What Scope Should You Set for Your Custom Dimensions?
What Scope Would Be Set For A Custom Dimension?
When you’re setting up custom dimensions in Google Analytics, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is what scope to set for each dimension. The scope determines which data the dimension will track. For example, if you create a custom dimension with a scope of “session,” the dimension will track data for each session on your site.
There are three different scopes you can choose from when creating a custom dimension:
- Session: This is the default scope, and it tracks data for each session on your site.
- User: This scope tracks data for each user who visits your site.
- Product: This scope tracks data for each product on your site.
The scope you choose will depend on the data you want to track. For example, if you want to track the number of times a user visits your site, you would use a custom dimension with a scope of “user.”
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the different scopes available for custom dimensions, and we’ll discuss how to choose the right scope for your needs.
Custom Dimension Scope | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
Hit | The scope of the custom dimension is set to the hit level. This means that the custom dimension value will be the same for all requests within a single hit. | ga(‘set’, ‘dimension1’, ‘value1’); |
Session | The scope of the custom dimension is set to the session level. This means that the custom dimension value will be the same for all requests within a single session. | ga(‘set’, ‘dimension2’, ‘value2’); |
User | The scope of the custom dimension is set to the user level. This means that the custom dimension value will be the same for all requests from a single user. | ga(‘set’, ‘dimension3’, ‘value3’); |
What is a custom dimension?
A custom dimension is a metric that you create and define to track data that is not included in the default dimensions that Google Analytics provides. For example, you could create a custom dimension to track the number of leads generated from a particular marketing campaign, or the total number of sales made from a specific product line.
Custom dimensions are valuable because they allow you to track data that is specific to your business and your needs. You can use custom dimensions to create reports that are more relevant to your business and to make better decisions about your marketing campaigns.
What are the different scopes for custom dimensions?
There are three different scopes for custom dimensions:
- Hit: A hit is a single request that is sent to Google Analytics. For example, when a user visits your website, a hit is sent to Google Analytics.
- Session: A session is a group of hits that are sent from the same browser within a certain period of time. The default session duration is 30 minutes, but you can change this setting.
- User: A user is a unique individual who visits your website.
The scope of a custom dimension determines how the data is collected and reported. For example, a hit-level custom dimension will be collected for each hit that is sent to Google Analytics, while a session-level custom dimension will be collected for each session.
You can choose the scope of a custom dimension when you create it. However, you cannot change the scope of a custom dimension after it has been created.
Custom dimensions are a powerful tool that can be used to track data that is specific to your business and your needs. By understanding the different scopes for custom dimensions, you can choose the scope that is most appropriate for your data collection needs.
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
- [Google Analytics Help: Custom Dimensions](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1009686?hl=en)
- [Google Analytics Academy: Custom Dimensions](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/course/24105?hl=en)
- [Crazy Egg: Custom Dimensions](https://www.crazyegg.com/learn/google-analytics/custom-dimensions/)
What Scope Would Be Set For A Custom Dimension?
When you create a custom dimension, you need to choose a scope for it. The scope determines where the custom dimension data will be collected.
There are three scopes to choose from:
- Session: The custom dimension data will be collected for each session.
- Hit: The custom dimension data will be collected for each hit.
- Product: The custom dimension data will be collected for each product.
The default scope is Session. This means that the custom dimension data will be collected for each session.
If you want to collect the custom dimension data for each hit, you need to set the scope to Hit.
If you want to collect the custom dimension data for each product, you need to set the scope to Product.
How to Set the Scope for a Custom Dimension?
To set the scope for a custom dimension, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Admin tab in your Google Analytics account.
2. Click Custom Definitions.
3. Click Custom Dimensions.
4. Click the + New Custom Dimension button.
5. Enter a name for the custom dimension.
6. Select a scope for the custom dimension.
7. Click the Create button.
The custom dimension will now be created with the selected scope.
Examples of Custom Dimensions
Here are some examples of custom dimensions that you can create:
- Source: The source of the traffic that led to a conversion.
- Medium: The medium of the traffic that led to a conversion.
- Campaign: The name of the campaign that led to a conversion.
- Keyword: The keyword that was used to search for a product or service.
- Product ID: The ID of the product that was purchased.
- Order ID: The ID of the order that was placed.
- Customer ID: The ID of the customer who placed the order.
These are just a few examples of the many custom dimensions that you can create. You can create custom dimensions for any data that you want to track.
Custom dimensions are a powerful way to track data that is not natively tracked by Google Analytics. By creating custom dimensions, you can gain insights into your data that you would not be able to get otherwise.
If you are not sure what custom dimensions to create, start by looking at the data that you are already tracking. What data would be helpful to have? What data would help you to make better decisions?
Once you have identified the data that you want to track, create custom dimensions for that data. By doing so, you will be able to gain insights into your data that will help you to improve your business.
What Scope Would Be Set For A Custom Dimension?
A custom dimension can be set to one of three scopes:
- Hit: The custom dimension is applied to each hit.
- Session: The custom dimension is applied to each session.
- User: The custom dimension is applied to each user.
The scope that you choose will depend on how you want to use the custom dimension. For example, if you want to track the number of times a user visits your site, you would set the scope to “User”.
Here are some additional considerations when choosing a scope for your custom dimension:
- The scope of a custom dimension cannot be changed after it has been created.
- Custom dimensions with the same name but different scopes can be used together.
- The scope of a custom dimension can affect the performance of your reports.
For more information on custom dimensions, please see the [Google Analytics documentation](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033061).
the scope of a custom dimension is determined by the data that you want to track. If you want to track data at the account level, you would set the scope to “account”. If you want to track data at the property level, you would set the scope to “property”. And if you want to track data at the view level, you would set the scope to “view”.
When choosing a scope for your custom dimension, it is important to consider the following factors:
- The level of detail that you need for your reports.
- The number of custom dimensions that you want to create.
- The amount of data that you need to store.
By carefully considering these factors, you can choose the scope that is best for your needs.
Here are some key takeaways regarding custom dimensions:
- Custom dimensions can be used to track data at the account, property, or view level.
- Custom dimensions can be used to create more detailed reports.
- Custom dimensions can be used to store more data.
By using custom dimensions, you can gain a deeper understanding of your data and make more informed decisions about your business.