Troubleshooting: The Data Differences between Google Analytics and Insider

Insider and Google Analytics (GA) use different tracking methods, and you might find gaps between the data collected by the two tools. Each tool uses its own tracking algorithm. The most common issues and their causes are:

• Does Google Analytics and Insider both define the metric in the same way?
• Does Google and Insider tracks Google Adblocker users with the same method?
• Do I observe any errors in implementing one of the two tags?
• Does having more than one domain result in the data difference?
• Can the accounts using the mobile apps be listed under the Web Google Analytics Account?
• Does GA have filters that are not applied to Insider data?
• Do Google Analytics and Insider track the users who accepted Cookie Policy in the same way?

Does Google Analytics and Insider both define the metric in the same way?

• "Sessions" data in GA is the total number of visits to the website. GA tracks all visits to a page (both first-time visitors as well as returning users).
• Impression data in Insider only records first-time visitors who landed on the page on which the experiment is live while GA tracks visit based on session duration (30 mins).
• Insider creates value in the local storage for every visitor to recognize whether a user is a first-time user or a revisiting user. By default, the Insider cookie remains active for 1 year, and a returning visitor is not recorded as long as the Insider cookie (squid) lasts in the user’s browser. In addition, you can change the Goal Durations at the campaign level on the panel.

For example, if a user visits your website, leaves it immediately, and revisits it after some time.

• GA records an additional session when the user has been inactive for a certain period of time (Generally 30 minutes, but it might change.)
• Insider records only the first visit of the user. In this case, the ‘users’ data in GA will report 2 visits.

Does Google and Insider tracks Google Adblocker users with the same method?

• Google Analytics does not generate Client IDs for visitors using Adblock. Since they do not have a Client ID, users using Adblock are not counted as “Users”
• Insider generates cookie for visitors using Adblock.

For example, if a user has Adblock and visits the website;

• GA does not track the user.
• Insider records the user having Adblock. In this case, discrepancy can occur between Insider and GA.

Do I observe any errors in implementing one of the two tags?

You need to make Google Analytics integration and Insider Tag integration exactly in the same place (you should use the same tracking id) and you should implement the Insider tag on every page.

It is possible that you might have implemented one of the two tags poorly, the information is sent twice (or not sent) as a result.

To check it, go to a page on which the test is active and open your Network. Reload the test page. By filtering on the hit name, you will see if the tool sends a single hit of each type (page view or event):

Does having more than one domain result in the data difference?

If you have more than one domain, it is checked whether all domains have the Insider Tag. If data is sent to Google Analytics under the same tracker ID in domains that do not have Insider API, it might cause a discrepancy.

• If Insider Tag is located in all domains and the data is sent to Google Analytics under different tracker IDs, it may cause the discrepancy as well.

Can the accounts using the mobile apps be listed under the Web Google Analytics Account?

Your Mobile App and Web data with the Mobile App can be kept under the same tracker ID. However, Web and App users are kept separately on the Insider Platform. It is very important to compare the metrics in the same conditions.

Does GA have filters that are not applied to Insider data?

Google Analytics does not count bot accounts as users. However, Insider counts bot users on the platform.

In GA, there are usually filters that exclude internal IP addresses or known robots. If you do not apply these filters to Insider data, you get different data as a result. To see the filters applied in GA, navigate to Admin > Filters.

Do Google Analytics and Insider track the users who accepted Cookie Policy in the same way?

Most of the websites have a Cookie policy for security reasons and GDPR compliance.

Insider cookie (squid) is downloaded regardless of the integration type. In some cases, Google Analytics cookies are not downloaded unless the user accepts the cookie warning. This might cause the difference between GA and Insider data.