Measurement protocol use cases

The Google Analytics Measurement Protocol lets you send offline data to your Web or App stream, in addition to the data you're already collecting with tagging or the Firebase SDK.

This guide describes common Google Analytics Measurement Protocol use cases and their requirements.

Summary of requirements

This table provides a quick reference of the requirements for each use case. Keep the following best practices in mind:

  1. The timestamp_micros of events and user properties defaults to the request time. When sending an event or user property change that occurred in the past, override the timestamp as described in the sending events guide and the user properties guide.

  2. For accurate Realtime reports and engagement metrics, include the engagement_time_msec event parameter set to the milliseconds elapsed since the preceding event.

Use case Session ID Request time requirement timestamp_micros requirement
Assign User-ID to events Required <= end of the session start's business day >= session start and <= session end
Session attribution Required <= session start + 24 hours >= session start and <= session end
Export events to advertising platforms Not required <= last session business day + 63 days <= request time
Send events or user properties for audience creation Not required Web: <= latest online event time + 30 days
App: <= latest online event time + 42 days		 <= request time

Assign User-ID to events

Use the Measurement Protocol to provide online or offline events with a User-ID.

Here are some example use cases for adding a User-ID to an event:

  1. Your online measurement lacks the information needed to look up the User-ID for online events, but you have an event-processing pipeline that is able to make the association between an online session and a User-ID.

    In this scenario, you are using the Measurement Protocol to provide online events with a User-ID.

  2. You don't have the User-ID for events you are sending with the Measurement Protocol, but you want those events to be associated with a User-ID if the user logged in online over the course of the session.

    In this scenario, you are using online events to provide Measurement Protocol events with a User-ID.

Here are the requirements to add a User-ID to an event:

  • Include the session_id in the event's parameter list.
  • Send the Measurement Protocol events on the same business day as the online session.
  • If you override timestamp_micros, set it to a timestamp between the start and end time of the online session.
  • If your goal is to provide User-ID for online events, set the user_id in the request.
  • If your goal is for each Measurement Protocol event to have the User-ID from its corresponding online session, you don't need to set user_id.

Session attribution

Measurement Protocol events that meet specific requirements appear in reports with the same session attributes (such as geographic information, source, medium, and campaign) as online events from the same session.

Here are the requirements for session attribution:

  • Include the session_id in the event's parameter list.

  • Send the request no later than 24 hours after the start of the online session.

    For example, if the session started at 11:15 AM on Monday in your property's time zone, send the request before 11:15 AM on Tuesday.

  • If you override timestamp_micros, set it to a timestamp between the start and end time of the online session.

Export events to advertising platforms

Google Analytics includes the events you send using Measurement Protocol in exports to linked advertising products such as Google Ads or Campaign Manager 360.

A few common scenarios where this is useful include:

  • Your business has offline events that you want included in advertising attribution and reporting.
  • You have additional events in a system that is not available to tagging or the Firebase SDK, but you still want to include those events in linked products.

Here are the requirements to export events to advertising platforms:

  • Send the request no later than the end of the business day 63 days after the latest online event, even if the key event's attribution window is more than 63 days.

    For example, if the latest online event for the client_id or app_instance_id occurred on March 1, send the Measurement Protocol event no later than the end of the business day on May 3.

  • If you override timestamp_micros, set it to a timestamp less than or equal to the request time.

Send events or user properties for audience creation

Events and user properties sent using Measurement Protocol are included in the evaluation of audience conditions if you adhere to a few requirements.

Here are the requirements to send events or user properties for audience creation:

  • Send the request to a Web stream no later than the end of the business day 30 days after the latest online event for the same client_id.

    For example, if the latest online event for the client_id occurred on March 1, send the Measurement Protocol event no later than the end of the business day on March 31.

  • Send the request to an App stream no later than the end of the business day 42 days after the latest online event for the same app_instance_id.

    For example, if the latest online event for the app_instance_id occurred on March 1, send the Measurement Protocol event no later than the end of the business day on April 12.

  • If you override timestamp_micros, set it to a timestamp less than or equal to the request time.