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Create Dimension option in Workspace

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Level 2

2/22/18

I'm new to Adobe Analytics, currently migrating from Webtrends.

Only very few things work better in Webtrends than in Adobe.

But the one feature that have surprised me most, not being available in Adobe is the option to Create a Dimension.

In Workspace i can create a metric, a segment and a date range. But not a dimension - something i would see as one of the most essential thing.

My idea is to add a feature where i can create a dimension, in the same way as i would create a segment or a Metric.

It would work in the exact same way as when i'm creating a segment.

I select "+ New" and select "Create Dimension".

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I then select a other Dimension, as the basic for the new one, and add it to the definition

A new Dimension will in most cases be a subset of a existing Dimension.

So in the most simple solution i would do a condition on the dimension it self, and that it.

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But it can also be a case where i want to define the sub-set on the relation to a other dimension or metric,

A basic example below  - it's essential a segment on a dimension, but where i can use it as a new dimension, and see the values form the original dimension. 

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This is something i have been used to do in Webtrends. I know the same can be done with Dimensions and Segments, but it would be better with a option to create Dimensions.

I't seems like the entire UI is in place for this, so i assume it is a technical limitations that prevent this from being made.

But i hope it's on the roadmap.

11 Comments

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Employee

2/22/18

Really love this idea - in fact, it's similar to something we presented at a "sneak peak" at a session at Adobe's Summit conference last year. You're right about the technical challenges, this is a tough one to do. That said, we're developing a few features (like Report Time Processing) that will make this possible one day.

For now, I recommend using segments to help you filter down your dimensions to just the values you like!

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Community Advisor

2/22/18

Rune.Andersen​ maybe i missed something but can‘t you use Classifications?

those let you create new dimensions based ob existing ones, either by upload values or by rule sets. after this, just use them as new dimensions in your reports or segments...

i know, not as easy as creating a segment ...

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Employee

2/23/18

Trevor is right - we are working toward this - great suggestion.  Although this is a slight paradigm shift, we do have the ability to create metrics with segments embedded in them (and we recently added the ability to easily create a segment from a dimension rule when building a metric).  I know it's not the same thing, but you can achieve a similar result by using the base dimension in a table, but then applying a metric that has the segment baked into it (with the dimension filtering you desire).  Here are two videos that may be helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2S1GTesuUk

Calculated metrics: Segmented Metrics - YouTube

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Employee Advisor

2/23/18

Agreed - Classifications and Classification Rule Builder will help here. It's not quite as 'real time' as you're describing, which is why we're all excited for your idea, but it will get the job done.

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Level 2

2/26/18

urs.boller​ as a new user of AA i haven't explored all options yet, but we have used both Classifications and Processing Rules.

And in some cases they where the answer. But in those cases a option to create a dimension would still have been a better solution.

A real example is:

We track page interaction in a unified way, where we combine info, into a single parameters (Interaction Name) based on context and other variables. We do this in our TMS. So there are not always the same number of section. Meaning a Classification don't work.

In the Interaction Name dimension it looks like this

inter-name.png

I want to create a "CTA Name" Dimension, only showing those where "Interaction Type = CTA":

I can easy filter this on the Dimension - but only if im sure it always start with CTA.

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So it is based on a  logic on the values - not on a other dimension or event. And i can't save this as a new dimension,

What i needed to do was to make a Processing Rule, and use a eVar on it.

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It works, but a simple "Create Dimension" function would have been a better solution here.

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Community Advisor

2/26/18

Rune.Andersen​ i agree that it is still an interesting idea to create „ad hoc dimensions“

i strongly recommend you to read through the pages about classification, you can save your evars (sorry adobe ).

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Level 2

2/26/18

urs.boller​ Thanks.

We have used a range of Classifications Rules and saved a lot of eVars.

With a TMS (Tealium) we can construct the input as we wish.

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