Setting Up Google Analytics Goals

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Goals are a versatile way to measure how well your site or app fulfills your objectives. You can set up individual Goals to track discrete actions, like transactions with a minimum purchase amount or the amount of time spent on a screen.

You must define and set up Goals in your Google Analytics account before data appears in your Goal reports and other reports that provide data on Goals and Goal Conversions. Read About Goals to learn about individual features of Goals.

Goals are set at the profile level, and are limited to 20 Goals per profile. Each profile can have four sets of Goals, and each set can have a maximum of five Goals. To track more than 20 goals, create an additional profile for that property. You must be an Analytics account administrator to set up Goals.

For more information on the account settings names in these instructions, like Goal Funnel andGoal Value, read About Goals.

To set up a Goal:

    1. Click the Admin tab at the top right of any screen in Analytics. If you are not already on the Account Administration screen, click the All Accounts link at top left, just below the orange bar.

 

    1. Click the name of the account and then the name of the property you want to add a Goal to. If you have a lot of accounts or properties, use the drop down search box in the top left of the menu bar and type to search.

 

    1. Use the Profile menu to select the profile you want.

 

    1. Click the Goals tab beneath the Profile menu.

 

    1. Click +Goal to add a goal to one of the Goal sets.
      The Analytics blog post from June 14, 2012 has a great example of how to organize Goal sets.

 

    1. Enter a Goal Name you can easily recognize in reports.

 

    1. Select Active if you want the Goal to apply as soon as you create and save it. SelectInactive if you want to create the Goal without applying it to your account.
      You can change this selection at any time to pause and reactivate a Goal.

 

    1. Select the Goal Type:
        • Destination: A URL (for web) or Screen (apps) destination. This Goal works well combined with a Goal Funnel.
      • Visit Duration: Specify the amount of time a visitor spends on your site or app. Under Goal Details, specify the Condition, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds. Optionally, enter a Goal Value. If you’re tracking a transaction, leave this blank. The Value will be pulled in from your Ecommerce Tracking code.
      • Pages/Visit (web) Screens/Visit (app): Specify a number of pages or screens. Under Goal Details, specify the Condition and the Number of Screens/Pages Visited. Optionally, enter a Goal Value. If you’re tracking a transaction, leave this blank. The Value will be pulled in from your Ecommerce Tracking code.
      • Event: Specify an Event as a Goal. In order to set this kind of goal, you must first set up Event Tracking. Under Goal Details, configure a combination of Event conditions (e.g., the Event Category, Action, Label, or Value). You must select at least one condition. Choose a Goal Value for the Event. The actual Event Value is the value you assigned to the Event when you set it up. The Constant Value can be entered manually in this field.

 

  1. Click Save.