Can historical data be retrieved from Google Analytics or other similar platforms?
Unfortunately, SegmentStream only begins data collection once the SegmentStream tracker has been installed on your website. It doesn't pull data from before that point. Furthermore, in order to build the first machine learning model for ML-based attribution, it requires at least three weeks of data following the installation.
How can I send data to SegmentStream if my GA4 is already sending data to a custom endpoint?
You have to send events to SegmentStream through a separate GA4 configuration as described in the guides Advanced GTM and Advanced Google Tag (gtag.js).
How can I accurately track 'Quick Purchase' (e.g., PayPal Express, Apple Pay) without altering the original traffic source for correct attribution?
To maintain accurate attribution, configure a referral exclusion list within SegmentStream's Events tracking settings. This ensures referrals from payment system pages are ignored.
Is it necessary to have Google Analytics tracking set up to use SegmentStream?
SegmentStream operates using the same data protocol as GA4. To begin data collection, you must implement tracking on your website in the GA4 format. However, it's not mandatory to send data to GA4 servers; you can configure it so that only SegmentStream captures behavioural data. Depending on your preferences, you can:
- Allow both SegmentStream and GA4 to collect data in the GA4 format.
- Permit only SegmentStream to gather data using the GA4 format.
Why isn't the number of sessions the same in GA4 and SegmentStream reports?
The discrepancies between GA4 and SegmentStream session counts can arise due to several reasons:
- Filters in GA4: Your GA4 property might have filters applied, such as those filtering out internal traffic. For a detailed understanding, visit this link.
- Referrer Differences: The list of unwanted referrers in your GA4 property might not align with the referral exclusion list in SegmentStream.
- Session Definitions: GA4 and SegmentStream utilise different logic to define a session. In GA4, once a session initiates, it continues until there's a 30-minute gap between events. In contrast, SegmentStream can initiate a new session with a click to a paid channel with UTM parameters.
- Timezone Discrepancies: Your GA4 property and SegmentStream project might be set to different time zones.
To get a more consistent view, it's advisable to focus on the 'users' metric. Should you notice a difference greater than 1%, please contact us via the support form in your admin panel.
How can I track subdomain referrals?
SegmentStream usually sees a visit as coming from a different website only when someone clicks a link from a completely different domain. For example, if SegmentStream is tracking events on 'shop.site.com' and someone clicks a link from 'other.site.com' to 'shop.site.com,' it's typically counted as a direct visit. However, if they click from 'other.site.co.uk' to 'shop.site.com,' it's seen as a referral.
But, you can set up SegmentStream to consider visits from related subdomains as referrals too. For instance, going from 'other.site.com' to 'shop.site.com' could be counted as a referral.
If you want to enable this feature, please reach out to our support team for help setting it up.
Why aren't the number of users and sessions the same in GA4 and SegmentStream reports?
The discrepancies between GA4 and SegmentStream user and session counts can arise due to several reasons:
- GA4 Modelling: By default, GA4 uses machine learning to estimate metrics for users and sessions who haven't given consent for analytics cookies. In contrast, SegmentStream shows user and session metrics based on users who have given consent and uses machine learning only for metrics related to conversions. To see the real number of tracked users and sessions in your GA4 reports, switch your "Reporting identity" to the "Observed" setting. For more details on GA4 modelling, visit this link.
- Filters in GA4: Your GA4 property might have filters applied, such as those filtering out internal traffic. For a detailed understanding, visit this link.
- Referrer Differences: The list of unwanted referrers in your GA4 property might not align with the referral exclusion list in SegmentStream.
- Session Definitions: GA4 and SegmentStream utilise different logic to define a session. In GA4, once a session initiates, it continues until there's a 30-minute gap between events. In contrast, SegmentStream can initiate a new session with a click to a paid channel with UTM parameters.
- Timezone Discrepancies: Your GA4 property and SegmentStream project might be set to different time zones.
To get a more consistent view, it's advisable to focus on the 'users' metric. Should you notice a difference greater than 1%, please contact us via the support form in your admin panel.