Nigh Information Import

Go a unified view of your information

Information Import lets yous upload data from external sources and combine information technology with information you collect via Analytics. You tin then use Analytics to organize and analyze all of your data in ways that better reverberate your business.

In this article :

  • Why use Information Import
  • Types of information yous can import
  • Where is Information Import?
  • How Information Import works
  • Adjacent steps
  • Related resources

Why use Data Import?

If you use a multifariousness of systems and tools to run your business organization, you lot can apply Analytics to join and analyze that data in one place. For case, y'all tin can plow carve up CRM data, ecommerce data, and Analytics data into a single comprehensive view of your business.

Each business system you apply generates its own information store. Your CRM might contain information like customer-loyalty rating, lifetime value and product preferences. If you are a web publisher, your content management tool probably stores information dimensions such as author and commodity category. If you are an ecommerce business, y'all might create catalogs that describe your products according to prices, style, size, etc. And (since yous're reading this), you about likely use Analytics to track traffic and performance for your websites, mobile apps or appliances. Typically, this data exists in its own "information silo," unaffected and uninformed past the data in other silos.

Information Import lets y'all join the data generated by your offline business systems with the online information collected by Analytics. This tin help yous organize, analyze and act upon this unified information view in ways that are meliorate aligned with your specific and unique business needs. For case, every bit a spider web publisher, you could join hits collected by Analytics with data dimensions exported from your CMS and CRM systems to analyze the relative contributions of authors to your site.

Types of data you can import

Data Import lets you upload and integrate information with your Analytics account at three different points in the data collection and processing chain.

Hit-data import

Hitting-data import lets you send hit information directly into Analytics. This provides an alternative to using the tracking code, Drove API, the Mobile SDKs, or the Measurement Protocol. Imported hits are added to your Analytics property prior to any processing; therefore, your imported data may be affected past processing-fourth dimension actions, such as filters. Because you lot are importing hits, this data tin can be seen by all reporting views for that belongings (unless you lot specifically filter them from selected views).

This type of import supports uploading the following types of data:

  • Refund Information—align your internal ecommerce reporting with Analytics by importing ecommerce refund information.

Extended-data import

Extended-data import adds to (extends) the data already collected and processed, or being processed, for the selected reporting views. Typically, this extended data is stored in a custom dimension or metric, though in some cases you might want to overwrite the default information already gathered (for example, importing a entrada's Source or Medium dimension).

You lot tin can upload the post-obit data types:

  • User Data—create segments and remarketing lists that incorporate imported user metadata, such equally a loyalty rating or lifetime customer value.
  • Entrada Data—expand and reuse your existing non-Google entrada codes by importing ad campaign-related dimensions, such every bit source.
  • Geographical Information—create custom geographical regions, allowing you to written report on and analyze Analytics data in ways that are better aligned with your business concern' organization.
  • Content Data—group content using imported content metadata, such every bit author, date published, and article category.
  • Product Data—gain meliorate merchandising insights past importing product metadata, such as size, color, style, or other production-related dimensions.
  • Custom Data—provides support for importing custom information sets.

Summary-information import

Summary-data import lets you sum uploaded metrics. Imported summary data is applied to the selected reporting views after all processing and assemblage of collected information. This tin can exist useful when you receive information in batches some time post-obit hit collection, every bit summary data import lets you add to or update your information as it becomes available.

Currently, summary data import supports the following import blazon:

  • Cost Data—include third party (non-Google) ad network clicks, cost and impression information to gain a more than consummate picture show of your ad spend.

Where is Information Import?

Data import steps: select your account, then property, then click Data Import.
Accessing Data Import.

To admission Data Import:

  1. Sign in to Google Analytics.
  2. Click Admin, and navigate to the belongings to which you want to upload the information.
  3. In the PROPERTY column, click Data Import. This displays the Data Sets page.
  4. Select an existing Data Set or create a new one to hold your imported information.

How Data Import works

Information Import works past uploading text files containing external data to an Analytics property. This information is typically exported from an offline business tool (for instance, your CRM or CMS system). For smaller amounts of data, you might create the upload file manually, using a text editor or spreadsheet.

Data Import joins the offline data you've uploaded with the default striking data being collected by Analytics from your websites, mobile apps or other devices. Imported information can exist used to heighten your reports, segments and remarketing audiences in ways that reflect your own business needs and organization. The result is a much fuller, more than complete movie of your users' on- and offline action.

How yous upload data

You can upload data past 1 of ii methods:

  • From the Analytics user interface, using the Admin > (Belongings) > Data Import option
  • Using the Analytics Direction API

The uploaded data is added to or modifies data already collected for that Property by the Javascript tracking code, mobile SDK or measurement protocol.

How Data Import joins on- and offline data

When you configure Data Import, you create a Data Set, which defines one or more dimensions to apply as a primal. Data Import uses this key to lucifer values in the uploaded data to values in your nerveless hit information. The rest of your imported data yous upload is stored in the dimensions or metrics you ascertain in the Data Ready. Imported data tin use either default or custom dimensions and metrics. Imported data can be used in reports, remarketing audiences and other Analytics tools alongside standard data nerveless by the website tracking code, mobile SDK or Measurement Protocol.

Import vs. collection

Expand the department below to acquire some reasons why yous might desire to import data rather than rely on collecting striking data. Advantages of Data Import over hit collection

Analytics has essentially 2 ways of gathering information:

  • by sending hits collected by the JavaScript tracking code, mobile SDK or the Measurement protocol,
  • using Data Import.

While you can augment the hit data with custom data past passing parameters in the page URL or using the Analytics API, in that location are a number of reasons why this may non exist the best arroyo, such as:

  • Augmenting hit data requires a knowledgable developer to write custom code.
  • The information is sensitive, e.1000., user data, so you don't want to transport it in clear text.
  • The amount of information is big so yous don't want to append it to each hit.
  • The data might not be bachelor when the hitting occurs.

Importing data in asynchronous batches resolves these issues.

Next steps

  • Learn more than about Data Sets.
  • Learn about the types of data you can import.
  • Set up Data Import.
  • See the upload examples for footstep past step import instructions.
  • View the limits of Data Import.
  • google-developers-svg Data Import - Developer Guide

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