Google Analytics - pass a generated event to a user session?

[bernard]

If you have a php file that returns an empty tracking pixel, how would you best get this into Google Analytics as an event connected to the relevant user session?

I asked GPT and using the Measurement Protocol, but then the event got tracked as Direct traffic instead of being an Event connected to an actual User session.

I then asked GPT again and was told to grab the clientID and pass it to the tracking script and then pass it to GA, which should do the trick?

ga(function(tracker) {

var clientId = tracker.get('clientId');
var imageUrl = 'https://example.com/tracker.php?clientId=' + clientId; 
// then use imageUrl as the source of the tracking pixel });

});

and

<?php
// Load Universal Analytics parameters
$data = array(
    'v' => 1,
    'tid' => 'UA-XXXX-Y', // replace with your Tracking ID
    'cid' => $_GET['clientId'],
    't' => 'event',
    'ec' => 'affiliate',
    'ea' => 'click',
);

// rest of the script...

Is this approach feasible?

 

[jelf]

It is feasible.

You need to have the client id AND the session id and setup a timestamp_micros just after the session started (ie during the session as far as GA4 is concerned).

I've just implemented this to get affiliate purchases back into GA4.

I end up with a MP POST to:
https://www.google-analytics.com/mp/collect?api_secret=XYZ&measurement_id=G-XXXXXXXXX

JSON body:

{

"client_id": "1939774731.1689271853",
"non_personalized_ads":false,
"timestamp_micros":1689271853318000,
"events": [
{"name": "purchase",
       "params": { 
"session_id":1689271853,
"currency": "USD",
 "transaction_id": "200468906",
 "value": 7.11,
"shipping": 0,  
"tax": 0, "items":[]    }
     }]
   }

You could do this with a click to an affiliate offer. (Although I just use GA4 gtag for this. GA4 is good at catching these).

The trick is the session id and timestamp.

In my case I had to store session_id, client_id, timestamp in a database and wait for any transaction to occur.

 

[bernard]

You could do this with a click to an affiliate offer. (Although I just use GA4 gtag for this. GA4 is good at catching these).

Yes, I want to see if it catches them, it's javascript generated links, so that's the issue, they didn't turn up in UA.

Maybe they'll show in GA4. I realized you had to turn on Enhanced Tracking for it to get outbound links.

 

[jelf]

for external link clicks you can intercept the click, send the event to GA4 and get a callback from GA4 when it's finished. Then complete the click. (I use gtag for this).

 

[bernard]

for external link clicks you can intercept the click, send the event to GA4 and get a callback from GA4 when it's finished. Then complete the click. (I use gtag for this).

This is voodoo to me.

I have no experience what so ever with programmatic Google Analytics.

 

[jelf]

OK.
I'd outsource it then. Or use Google Tag Manger - less technical and no real coding required.