Extract Marketing Channel Dimensions vs Marketing Channel Instances from the Data Feed Data

[Basu212]

Looking to extract Marketing Channel Dimension vs Marketing Channel Instances from the Data Feed Data. Can you share the sql logic to extract the same.

Also Let us know what is the best metric to use against  Marketing Channel Dimension apart from Instances.

[leocwlau]

marketing channel information is not there in the data feed. marketing channel is a kind of classification or mapping from other information tracked, such as referrer and cid. but data feed contains only raw data captured from tracking.

so you need to refer to the marketing channel classification rules and perform the calculations using related information in data feed to get the required information.

it is same case to segments, calculated metrics, and classification. they are not captured but calculated.

[SamuelPaulPeter]

In the data feed, Marketing Channel is derived at visit level, but the feed itself is hit-level, so you must rebuild Adobe’s logic in SQL.

Marketing Channel vs Marketing Channel Instances

Marketing Channel Instances = number of hits where the channel is present.

SELECT
marketing_channel,
COUNT(*) AS channel_instances
FROM data_feed
WHERE marketing_channel IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY marketing_channel;

This matches Marketing Channel Instances in Workspace.

Marketing Channel (dimension-level reporting)

If you want the dimension itself (how many times a channel participated):

SELECT
marketing_channel,
COUNT(DISTINCT visit_id) AS visits
FROM data_feed
WHERE marketing_channel IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY marketing_channel;

This is closer to how Visits by Marketing Channel works in Workspace.

Best metric to use with Marketing Channel

Visits → Best and most common

• Marketing Channels are assigned at visit start

• This aligns with Adobe’s attribution logic

Other valid options (use-case dependent):

• Orders / Revenue → for conversion analysis

• Unique Visitors → higher-level reach analysis

Avoid using Page Views as the primary metric — it inflates channels that drive long sessions and doesn’t reflect acquisition quality.

[Jennifer_Dungan · Accepted solution]

Marketing Channel data is available in the raw data in these fields:

• va_closer_detail - Last Touch Detail
• va_closer_id - Marketing Channel ID (you need to get the id from your Marketing Channel Manager - this isn't provided as a lookup)
• va_finder_detail - First Touch Detail
• va_finder_id - Marketing Channel ID (same as above)
• va_instance_event - Marketing Channel Instance
• va_new_engagement - a flag for Marketing Channel New Engagements

See: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/analytics/export/analytics-data-feed/data-feed-contents/d...

Marketing Channel are like classifications, but they are all processed immediately... they cannot be retroactively changed / updated like a normal classification (and you can apply classifications to Marketing Channels). Since they are processed when they are received, they are available in the Raw Data feeds.

Update: I should add, there is probably a post_ version of the above, I don't have a raw feed in front of me to check.