Google Analytics offers a set of APIs that allow ecommerce platform providers to integrate with Google Analytics and offers users a rich set of analytics and tools to optimize and improve their ecommerce businesses.
Ecommerce implementation overview
The end-to-end solution to enable Google Analytics for ecommerce platform providers is organized into 4 main implementation components:
Each component adds additional value for the user. It’s up to the service provider to determine which components to implement for users and which scenarios to support.
1. Universal Analytics
Implementing Universal Analytics for web tracking requires that you use analytics.js. If you are using ga.js, you will first need to upgrade to analytics.js.
Resources:
2. Enhanced Ecommerce
Once you are using Universal Analytics, you can begin to implement Enhanced Ecommerce. To do so, follow the Developer Guide for implementing the enhanced ecommerce plug-in for analytics.js.
We recommend implementing enhanced ecommerce in full, which includes measurement of:
- Product list impressions and clicks (for example, measuring the impression of a product in a list of search results)
- Internal promotion impressions and clicks (such as banners displayed to promote a sale on another section of a website)
- Product detail views
- Add/remove from cart
- All checkout steps and checkout options where relevant
- Transactions
- Specifying local currencies
- Coupon support
- Refunds
3. Reporting
In order to provide insights for your customers within your product, Google Analytics offers SDKs and libraries that allow you to display and visualize data. The Embed API is a JavaScript library that allows you to easily create and embed dashboards on your site. For more custom data analysis and visualization, you can use the Core Reporting API.
Resources:
- Embed API to easily create dashboards
- Core Reporting API
- Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API
- Real Time Reporting API
4. Automated Onboarding
Google Analytics offers APIs that allow the Ecommerce Platform to create a new Account, Property, or View on behalf of the user. It is also possible to turn on the Enhanced Ecommerce reports programmatically. This allows for a simplified new user signup flow that the user can complete entirely on your site.
Additionally, the Management API can be used to automate other configuration tasks, such as creating new filters or goals, listing property IDs for the tracking code, and configuring user access.
Resources:
- Management API to create new Properties, Views, Filters, and Goals
- Turn on Enhanced Ecommerce by setting the Ecommerce and Enhanced Ecommerce properties of a View (see example code to update a View)
- The Management API can also be used to retrieve and configure Google Analytics entities
- Provisioning API to create new Accounts
Non-automated Onboarding
If the Management API is not used to create or retrieve the Google Analytics Property/Tracking ID and to enable the Enhanced Ecommerce reports, then include the following information in your help center or FAQ pages:
- How to find the Google Analytics Property/Tracking ID (example: UA-XXXX-Y), and how to sign up for a new Google Analytics account if the user is new to Google Analytics
- How to turn on Enhanced Ecommerce in the view settings, in order to view the Enhanced Ecommerce data in Google Analytics
- How to label each step in the checkout funnel (optional)
Become a featured Google Analytics Ecommerce Partner
Google Analytics Technology Partners that meet minimum implementation requirements for an applicable category can apply for featured partner status in the Partner Gallery. Benefits of being a featured partner include:
- A listing on a dedicated Ecommerce Partner page, in addition to the standard listing available to all Technology Partners
- Opportunities for co-branded case studies
- Promotion via Google Analytics Developer social channels
Eligibility and Requirements
Platform providers are eligible to apply to become a featured Technology Partner for the Ecommerce Platform category upon completion the following:
- Universal Analytics with Display Features Enabled
- Enhanced Ecommerce, Steps 1-6 (as outlined above)
- Automated Onboarding is highly recommended, but in the absence of this feature, appropriate help content must be provided
- Registration as a Technology Partner and listing in the Partner Gallery
- Additionally, applicants must meet existing policy, agreements, and posting guidelines for the Google Analytics Partner Gallery
- (Optional) Ecommerce Platforms that implement additional features (Enhanced Ecommerce 7-9, Reporting, Automated Onboarding, etc.) will be prioritized for review.
Upon completion of the steps above, apply to become a featured Ecommerce Partner.