Here are several of the most common queries to the Core Reporting API. Note that the definitions only include dimensions, metrics, filters, and sort parameters— Anybody using these queries should fill in the date range, max results, and so forth.
General Queries
Users and Pageviews Over Time
This query returns the total users and pageviews for the specified time period. Note that this query doesn't require any dimensions.metrics=ga:sessions,ga:pageviewsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Mobile Traffic
This query returns some information about sessions which occurred from mobile devices. Note that "Mobile Traffic" is defined using the default segment ID -14.dimensions=ga:mobileDeviceInfo,ga:source metrics=ga:sessions,ga:pageviews,ga:sessionDuration segment=gaid::-14Try it now in the Query Explorer.
Revenue Generating Campaigns
This query returns campaign and site usage data for campaigns that led to more than one purchase through your site.dimensions=ga:source,ga:medium metrics=ga:sessions,ga:pageviews,ga:sessionDuration,ga:bounces segment=dynamic::ga:transactions>1Try it now in the Query Explorer.
Users
New vs Returning Sessions
This query returns the number of new sessions vs returning sessions.dimensions=ga:userType metrics=ga:sessionsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Sessions by Country
This query returns a breakdown of your sessions by country, sorted by number of sessions.dimensions=ga:country metrics=ga:sessions sort=-ga:sessionsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Browser and Operating System
This query returns a breakdown of sessions by the Operating System, web browser, and browser version used.dimensions=ga:operatingSystem,ga:operatingSystemVersion,ga:browser,ga:browserVersion metrics=ga:sessionsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Time on Site
This query returns the number of sessions and total time on site, which can be used to calculate average time on site.metrics=ga:sessions,ga:sessionDurationTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Traffic Sources
All Traffic Sources - Usage
This query returns the site usage data broken down by source and medium, sorted by sessions in descending order.dimensions=ga:source,ga:medium metrics=ga:sessions,ga:pageviews,ga:sessionDuration,ga:exits sort=-ga:sessionsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
All Traffic Sources - Goals
This query returns data for the first and all goals defined, sorted by total goal completions in descending order.dimensions=ga:source,ga:medium metrics=ga:sessions,ga:goal1Starts,ga:goal1Completions,ga:goal1Value,ga:goalStartsAll,ga:goalCompletionsAll,ga:goalValueAll sort=-ga:goalCompletionsAllTry it now in the Query Explorer.
All Traffic Sources - E-Commerce
This query returns information on revenue generated through the site for the given time span, sorted by sessions in descending order.dimensions=ga:source,ga:medium metrics=ga:sessions,ga:transactionRevenue,ga:transactions,ga:uniquePurchases sort=-ga:sessionsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Referring Sites
This query returns a list of domains and how many sessions each referred to your site, sorted by pageviews in descending order.dimensions=ga:source metrics=ga:pageviews,ga:sessionDuration,ga:exits filters=ga:medium==referral sort=-ga:pageviewsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Search Engines
This query returns site usage data for all traffic by search engine, sorted by pageviews in descending order.dimensions=ga:source metrics=ga:pageviews,ga:sessionDuration,ga:exits filters=ga:medium==cpa,ga:medium==cpc,ga:medium==cpm,ga:medium==cpp,ga:medium==cpv,ga:medium==organic,ga:medium==ppc sort=-ga:pageviewsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Search Engines - Organic Search
This query returns site usage data for organic traffic by search engine, sorted by pageviews in descending order.dimensions=ga:source metrics=ga:pageviews,ga:sessionDuration,ga:exits filters=ga:medium==organic sort=-ga:pageviewsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Search Engines - Paid Search
This query returns site usage data for paid traffic by search engine, sorted by pageviews in descending order.dimensions=ga:source metrics=ga:pageviews,ga:sessionDuration,ga:exits filters=ga:medium==cpa,ga:medium==cpc,ga:medium==cpm,ga:medium==cpp,ga:medium==cpv,ga:medium==ppc sort=-ga:pageviewsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Keywords
This query returns sessions broken down by search engine keywords used, sorted by sessions in descending order.dimensions=ga:keyword metrics=ga:sessions sort=-ga:sessionsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Content
Top Content
This query returns your most popular content, sorted by most pageviews.dimensions=ga:pagePath metrics=ga:pageviews,ga:uniquePageviews,ga:timeOnPage,ga:bounces,ga:entrances,ga:exits sort=-ga:pageviewsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Top Landing Pages
This query returns your most popular landing pages, sorted by entrances in descending order.dimensions=ga:landingPagePath metrics=ga:entrances,ga:bounces sort=-ga:entrancesTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Top Exit Pages
This query returns your most common exit pages, sorted by exits in descending order.dimensions=ga:exitPagePath metrics=ga:exits,ga:pageviews sort=-ga:exitsTry it now in the Query Explorer.
Site Search - Search Terms
This query returns the number of sessions broken down by internal site search, sorted by number of unique searches for a keyword in descending order.dimensions=ga:searchKeyword metrics=ga:searchUniques sort=-ga:searchUniquesTry it now in the Query Explorer.