adjust Dashboard
- Navigate to your app and select your app options caret (^)
- Select Partner Setup > Google Analytics > Event Linking
- Select FILL ALL WITH EVENT NAMES to use the same event names on both Adjust and Google Analytics, or fill the fields with custom event names to appear on Google Analytics
- Select Save
Adjust will now forward event data to Google Analytics.
Note: To avoid duplicate data on Google Analytics, do not set up event linking on Adjust if the Google Analytics SDK is integrated into your app and already tracks in-app events.
Forward revenue data to Google Analytics
Revenue forwarding allows Adjust to pass detailed revenue data directly to Google Analytics. After setting up event linking on Adjust (instructions above), follow these steps to share in-app revenue data with Google Analytics.
In the Adjust Dashboard
- Navigate to your app and select your app options caret (^)
- Select Partner Setup > Google Analytics
- Toggle the Revenue Forwarding switch to ON
Adjust will now forward revenue data to Google Analytics.
Note: To avoid duplicate data on Google Analytics, do not set up revenue forwarding on Adjust if the Google Analytics SDK is integrated into your app and already tracks in-app purchases.
How to forward session data to Google Analytics
To share Adjust-tracked sessions and reattributions with Google Analytics, follow these steps:
In the Adjust Dashboard
- Navigate to your app and select your app options caret (^)
- Select Partner Setup > Google Analytics
- Toggle the Session Forwarding switch to ON
Adjust will now forward session data to Google Analytics.
Note: To avoid duplicate data on Google Analytics, do not set up session forwarding on Adjust if the Google Analytics SDK is integrated into your app and already tracks in-app sessions.
Optimizing the Adjust Google Analytics integration with parameters
You can optimize your Adjust Google Analytics integration with click parameters and partner parameters. These parameters make it easy to track insightful data specific to your app -- think SKUs, transaction IDs, item prices, and more.
Follow the instructions below to share custom data with Google Analytics. This custom data will also be included in your own callbacks from Adjust.
How to forward custom event data to Google Analytics
Partner parameters allow Adjust to collect custom event data from your app and transmit it directly to Google Analytics. From item categories to coupon codes, partner parameters are a useful way to collect and share detailed data specific to your app events.
Partner parameters must be set up within the Adjust SDK. For developer instructions, by platform, refer to the links below. (You can read Google’s specifications for each event parameter in the Google developers guide.)
Once the SDK modifications are complete, follow the steps below to enable parameter forwarding within the Adjust Dashboard, as well.
Instructions
In the Adjust Dashboard
- Navigate to your app and select your app options caret (^)
- Select Partner Setup > Google Analytics
- Toggle the Parameter Forwarding slide to ON
- Select Partner Parameter Mapping
- In the partner parameter mapping tab, you will see two fields: FROM APP and TO GOOGLE ANALYTICS. In the FROM APP field, insert the name of your Adjust partner parameter, as written into the Adjust SDK. Then, in the TO GOOGLE ANALYTICS field, insert your corresponding Google-defined name.
- Select SAVE
Adjust will immediately begin forwarding custom event details directly to Google Analytics for any of your linked events.
Developer instructions for writing partner parameters within the Adjust SDK
Full list of accepted Google Analytics parameters
Before reviewing the full list of partner parameters supported by Google Analytics, note that Google requires the following parameters for every event (called “hit types” on Google):
| Hit type | Required parameter |
| transaction | ti |
| item | in, ti |
If these required parameters are missing, the events will be transmitted as events rather than Google’s specific hit types.
Here is the full list of available partner parameters you can set within the Adjust SDK for each event:
| Name | Name in SDK: Example Value | Type | Event | Item | Screenview | Transaction | Notes |
| Google Analytics User ID |
userId: df45346424 | string | yes | yes | yes | yes | This optional but recommended parameter tags your Adjust-tracked traffic with Google Analytics' user ID. This allows Google to attribute traffic across a single user's devices. |
| Anonymize IP | aip: 1 | boolean | yes | yes | yes | yes | Sender's IP address is anonymized only if any of the following examples are in the payload: &aip=, &aip=0, &aip=1, etc. |
| Campaign Content |
cc: content | string, 500B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Screen Name |
cd: High Scores | string, 2048B | yes | yes | yes | yes | Can be appended on click or within the SDK. The click value will override the SDK value. |
| Campaign ID |
ci: ID | string, 100B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Campaign Keyword |
ck: Blue Shoes | string, 500B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Campaign Medium |
cm: organic | string, 50B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Currency Code |
cu: EUR | string, 10B | no | yes | yes | no | |
| Coupon Code |
tcc: SUMMER08 | string, 500B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Google Display Ads ID |
dclid: d_click_id | string | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Document Encoding |
de: UTF8 | string, 20B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Document Title |
dt: settings | string, 1500B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Event Action |
ea: Action | string, 500B | required | no | no | no | |
| Event Category |
ec: Category | string, 150B | required | no | no | no | |
| Event Label |
el: Label | string, 500B | yes | no | no | no | |
| Event Value |
ev: 55 | int | yes | no | no | no | |
| Google Click ID |
gclid | string, 500B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Item Code/SKU |
ic: SKU 45 | string, 500B | no | yes | no | no | |
| Item Name |
in: Shoe | string, 500B | no | required | no | no | |
| Item Price |
ip: 3.50 | float | no | yes | no | no | Precision of up to 6 decimal digits. Can be negative. Default is 0. |
| Item Quantity |
iq: 4 | int | no | yes | no | no | Default is 0. |
| Item Category |
iv: Blue | string, 500B | no | yes | no | no | |
| Non-Interaction Hit |
ni: 1 | boolean | yes | yes | yes | yes | The following values specify whether a hit is non-interactive: 0 = interactive; 1 = non-interactive. The value for installs, sessions and reattributions is 0 as they require the user's app to be open. |
| Screen Colors Depth |
sd: 24bits | string, 20B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Screen Resolution |
sr: 800x600 | string, 20B | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Transaction Affiliation |
ta: Member | string, 500B | no | no | no | yes | |
| Transaction ID |
ti: 0D564 | string, 500B | no | required | no | required | |
| Transaction Revenue |
tr: 15.47 | currency | no | no | no | yes | |
| Transaction Shipping Cost |
ts: 3.5 | float | no | no | no | yes | Precision of up to 6 decimal digits, can be negative, default is 0. |
| Transaction Tax |
tt: 11.20 | float | no | no | no | yes | Precision of up to 6 decimal digits, can be negative, default is 0. |
| Viewport Size |
vp 123x456 | string, 20B | yes | yes | yes | yes |
How to send tracker-level data to Google Analytics
You can pass campaign information and other data to Google Analytics by appending Google click parameters to your Adjust tracker URL. (Learn more about appending click parameters.)
Google Analytics supports the following click parameters:
| Name | Adjust Click Parameter Name | Google Parameter Name: Example Value | Type | Notes |
| Campaign Medium |
utm_medium |
utm_medium: organic | string, 50B | |
| Campaign ID |
utm_id |
utm_id: ID | string, 100B | |
| Google Display Ads ID |
dclid |
dclid: CL6Q-0XyqKUCFcgK2goddQuoHg | string | Automatically appended by Google. This is not mandatory: if it is appended, it will override the automatically-appended Google Click ID. |
| Screen Name |
google_cd |
cd: High Scores | string, 2048B | Can be appended on click or by the SDK. The click value will override the SDK value. |
Here is an example of an Adjust tracker URL generated through the Campaign Wizard with appended click parameters:
https://app.adjust.com/def456?utm_medium=[network macro for utm_medium or hardcoded value from the client or hardcoded value from the client]&utm_id=[network macro for utm_id or hardcoded value from the client]&dclid=[network macro for google display ads id or hardcoded value from the client]&gclid=[network macro for google click ID or hardcoded value from the client]&google_cd=[network macro for screen name or hardcoded value from the client]
Google Analytics naming conventions
Adjust and Google Analytics sometimes use different naming conventions for events and campaign structures. Use this section as a reference when reviewing Google's platform and documentation.
Hit types
Google uses the term "hit" to describe what Adjust calls "activities" or "events." Google Analytics has four hit types:
| Google Analytics hit type | Adjust equivalent |
event | installs, reattributions, or events |
transaction | revenue events |
item | events that include the item_id partner parameter |
screenview | session |
Campaign structure parameters
Google also uses its own naming conventions for campaign structure parameters:
| Adjust campaign structure parameter name | Google UTM parameter name | Explanation |
| Network name | utm_source | campaign source |
| Campaign name | utm_campaign | campaign name |
| Adgroup name | utm_content | campaign content |
| Creative name | utm_term | campaign keyword |