Using the Multi-Channel Funnel Reporting API to retrieve data for your dashboard

The Multi-Channel Funnels report in Google Analytics 4 is one of the most useful reports for online marketers. It shows the paths a visitor takes before completing a conversion on your website, giving you a clearer picture of how your channels work together, not just which one gets credit last.

For example, you can see what percentage of conversions touched a combination of referral, search, and direct channels. In one account, only 0.79% of conversions interacted with all three channels. That kind of insight changes how you allocate budget.

A few resources worth bookmarking before you dig in:

• Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnels

• Understanding Google Analytics Multi Channel Funnels

Using the Multi-Channel Funnel Reporting API

The Multi-Channel Funnel Reporting API lets you pull raw conversion path data directly out of Google Analytics and use it however you need. For Klips customers, that means connecting the data to a dashboard so the numbers are always current, always visible, and never require someone to manually pull a report. For everyone else, it opens the door to custom in-house reports or application integrations.

This walkthrough covers how to craft and execute a GET request using the API. Before starting, review the official overview: What is the Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API - Overview

Crafting a query using the Multi-Channel Funnel Reporting API

Use the Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnel API Explorer to build your query. Before anything else, authorize the request by clicking the button at the top-right of the workspace.

There are four things to complete before your query is ready:

• Retrieve your Analytics ID

• Set the date range

• Select metrics for the query

• Select dimensions for the query

Step 1: Retrieve your Analytics ID

You need the table ID for the web property you want to pull data from. Open Google Analytics, navigate to the property, and look at the URL in your address bar. The ID appears at the end:

• https://www.google.com/analytics/web/?hl=en#report/bf-overview/a987654w33445561p12345678

Enter that ID into the Table ID field in the explorer.

Step 2: Set the date range

Date ranges give you control over what period the data covers. Google's docs on date parameters cover the full range of options. A rolling date range is usually the most useful choice, because it keeps your data current without any manual updates. Enter 30daysAgo in the start-date field and today in the end-date field.

Step 3: Select metrics for the query

Metrics are required for every request. They return the raw values you want to measure. The Multi-Channel Funnel Reporting API uses its own set of metrics, listed in the Dimensions & Metrics Reference. Copy the metric name from that reference and paste it into the metrics field. Add multiple metrics by separating them with commas.

Step 4: Select dimensions for the query

Dimensions are optional but worth including. They add context to your metrics, describing things like source path, medium path, and keyword path. Without dimensions, you get numbers without meaning. With them, you can see exactly which channel combinations are driving conversions. Use the Dimensions & Metrics Reference to find dimensions relevant to your analysis, then paste them into the explorer the same way you did for metrics.

What to do with the query

Once the query is built, you can use it in several ways. Depending on your setup, you may need to include an API key to process the GET request correctly. Think of the API key as a handshake with Google: it confirms the request is coming from a trusted source and that it's safe to return the data.

Using the MCF Reporting API to create data sources in Klips

The query you built can connect directly to Klips and feed a business dashboard with live, up-to-date data. Use the URL generated by the explorer, but remove the &key={YOUR_API_KEY} parameter. Klips uses OAuth to verify your credentials, so the API key is not needed and should not be included.

Sample queries

Replace {profileID} with your own Analytics ID to use either of these queries as a data source in Klips.

Source, medium, and date for conversions

This query returns the source, medium, and date for visits and conversions. An entry might look like "wikipedia.org / referral" or "google / cpc".

https://www.googleapis.com/analytics/v3/data/mcf?ids=ga%3A{profileID}&start-date=30daysAgo&end-date=today&metrics=mcf%3AtotalConversions&dimensions=mcf%3AsourceMediumPath%2Cmcf%3AconversionDate

Source, medium, date, and goal number

This query adds the goal number to the previous one. Each goal configured in Google Analytics has a number associated with it, so you can see which types of conversions are moving through the multi-channel funnel.

https://www.googleapis.com/analytics/v3/data/mcf?ids=ga%3A{profileID}&start-date=30daysAgo&end-date=today&metrics=mcf%3AassistedConversions&dimensions=mcf%3AsourceMediumPath%2Cmcf%3AconversionDate%2Cmcf%3AconversionGoalNumber

What you can do with this data

Raw multi-channel funnel data answers questions that last-click attribution never can. Which channels are warming up prospects before the final conversion? How often does paid search assist an organic conversion? Which source combinations produce the highest-value goals?

When that data feeds a live dashboard rather than sitting in a report you have to remember to check, the answers are always in front of you. You stop waiting for someone to pull the numbers and start making decisions with confidence. That's the difference between data you have access to and data that actually informs what you do next.