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Google Analytics Data Export API Changelog

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We periodically update the Google Analytics Data Export API in order to deliver new features and to repair defects discovered in previous versions. In most cases, these changes will be transparent to API developers. However, occasionally we need to make changes that require developers to modify their existing applications.

This page documents any changes made to the Google Analytics Data Export API that may effect your application. We recommend that API developers periodically check this list for any new announcements. Changes will also be announced via this page's Atom feed and the Google Analytics API notify group.

Release 2009-12 (December 14, 2009)

This release adds a number of new features:

This release increments the major version number to 2

  • Some features require the use of the latest client libraries. We officially support: Java & Javascript. 3rd party libraries might not be updated yet.

    • Version 2 may be requested by adding the header GData-Version: 2 to each account or data feed request Read the documentation for more details.
    • A new XML namespace has been added to both account and data feeds:
      xmlns:ga='http://schemas.google.com/ga/2009'
  • The API now supports the Google Data protocol version 2.

Advanced segmentation support

  • Dynamic segments query parameter:

    • ...&segment=dynamic::expression
    • allows creation of advanced segments “on the fly”.
    • expression can be any dimension or metric and should follow the same syntax as filters.
  • Default and custom segments query parameter:

    • ...&segment=gaid::number
    • where number is an ID referencing an advanced segment defined in the Google Analytics Web Interface.
    • ID can be found in the account feed.
  • The account feed describes segment data through the following XML elements and attributes:

    • <dxp:segment id='gaid::-3' name='Returning Visitors'>
    • <dxp:definition>ga:visitorType==Returning Visitor</dxp:definition>
  • The data feed also provides an XML element indicating whether a segment was applied in the API request.

  • More details on advanced segments in our documentation.

New goal data available

  • Destination and engagement type goals available in the account feed:

    • <ga:goal active='true' name='Completing Order' number='1' value='10.0'>
    • <ga:destination expression='/purchaseComplete.html' matchType='regex' step1Required='false' caseSensitive='false'>
    • <ga:step number='1' name='Login' path='/login.html'/>
    • <ga:engagement comparison='&gt;' thresholdValue='300' type='timeOnSite'/>
  • 48 new goal metrics have been added for goals 5-20 which all follow the convention goal(n)Completions, where (n) is a number between 1 and 20.

    • ga:goal(n)Completions
    • ga:goal(n)Starts
    • ga:goal(n)Value
  • GoalCompletionAll, GoalStartsAll and GoalValueAll have been updated to account for the new goal data.

New custom variable data

  • All custom variables ever collected by each profile have been added as a new XML element to the account feed:

    • <ga:customVariable index='1' name='category' scope='visitor'>
  • 10 new dimensions have been added for custom variables. They follow the convention customVar(n) where (n) can be a number between 1 and 5.

    • ga:customVarName(n)
    • ga:customVarValue(n)

Deprecated dimensions & metrics to be removed!

  • If you haven’t done so already, please stop using the previously deprecated dimensions and metrics. They will be removed soon and will return errors from our API if requested.

    • ga:countOfVisits
    • ga:countOfVisitsToATransaction
    • ga:sourceMedium
    • ga:percentNewVisits
  • The following dimensions have been renamed:

    • ga:countOfVisits is now ga:visitCount
    • ga:countOfVisitsToATransaction is now ga:visitsToTransaction

Release 2009-09 (September 18, 2009)

This release adds new features and deprecates some old functionality:

  • The following dimensions and metrics are now deprecated. We’ll be permanently removing them from our API in one month. Please make sure to update your code so your applications don’t break:

    • ga:countOfVisits
    • ga:countOfVisitsToATransaction
    • ga:sourceMedium
    • ga:percentNewVisits
  • The following Dimensions have been renamed:

    • ga:countOfVisits is now ga:visitCount
    • ga:countOfVisitsToATransaction is now ga:visitsToTransaction
  • All Event Tracking data is now exposed as 2 new groups:

    D7. Events (Dimensions)

    • ga:eventCategory
    • ga:eventAction
    • ga:eventLabel

    M7. Events (Metrics)

    • ga:eventValue
    • ga:totalEvents
    • ga:uniqueEvents
  • Overall site navigation data is is now exposed through the following dimensions:

    D6. Navigation

    • ga:previousPagePath
    • ga:nextPagePath
  • Landing page navigation is now exposed through the following dimensions:

    D3. Content

    • ga:landingPagePath
    • ga:secondPagePath
  • The maximum length of regular expressions in the Data Feed’s filter query parameter has been raised from 32 to 128 characters.

  • The Length of Visit report (found through the UI under Visitors -> Visitor Loyalty) is now exposed through the new dimension:

    • ga:visitLength

Release 2009-06 (June 30, 2009)

This release updates the Google Analytics Data Export API as follows:

  • Some restrictions on dimension and metric combinations have been relaxed. You can now query most content and visitor level dimensions together, for example ga:pagePath and ga:source is now a valid combination. Please see the updated reference guide for these new combinations: http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/gdata/gdataReferenceValidCombos.html

  • The total number of rows that can be asked for in one request has been increased to 10,000. The default number of rows returned is still 1,000, but can now be increased by setting the max-results query parameter.

  • The Account Feed now returns two new data elements for each Table ID (currency and timezone).
    <dxp:property name='ga:currency' value='USD'/>
    <dxp:property name='ga:timezone' value='America/Los_Angeles'/>

  • We’re now enforcing that data queries must include at least one valid metric.

  • All previous deprecation changes have taken effect.

Release 2009-05 (May 22, 2009)

This release removes deprecated features from our private beta:

  • The account feed requests will no longer support a username in them. Instead, it will only accept requests in the following format:
    https://www.google.com/analytics/feeds/accounts/default

  • The following metrics are being removed and will no longer work. Instead, we have provided instructions on how to calculate these values here: http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/gdata/gdataReferenceCommonCalculations.html

    • ga:avgPageDuration
    • ga:avgPageviews
    • ga:avgSessionTime
    • ga:bounceRate
    • ga:exitRate
    • ga:costPerConversion
    • ga:costPerGoalConversion
    • ga:costPerTransaction
    • ga:revenuePerClick
    • ga:revenuePerTransaction
    • ga:revenuePerVisit
    • ga:abandonedFunnels1
    • ga:abandonedFunnels2
    • ga:abandonedFunnels3
    • ga:abandonedFunnels4
    • ga:goalConversionRate
    • ga:goalConversionRate1
    • ga:goalConversionRate2
    • ga:goalConversionRate3
    • ga:goalConversionRate4
    • ga:goalValuePerVisit
  • The following dimensions and metrics have been renamed. The old names will no longer work. Please verify you are using the official names in our documentation here: http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/gdata/gdataReferenceDimensionsMetrics.html

    Dimensions

    • ga:subContinentRegion ⇒ ga:subContinent
    • ga:organization ⇒ ga:networkLocation
    • ga:domain ⇒ ga:networkDomain
    • ga:visitNumber ⇒ ga:countOfVisits
    • ga:platform ⇒ ga:operatingSystem
    • ga:platformVersion ⇒ ga:operatingSystemVersion
    • ga:content ⇒ ga:adContent
    • ga:requestUri ⇒ ga:pagePath
    • ga:requestUri1 ⇒ ga:landingPagePath
    • ga:requestUriLast ⇒ ga:exitPagePath
    • ga:internalSearchNext ⇒ ga:searchKeywordRefinement
    • ga:internalSearchKeyword ⇒ ga:searchKeyword
    • ga:internalSearchType ⇒ ga:searchCategory
    • ga:hasInternalSearch ⇒ ga:searchUsed
    • ga:requestUriFrom ⇒ ga:searchStartPage
    • ga:requestUriTo ⇒ ga:searchDestinationPage
    • ga:productCode ⇒ ga:productSku

    Metrics

    • ga:newVisitors ⇒ ga:newVisits
    • ga:pageDuration ⇒ ga:timeOnPage
    • ga:visitDuration ⇒ ga:timeOnSite
    • ga:cost ⇒ ga:adCost
    • ga:clicks ⇒ ga:adClicks
    • ga:clickThroughRate ⇒ ga:CTR
    • ga:costPerClick ⇒ ga:CPC
    • ga:costPerMilleImpressions ⇒ ga:CPM
    • ga:searchTransitions ⇒ ga:searchRefinements
    • ga:uniqueInternalSearches ⇒ ga:searchUniques
    • ga:visitsWithSearches ⇒ ga:searchVisits
    • ga:productPurchases ⇒ ga:itemQuantity
    • ga:productRevenue ⇒ ga:itemRevenue
    • ga:products ⇒ ga:uniquePurchases
    • ga:revenue ⇒ ga:transactionRevenue
    • ga:shipping ⇒ ga:transactionShipping
    • ga:tax ⇒ ga:transactionTax
    • ga:goalCompletions1 ⇒ ga:goal1Completions
    • ga:goalCompletions2 ⇒ ga:goal2Completions
    • ga:goalCompletions3 ⇒ ga:goal3Completions
    • ga:goalCompletions4 ⇒ ga:goal4Completions
    • ga:goalStarts1 ⇒ ga:goal1Starts
    • ga:goalStarts2 ⇒ ga:goal2Starts
    • ga:goalStarts3 ⇒ ga:goal3Starts
    • ga:goalStarts4 ⇒ ga:goal4Starts
    • ga:goalValue1 ⇒ ga:goal1Value
    • ga:goalValue2 ⇒ ga:goal2Value
    • ga:goalValue3 ⇒ ga:goal3Value
    • ga:goalValue4 ⇒ ga:goal4Value

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