Your Optimize experiment data is available in Google Analytics. This article describes where to find your experiment data in Analytics and what you can do with it.
In this article:Experiment dimensions in Analytics
Optimize populates the following experiment dimensions in Analytics:
- Experiment Name – User-generated name entered during experiment creation. e.g. "My Optimize Experiment".
- Experiment ID – A unique ID available in the information panel on the Optimize experiment details page. E.g.
IzxbYxEfTeuq3bQqIAHB9g - Experiment ID with Variant – The Experiment ID with the Variant ID appended to it. Available in the information panel on the Optimize experiment details page. e.g.
IzxbYxEfTeuq3bQqIAHB9g:1
Experiment dimensions are available as secondary dimensions in most Analytics reports and can be used in segments and in custom reports, which are covered in more detail below.
The Variant dimension will be deprecated shortly.
Experiment dimension scope
Experiment dimensions are session-scoped. However – unlike most session-scoped dimensions – if a user is included in multiple experiments in the same session, the experiment dimensions will have multiple values that don’t overwrite the others. The experiment dimension values will be set on all experiment sessions.
Use segments to analyze experiment data
As mentioned above, Optimize populates experiment dimensions which can be used as segments in Analytics. Some ways to use Optimize experiment data in your Analytics segments include:
- Use Experiment ID to create a segment that includes everyone in your experiment.
- Use Experiment ID with Variant to create a segment that includes everyone in a specific variant.
To build a segment that includes everyone in your variant use a condition-based segment filtered by Experiment ID with Variant:
- Sign in to Google Analytics.
- Navigate to your view and reports, or create a new custom report.
- Click + Add Segment.
- Click + NEW SEGMENT.
- Click Advanced > Conditions.
- Click on the search box and search for "exp".
- Select Experiment ID with Variant.
- Select the exactly matches match type.
- Enter the Experiment ID with Variant.
- Complete your segment configuration.
- Click Save.
To build a segment that includes everyone in a specific experiment use a condition-based segment, filtered by Experiment ID, that exactly matches your experiment, e.g. IzxbYxEfTeuq3bQqIAHB9g.
Using what you learned above you can also create a segment that includes multiple experiments or variants by using the "OR" operator and adding another filter to your condition.
As with all Analytics segments, if you include Users instead of Sessions, all sessions for the user in the date range will be returned as long as one session was part of the desired experiment.
Learn more about how to build new segments in Google Analytics.
Learn more about the ga:experimentId and ga:experimentCombination dimensions on Google Developers.
Experiment dimensions in custom reports
When an experiment dimension is included in the report configuration (as a primary/secondary dimension, in a custom report, or as an inline advanced filter), the Analytics Sessions metric is populated by Experiment sessions.
To create a custom report in Google Analytics using experiment dimensions:
- Sign in to Google Analytics.
- Navigate to your view.
- Click CUSTOMIZATION > Custom Reports.
- Click +New Custom Report.
- Select Type > Flat Table.
- Click + add dimension.
- Search for "exp".
- Select Experiment Name, Experiment ID, or Experiment ID with Variant.
- Add a metric (e.g. "Sessions").
- Click Save.
Learn more about how to create and manage custom reports in Analytics.
Learn more about the ga:experimentId and ga:experimentCombination dimensions on Google Developers.
Sampling in Google Analytics
While the data you see in Optimize isn’t sampled, you might see sampled data in Google Analytics. Optimize experiments populate in the experiments section of the linked Analytics view, and this report may be sampled at the levels indicated by your Analytics contract. Note: Sampling is more common if you include today’s date or overlay a segment on a report.
Analytics 360 users can request an unsampled report from the Analytics experiments reports.
Related video
Related resources
- User permissions – Analytics help center
- Build new segments – Analytics help center
- Create and manage Custom Reports – Analytics help center
- Introduction to Optimize reports
- Differences in Optimize and Analytics reports
- Video tutorials