Implementation and Data Collection: Report Suite Setup, Variables, Events
This domain tests whether you can design a report suite and the variables and events that feed it. Know the difference between props (traffic variables, no persistence, limited correlation) and eVars (conversion variables with allocation and expiry settings), and between success events (counters, currency, numeric) and traffic events. Understand conversion variable allocation (last touch by default, linear, original value) and expiry (visit, page view, purchase, never).
Report suite setup includes base URL, time zone, currency, and default page, plus internal URL filters and bot filtering. Know that currency conversion happens at collection time and cannot be retroactively corrected easily, and that time zone affects day boundaries in reporting.
Traps
- Assuming an eVar's allocation can be changed freely after data exists - historical data is not reallocated automatically.
- Forgetting that props do not persist across pages, so pathing questions using props fail.
- Mixing up event serialization (records once per visitor) with standard counting.
- Overlooking internal URL filters, which silently drop traffic.
Rule of thumb
Choose expiry = purchase for campaign eVars so credit survives the full consideration window, and expiry = visit for in-session context like search term. Always document allocation and expiry in the SDR.
Worked example: A campaign eVar set to last-touch allocation and visit expiry will lose credit if the user returns next week. Switching to purchase expiry keeps attribution through the order.