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Leigh_AnnEv
Level 2
October 16, 2015
Solved

DTM: Google Analytics Tool

  • October 16, 2015
  • 6 replies
  • 5334 views

I have created a property that includes multiple domains, because I need a single set-up for Adobe Analytics.  My question is, can I use the Google Analytics "tool" if I need the different domains to go into different GA accounts? It seems that you can't tell the tool exactly which domain to fire on, and it will only use one account.

Am I not seeing something, or is the best workaround for this shortcoming to create domain-driven page load rules and just loading the code provided by Google?

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    Best answer by Leigh_AnnEv

    Wow, no answers?

    Vennouem Vennouem, I ended up turning off the Google Analytics Tool and creating individual page load rules for each account -- entering the JS code provided by Google Analytics in the JavaScript/Third Party Tags area (don't include the <script> and </script> tags). You have to create a separate rule for each domain/GA account.  

    The bummer with this is that you will have to create separate rules for your staging and productions environments for each domain, creating a subdomain criteria (or something else) for firing the correct GA code.

    This solution is working fine for me.

    6 replies

    mikem2436009
    mikem2436009
    Level 3
    October 16, 2015

    I have tried setting this up myself last year when Adobe acquired Satellite, now DTM.  There is no way to use the GA Tool on multiple domains.  The work around that I did was create page load rules and dynamically set GA Account ID based on domain.  This requires knowledge of javascript. 

    Another work around is to create a DTM account for each domain, if you do that you will be able to use the tool, this solution requires you to have multiple DTM accounts though which is sounds like your trying to avoid.  The first solution requires a developer, the second does not.

    L
    Leigh_AnnEvAuthorAccepted solution
    Level 2
    October 16, 2015

    Wow, no answers?

    Vennouem Vennouem, I ended up turning off the Google Analytics Tool and creating individual page load rules for each account -- entering the JS code provided by Google Analytics in the JavaScript/Third Party Tags area (don't include the <script> and </script> tags). You have to create a separate rule for each domain/GA account.  

    The bummer with this is that you will have to create separate rules for your staging and productions environments for each domain, creating a subdomain criteria (or something else) for firing the correct GA code.

    This solution is working fine for me.

    vennouem_vennou
    vennouem_vennou
    October 16, 2015

    hm... i have the same question

    L
    Leigh_AnnEvAuthor
    Level 2
    October 16, 2015

    Thanks, @Mike Miller.  I did actually set it up easily, creating individual page load rules for each GA account I needed -- using domain-based conditions.  I didn't need to write any JS to set the account dynamically.

    You do have to create separate rules for your different environments (production and stage), if you have a staging GA account.

    mikem2436009
    mikem2436009
    Level 3
    October 16, 2015

    That works too.  If you went the route I suggested, you would only need one page load rule and within the rule you dynamically set the account id based on domain, again though this requires more technical knowledge.  The downside that I have seen with implementing duplicate page load rules for the same script (GA in this case) for multiple domains is that DTM is not built to only run the rules that the domain needs.  Instead it loads everything in the DTM library regardless if you need it or not.  

    Before DTM executes the script, they check to see if domain is set and matches the site your currently on, if so, it fires, it it doesn't, than the rule does not fire.  The problem here, the code still needs to be read which in my experience has increased our page load time.

    The more lines of code that you have to run through, the longer the page load time, its that simple. It may not matter to your use case, but in my business, every milli second counts.  Glad you found a working solution, but I think its also important to understand the downsides, which most people are not well informed on regarding DTM.

    L
    Leigh_AnnEvAuthor
    Level 2
    October 16, 2015

    Great points. I may give your approach a try. The JS code really wouldn't be complicated.

    Thanks!

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