A Complete Guide to Using Google Analytics API in PHP

google analytics api

Google Analytics provides valuable insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversions. If you want to programmatically access and analyze your Google Analytics data, the Google Analytics API is the best way to do it. This guide will walk you through the process of integrating the Google Analytics API in PHP, retrieving data, and using it effectively.

Step 1: Setting Up a Google Cloud Project

To use the Google Analytics API, you need to set up a Google Cloud project and enable the API.

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console.
2. Create a new project or select an existing one.
3. Navigate to APIs & Services > Library.
4. Search for Google Analytics Data API and enable it.
5. Go to APIs & Services > Credentials.
6. Click Create Credentials > Service Account.
7. Fill in the details and select Owner role.
8. Once created, go to the Keys section and generate a new JSON key. Download this file as it contains the credentials needed for authentication.

Step 2: Installing Google API Client Library for PHP

To interact with the Google Analytics API in PHP, install the Google API Client Library using Composer:

composer require google/apiclient

Step 3: Authenticating with Google Analytics API

Use the downloaded JSON key file to authenticate your PHP application.

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use Google\Client;

$client = new Client();
$client->setAuthConfig('path/to/your-service-account.json');
$client->addScope('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/analytics.readonly');

Step 4: Querying Google Analytics Data

Now that authentication is set up, you can request data from Google Analytics.

Example: Fetching Analytics Data

use Google\Service\AnalyticsData;
use Google\Service\AnalyticsData\RunReportRequest;
use Google\Service\AnalyticsData\DateRange;
use Google\Service\AnalyticsData\Metric;
use Google\Service\AnalyticsData\Dimension;

$analytics = new AnalyticsData($client);

$request = new RunReportRequest([
    'property' => 'properties/YOUR_PROPERTY_ID', // Replace with your GA4 Property ID
    'dateRanges' => [new DateRange(['startDate' => '30daysAgo', 'endDate' => 'today'])],
    'metrics' => [new Metric(['name' => 'activeUsers'])],
    'dimensions' => [new Dimension(['name' => 'country'])],
]);

$response = $analytics->properties->runReport('properties/YOUR_PROPERTY_ID', $request);

foreach ($response->getRows() as $row) {
    echo 'Country: ' . $row->getDimensionValues()[0]->getValue() . ', Users: ' . $row->getMetricValues()[0]->getValue() . "\n";
}

Finding Available Metrics and Dimensions

To discover available metrics and dimensions for your Google Analytics property, use the Metadata API:

use Google\Service\AnalyticsData\Metadata;

$metadata = $analytics->properties->getMetadata('properties/YOUR_PROPERTY_ID');

foreach ($metadata->getMetrics() as $metric) {
    echo "Metric: " . $metric->getApiName() . " - " . $metric->getDescription() . "\n";
}

foreach ($metadata->getDimensions() as $dimension) {
    echo "Dimension: " . $dimension->getApiName() . " - " . $dimension->getDescription() . "\n";
}

This will return a list of metric and dimension names (e.g., activeUsers, sessionDuration, pageViews, etc.) that you can use in your queries.

Step 5: Handling API Responses

The API returns a JSON response that you can parse and use in your application. You can extract metrics, dimensions, and other analytics data based on your needs.

Step 6: Using Data in a Web Application

Once you retrieve the data, you can:

• Display it in a dashboard.
• Generate reports.
• Store it in a database for further analysis.

Conclusion

By integrating Google Analytics API in PHP, you can automate data retrieval and gain deeper insights into website performance. With the right implementation, you can leverage this data to enhance user experience and optimize marketing strategies.