App + Web Properties of Google Analytics: 8 things you need to know

In July 2019 Google launched an analytics solution in GA that integrates apps and websites. App + Web properties are enhanced properties compared to traditional Google Analytics properties. It is likely that these properties will replace the already “traditional” Google Universal Analytics in the future.

In this article, I present 8 things you need to know about App + Web properties of Google Analytics.

Read also: New Google Analytics 4 (GA4): the future of web analytics

This is not a guide on how to use or configure these properties. There are many articles showing how to set up and use the tool. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please contact us.

App + Web properties have a different data modeling

I think this is the main feature and difference of this type of property from conventional Google Analytics properties.

In the App + Web properties you are likely to miss some metrics and dimensions that you are already used to in GA. This is related to the change in the way the data model is set up. Many analytics experts were already complaining about the data model on which Universal Analytics was built. Anyone who is an analyst and uses GA knows that it can be a box of surprises for the less familiar.

But what is so different about the data model of App + Web properties?

App + Web focuses on events and users, not sessions

Google Universal Analytics has three main levels (scopes) in the way its data model works:

• User level (User)
• Session level
• Hit level (Hit)

There is a hierarchy on these three levels. In addition to these three data levels, the data model also includes additional data at the product level for e-commerce reporting.

Hit-level data is also divided into three types:

• Page views (triggered when someone visits a page).
• Events (triggered whenever someone clicks a button or interacts with an element).
• Transactions (triggered whenever a purchase has been made).

Read also: Dimensions and metrics in Google Analytics

App + Web sessions are secondary

Most of the discussion about the Google Universal Analytics data model revolves around the metrics and dimensions at the session level. What constitutes a session is relatively arbitrary and easy to manipulate. Consider the session timeout and the end-of-day expiration. These kinds of problems can affect your session count without you even realizing it.

When you look in the reports for an App + Web property, you will still find some session-related metrics and dimensions in the reports, such as visits initiated, but they are in the background.

Page views are events

In addition to the change in the use of sessions, there is also a change in the way we view page views. Historically, they were an important metric to consider when analyzing user behavior. Times have changed (even before we had the App + Web property).

Users nowadays do not go from one page to another just by clicking on links. The techniques for showing different contents have changed. Using Angular, React, Vue, etc., the site can display new content, without changing the URL, and you may not be sure if the new content displayed can still be considered a new page view.

The viewing of new content (pageview) is still part of the App + Web data model, but it is just another type of event in the flow of events that we create when interacting with a website or app. An event stream can be considered a flowchart of all the interactions made by a user during their visits to your websites or applications. The concept of a stream of events is not new. Some analytics solutions have had a complete (or nearly complete) data model for some time.

The App + Web property combines App and Web

Kind of obvious that one. But here comes a detail: it combines data from applications and sites but with a single data model and report configuration.

The new data model allows us to analyze data in a more holistic way. A user has a clear and equal definition for both types of platforms, as do all events.

By analyzing the data, you can act with the same (or very similar) settings in your reports, regardless of whether you are working on an analysis about your site or application.

It also opens up possibilities for analysis on all platforms. We can track and analyze user behavior across all platforms (websites, apps, points of sale, etc.) and better understand all user interactions with the company.

To ensure that you can track users on your platforms, Google offers two options:

• User IDs
• Per device

User ID

Whenever a user on the site can be identified as a specific user, you can send the unique user ID to App + Web by setting up the tracking code. Generally, you will be able to identify a unique user when they log in or sign up for your site/app. It is a useful way to track users across platforms, once their identity is made available. This method will not be 100% for all sites and applications since many users will remain anonymous and will not log in or sign up during their visit.

Per device

This method only uses the device ID, via the Google Analytics cookie for websites or the application instance ID for apps, to identify a user and ignores all collected user IDs. It is exactly the same method of tracking users in Google Universal Analytics and Firebase for apps.

The disadvantage of this method is that you cannot cross-trace devices or cross-applications on a device. This will make the number of reported users less reliable. On the other hand you will be ensuring the privacy of your user because you will not collect any user-specific data in your analysis tool.

Focus on the target audience

With the background sessions in App + Web, there will be more focus on other things. Google has chosen a path to user-centric analytics.

In Google Universal Analytics, various reports about users are available, such as, for example, user loyalty and engagement. Some of these reports have already been made available in App + Web as well. A new feature of the App + Web properties is the ability to create audiences. It is similar to creating advanced segments in Google Universal Analytics. You can set up user segments that have specific characteristics. Users from a region or who have made specific interactions. These audiences can be applied to the available reports.

Demographic and Interest Data Reports

App + Web also provides demographic and interest data, as does Google Universal Analytics. It works in exactly the same way. You enable the collection of these types of data and allow a Doubleclick (or application advertising ID) to be used to integrate the data. Additional cookies are added, so please update your consent form and cookie policy before activating this feature.

The data is only available for a sample of users, but may be useful in your analysis anyway. The subset is mainly determined by users who have logged into other Google services, such as Youtube.

Event Tracking with App + Web properties

Event tracking in traditional GA properties has always given analysts and developers a lot of work. In Google Universal Analytics events must be configured in development, either via GTM (most practical and recommended method) or via code editing.

In the App + Web properties the event tracking has a slightly different and more user-friendly format.

App + Web can easily track additional events

In the App + Web Analytics configuration, you can automatically start tracking some basic events. At the press of a button, you can start tracking these interactions and see the flow of data in your data set. This can save time for those who do not know the code very well and ensures that these interactions are collected in a structured and standard way. Reporting for these events is still somewhat limited.

Page views and internal search tracking have additional advanced settings to ensure that they are configured correctly for your site. For the others a simple activation is enough.

App + Web properties have default events

In addition to the additional, measurement-enhanced events, Google has also introduced “default event” groups. These are Google’s recommendations for collecting some events that we usually follow. Some of them are very generic, others are industry-specific. In the documentation about these events, Google shares recommended naming conventions and definitions that are described in detail in their documentation.

Some events you can find are:

• sign_up (enrollment)
• share (shares)
• purchase (for e-commerce purchases)
• view_cart (specifically for e-commerce sites)
• generate_lead (lead generated)

For a complete list, see the App + Web developer documentation.

Read also: Naming in Google Analytics and Tag Manager

App + Web tracking can be configured through GTM

As part of the App + Web rollout, Google has also introduced tag templates in Google Tag Manager. These templates make it easier to deploy App + Web. If you are already running Google Universal Analytics through GTM it will be very easy to implement App + Web.

There are two GTM tags provided for App + Web, which have specific functionality:

• Configuration
• Event

Configuration Tag

The configuration tag is there to help you set some basic settings for tracking with App + Web. It allows you to enter the tracking ID (the ID of your property) and enable it if you want to track page views.

You can also configure additional parameters in this tag, similar to the custom dimensions in Google Universal Analytics. This is a feature that is not yet 100% but possibly soon we will be able to use it fully.

Event Tag

The event tag exists to send other events to Google. This tag will work similar to the event tracking method used for Google Universal Analytics. You will use this tracker for custom events. You don’t need to configure this for events that are tracked automatically. The workflow for adding events would be:

1. Check if an automatic event is available for use;
2. Check if a recommended event is available in the Google documentation. If so, use this naming convention;
3. If none of these options apply, create your own custom event.

When implementing events, take into consideration the limitations on event tracking and parameters that can be added.

Read also: How to install Google Tag Manager in WordPress

App + Web easily integrates with BigQuery

App + Web still lacks many of the features of the current Google Universal Analytics platform. But there is one feature that has delighted many App + Web users: integration with Google BigQuery. It is available to all App + Web users. Previously only GA 360 customers were able to use this kind of integration for Google Universal Analytics.

With Google BigQuery you can store all your App + Web data in raw format. This means that all the data you are collecting with App + Web is available for you to analyze. This makes it much easier to integrate with other datasets, visualize in different tools, and create data models and other types of functionality.

Many resources are lacking

Despite some fun new features of App + Web, it is still not a complete digital analytics solution. You will still miss some of your favorite reports and some things are a bit tricky to set up.

Here are some things you might be missing:

• E-commerce reporting (enhanced).
• Internal research reports.
• Filters (e.g. IP filtering).
• Multiple views per property.
• Connector with Google Data Studio.

Understand that the App + Web is still under development and in beta version. You can use it, but it is not yet a fully finished product. Google is working to provide additional features for App + Web. Keep an eye on the release notes.

Should I configure the App + Web version now?

This question asked a few months ago would probably have a negative answer but now there are many reasons to start the implementation process. Among them:

• Build a history in the database.
• Familiarize yourself with the tool.
• Take advantage of BigQuery integration…

Build a history in the database

You will not be able to transfer your historical data from Google Universal Analytics to an App + Web property. The data model has changed so much that it wouldn’t even make much sense to do that. The definitions and logic have changed so much that they would not match the new data.

This means that your data collection will start from scratch. At the beginning, you will have no historical data to look at. Some basic metrics are already available for measurement (e.g. pageviews, users, etc.). If you start tracking now, you will have at least some historical data available when the App + Web is ready for production.

Don’t remove the Google Universal Analytics implementation yet, but run App + Web in parallel to start creating your historical data.

Familiarize yourself with the tool

Moving your analytics from Google Universal Analytics to App + Web will be a big change. If you start collecting data now, you can at least start learning how App + Web works.

Leverage Big Query integration

For all users of the free version of Google Universal Analytics, the BigQuery integration is completely new. This can provide opportunities that your current setup does not.

To learn how to set up an App + Web property in Google Analytics watch the video below from MeasureSchool:

I hope I have given you an overview of the App + Web properties of Google Analytics.

If you need help implementing an analytics strategy in your company, learn more about my analytics consulting.