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Google Analytics Custom Dimensions
The plugin will send additional data as Custom Dimensions. There are currently up to 6 custom dimensions available.
The first three are tracking your visitor’s browser’s time: hour, day, month.
If you use WooCommerce, there are other 3 custom dimensions that can be used for Dynamic Remarketing (official documentation here). They will track the product ID, type, and value. Depending on the availability of Google Merchant in your country, these 3 dimensions will have their own names. More details below.
In order to use these Custom Dimensions, you need to configure them inside your Google Analytics account.
About your visitor’s browser’s time Custom Dimensions
The browser’s hour, day, and month will be tracked as Custom Dimensions. This can be especially useful if your business addresses an international audience, coming from different time zones.
Your normal Google Analytics reports can show the time, but this will be based on the time zone configured inside your account settings. This makes it almost impossible to understand at what hour your visitors are most likely to perform a particular action.
Example: Let’s say you are interested to find at what hour your clients convert the most. If you have clients from across the globe, you want to know their browser’s time. Google Analytics will not report this information, but the PixelYourSite plugin will send it as a Custom Dimension.
Configuring the time-related Custom Dimensions Inside Google Analytics
Each Analytics property has 20 available indices for custom dimensions, and another 20 indices available for custom metrics.
When you define a custom dimension or metric, you specify its name and other configuration values, and Analytics assigns an index number that you use later to reference the dimension or metric. Custom Dimensions have the following configuration values:
- Name – the name of the custom dimension as it will appear in your reports.
- Scope – specifies to which data the custom dimension or metric will be applied. Learn more about Scope.
- Active – whether the custom dimension or metric value will be processed. Inactive custom dimensions may still appear in reporting, but their values will not be processed.
Open your Google Analytics account Admin by clicking on the bottom-left wheel. Under the Property, column click on Custom Definitions and then Custom Dimensions. Click the “+ NEW CUSTOM DIMENSIONS” button and add them in this exact order:
- hour
- day
- month
Using your time-related Custom Dimensions
Once they are configured, your new Custom Dimensions will be available for use in your reports under the “Secondary dimension” selector.
Example: Let’s say you want to find at what hour your clients buy from you. Go to Behaviour > Top Events, select “ecommerce” and click on “purchase”. Click on the “Secondary dimensions” button and on “Custom Dimensions”. Click on “hour”:
About WooCommerce Dynamic Remarketing Custom Dimensions
It’s possible to use Google Analytics custom dimensions for Google Ads Dynamic Remarketing. However, the easiest way to achieve this is by implementing the Google Ads Tag. You can do it with PixelYourSite Pro. The required parameters for Dynamic Remarketing will be automatically implemented for WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads. More details about how to start with Google Ads Tag here
(If you use Easy Digital Downloads, the configuration is similar to WooCommerce, please follow the instructions from this page)
If you run a WooCommerce website, on top of the above described time-related Custom Dimensions, you’ll also have 3 custom dimensions tracking the product ID, page type, and value. They are useful for Dynamic Remarketing (official documentation here).
Retail or Custom Vertical
The configuration for these Custom Dimensions depends on your access to Google Merchant. When you can use Google Merchant, the Retail Vertical must be used. If you can’t use Google Merchant, the Custom Vertical must be used.
Remarketing Custom Dimensions for the Retail Vertical
If you can use Google Merchant!
Open PixelYourSite Pro dashboard and click on the WooCommerce tab. Look for the “Google Analytics Custom Dimension for Retargeting Ads” section and make sure the Retail Vertical is selected (that’s the default configuration):
Configuring the Retail Custom Dimensions Inside Google Analytics
This step is identical to the one explained above in relation to the time-related custom dimensions.
Open your Google Analytics account Admin by clicking on the bottom-left wheel. Under the Property, column click on Custom Definitions and then Custom Dimensions. Click the “+ NEW CUSTOM DIMENSIONS” button and add them in this exact order:
4. ecomm_prodid
5. ecomm_pagetype
6. ecomm_totalvalue
(the first 3 positions should be already occupied by the time-related Custom Dimensions, hour, day, month)
The final result should look like this:
Remarketing Custom Dimensions for the Custom Vertical
If you CAN’T use Google Merchant!
Open PixelYourSite Pro dashboard and click on the WooCommerce tab. Look for the “Google Analytics Custom Dimension for Retargeting Ads” section and make select the CustomRetail Vertical. Remember to save the new settings.
Configuring the Custom Custom Dimensions Inside Google Analytics
Open your Google Analytics account Admin by clicking on the bottom-left wheel. Under the Property, column click on Custom Definitions and then Custom Dimensions. Click the “+ NEW CUSTOM DIMENSIONS” button and add them in this exact order:
4. dynx_itemid
5. dynx_pagetype
6. dynx_totalvalue
(the first 3 positions should be already occupied by the time-related Custom Dimensions, hour, day, month)
The final result should look like this:
How to edit Custom Dimensions
If you need to change existing Custom Dimensions, you can simply edit them: click on the Custom Dimension you want to modify, do the changes that you want (name, scope, active), and click Save.
How to use WooCommerce Custom Dimensions
These 3 Custom Dimensions (Retail or Custom) can be used for Dynamic Remarketing.
Once created, you can continue with the next steps:
Create Audience for Dynamic Remarketing: official documentation
Crate attributes for Dynamic Remarketing: official documentation
Create your Dynamic Remarketing Campaign in Google Ads: official documentation
It’s possible to use Google Analytics custom dimensions for Google Ads Dynamic Remarketing. However, the easiest way to achieve this is by implementing the Google Ads Tag. You can do it with PixelYourSite Pro. The required parameters for Dynamic Remarketing will be automatically implemented for WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads. More details about how to start with Google Ads Tag here