Google Analytics custom dimensions and metrics are powerful tools that allow you to collect and analyze data that is most important to your business. In this article, we will cover the lifecycle of custom dimensions and metrics, and the answer to the question “custom dimensions can be used as what?”
Lifecycle of Custom Dimensions and Metrics
Before answering the question “custom dimensions can be used as what” it’s significant to understand the lifecycle of these tools. Custom dimensions and metrics are user-defined variables that can be used to collect data that is not already being collected by Google Analytics. Once they are created, custom dimensions and metrics can be used in reports, segments, and filters. They can also be used to create goals and triggers in Google Tag Manager.
Custom Dimensions Can Be Used as What?
For example, you could use a custom dimension to track the number of times a user has visited your site, the number of items in their shopping cart, or the number of pages they have viewed. Custom dimensions can also be used to track specific events, such as user login information or the type of device being used to access your site.
How to Use Custom Dimensions in Google Analytics 4
By leveraging the Custom Definitions feature, you can create new custom dimensions that can be used to track and analyze your data. For example, you can create a custom dimension for customer satisfaction rating or product category. Once you have created a custom dimension, you can then use it to generate a custom report. This report can be used to track the performance of your dimension over time or across different segments. Additionally, you can use custom dimensions to segment your data in Universal Analytics. This allows you to create more targeted and relevant reports.
Understanding Scopes and Their Importance
Having learned the answer to “custom dimensions can be used as what?” it’s important to also understand scopes. Each custom dimension has a designated scope, which determines how and when the dimension will be collected and reported.
There are four different scopes for custom dimensions: hit, session, user, and product. The hit scope refers to the specific interaction or action on a page (such as a button click). The session scope refers to the actions or interactions during a single visit to a website. The user scope refers to all actions and interactions across multiple visits by a single user. And the product scope refers to specific products on ecommerce sites. When creating custom dimensions, it’s important to consider the appropriate scope for your dimension in order to accurately track and analyze your data.
GA4 Custom Dimensions vs Universal Analytics Custom Dimensions
Knowing the answer to “custom dimensions can be used as what?” also makes it easier to understand the differences between custom dimensions in GA4 and Universal Analytics. In GA4, custom dimensions can only be used for reporting purposes, whereas in Universal Analytics they can also be used for segmentation and goals. Additionally, GA4 allows for event-level custom dimensions, whereas in Universal Analytics they are only available at the session level.
In summary, custom dimensions in Google Analytics can be used to track and analyze any data that is not already being collected by GA. They can be used in reports, segments, and even for setting up goals. It’s important to understand the scopes associated with custom dimensions in GA4 and how they differ from those in Universal Analytics.
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