Filtering results from Google Analytics Reporting API

Question

I am successfully downloading results from Google Analytics using the reporting API (version 4), with the PHP client library. But I have not figured out how to correctly filter these results.

I see how this would work via cURL, but not through the client library. I looked through the client library code, and there is a class method:

apiclient-services/Google/Service/AnalyticsReporting/ReportRequest.php:
public function setMetricFilterClauses($metricFilterClauses)

I do not see any documentation or any usage of the associated get method:

public function getMetricFilterClauses()

Are there examples of using filters through the PHP client library?

Answer 1

Background

The Google API Client libraries are generated from the Google Discovery Service. And the PHP client library generates a setProperty and getProperty for every property of a resource.

Analytics Reporting API V4

The Analytics Reporting API V4 reference docs exhustively describe the API. The Developer Guide gives the underlying JSON example which the client libraries will generate:

POST https://analyticsreporting.googleapis.com/v4/reports:batchGet
{
  "reportRequests":
  [
    {
      "viewId": "XXXX",
      "dateRanges": [
        {"endDate": "2014-11-30", "startDate": "2014-11-01"}
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {"expression": "ga:pageviews"},
        {"expression": "ga:sessions"}
      ],
      "dimensions": [{"name": "ga:browser"}, {"name": "ga:country"}],
      "dimensionFilterClauses": [
        {
          "filters": [
            {
              "dimensionName": "ga:browser",
              "operator": "EXACT",
              "expressions": ["Chrome"]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

And the Samples page gives many examples requests in Python, Java, PHP and JavaScript, which should give you a good sense of how to work with the individual client libraries. But you are correct there is not an explicit example of PHP using a filter.

PHP Filter Example

Below is the same example as the request above:

// Create the DateRange object.
$dateRange = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_DateRange();
$dateRange->setStartDate("2014-11-01");
$dateRange->setEndDate("2014-11-30");

// Create the Metrics object.
$pageviews = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_Metric();
$pageviews->setExpression("ga:pageviews");

$sessions = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_Metric();
$sessions->setExpression("ga:sessions");

//Create the Dimensions object.
$browser = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_Dimension();
$browser->setName("ga:browser");

$country = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_Dimension();
$country->setName("ga:country");

// Create the DimensionFilter.
$dimensionFilter = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_DimensionFilter();
$dimensionFilter->setDimensionName('ga:browser');
$dimensionFilter->setOperator('EXACT');
$dimensionFilter->setExpressions(array('Chrome'));

// Create the DimensionFilterClauses
$dimensionFilterClause = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_DimensionFilterClause();
$dimensionFilterClause->setFilters(array($dimensionFilter));

// Create the ReportRequest object.
$request = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_ReportRequest();
$request->setViewId("XXXX");
$request->setDateRanges($dateRange);
$request->setDimensions(array($browser, $country));
$request->setDimensionFilterClauses(array($dimensionFilterClause));
$request->setMetrics(array($pageviews, $sessions));

$body = new Google_Service_AnalyticsReporting_GetReportsRequest();
$body->setReportRequests( array( $request) );
return $analyticsreporting->reports->batchGet( $body );

As you probably noticed I never once used a $object->getProperty(). Basically All it would do is give me its current value. When Calling the API you should only ever need to $object->setProperty($value); Hence why I gave you the background that the client libraries are generated.

Conclusion

The Analytics Reporting API itself is complex and there are many client library languages. It is not always possible to give an example every possible usage of an API in every possible client library language. That is why it is necessary to understand how to look at the reference docs and understand how the client libraries are generated from the structure described.