What are Multi-Channel Funnel Reports in Google Analytics?

In Google Analytics, you can carry out Attribution Modelling through the multi-channel funnel reports.

Through multi-channel funnel reports, you can determine:

1. How marketing channels work together to create conversions.
2. How much time elapsed between visitors’ initial interest and their purchase
3. What role did prior website referrals, searches and ads played in a conversion?
4. How to attribute conversions to a marketing channel.

Note: The multi-channel funnel reports are also known as MCF reports.

How to access Multi-Channel Funnel Reports in Google Analytics?

You can access these reports by navigating to Conversions > Multi-Channel Funnels in your GA reporting view:

Types of Multi-Channel Funnel reports in Google Analytics

There are 8 types of multi-channel funnel reports available in Google Analytics:

#1 Overview report– This report contains a ‘multi-channel funnel conversion visualizer’ through which you can visualize how different marketing channels are working together to create conversions:

The overlapped areas show the channels which worked together to create conversions.

#2 Assisted Conversions Report – This report shows the number of conversions each marketing channel initiated, assisted and completed. It also shows the value of assisted and last interaction conversions.

#3 Top Conversion Path Report – This report shows all of the unique conversion paths that lead to conversions. It also shows the number of conversions from each path and the value of those conversions.

#4 Time Lag Report – This report shows how long it took (in days) for users/visitors to convert. Through this report, you can get an insight into the length of your online sales cycle.

#5 Path Length Report – This report shows the number of interactions it took for your website visitors to convert.

#6 Model Comparison Tool report – This report is used to compare different attribution models to each other in Google Analytics. 

#7 ROI Analysis report – This report is used to do ROI Analysis in Google Analytics. This report is available only to GA360 customers.

#8 Model Explorer report – This report is used to explore the data-driven attribution model.

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Understanding Conversions in the context of Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnel Reports

The definition of conversion is different in multi-channel funnel reports. It can be a goal conversion and/or an ecommerce transaction.

The total conversions in multi-channel funnel reports are the sum of the total number of goal conversions and the total number of ecommerce transactions.

Following is a short video on understanding conversions in the context of Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnel (MCF) reports:

For the remainder of this article, whenever I talk about conversions, I am referring to conversions in the context of multi-channel funnels. 

If I am referring to goal conversions, I will explicitly mention it. So remember that and don’t get confused later on.

Data discrepancy between Multi-Channel Funnel Reports and other reports in Google Analytics

In multi-channel funnel reports, a conversion can be a goal conversion or ecommerce transaction.

Whereas in non-multi channel funnel reports, conversion means a goal conversion. The ecommerce transactions are reported separately in non-multi-channel funnel reports.

So the total number of conversions in multi-channel funnel reports can be different than the total number of conversions in non-multi channel funnel reports.

Also, Multi-channel funnel data collection lags by up to two days. So their results are temporary out of sync with non-multi channel funnel reports.

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What is a Conversion Path in Google Analytics?

A conversion path is the sequence of interactions (clicks, visits, impressions) with digital marketing channels during the 1 to 90 days period that leads to conversions.

The period of 1 to 90 days prior to conversions is known as the lookback window:

Note: The lookback window is available in all MCF reports, and you can change the setting by dragging the slider.

Now consider the following hypothetical conversion path of a user:

Here a visitor is exposed to 6 marketing channels before he made a purchase. Google Analytics will show this conversion path in the ‘top conversion path report’ as:

Note(1): The conversion path is created for each conversion recorded by Google Analytics.

Note(2): The conversion paths are recorded via _ga cookie. 

To know more about Google Analytics cookies, check out the article: How Google Analytics uses cookies.

Note(3): There is no limit to the number of conversion paths Google Analytics can record.

What is Multi-Channel Funnel Data in Google Analytics?

The multi-channel funnel data is a combination of conversion data and conversion paths and is compiled from un-sampled data. 

Since the multi-channel funnel data collection lags by up to two days, you may not see this data for today or yesterday in your multi-channel funnel reports.

You also won’t see this data if not a single conversion has occurred on your website in the last 90 days or conversion tracking has not been set up in your GA view.

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• Understand the customer purchase journey across devices
• Determine the most effective marketing channels for investment

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What is an Interaction in Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnels?

Interaction is exposure to a marketing channel. An interaction is also known as a touch.

For example, in the chart below, the visitor is exposed to six different marketing channels before he made a purchase:

Each exposure is known as an interaction in multi-channel funnel reports.

To learn more about interactions, read this article: Multi Touch Attribution in Google Analytics

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Conversion Path Analysis in Multi-Channel Funnels Reports

You can analyze a conversion path by changing its primary dimension in the ‘Top Conversion Paths’ report:

You can switch to the following 17 primary dimensions to analyze your conversion paths:

1. MCF channel grouping path
2. Source/medium path
3. Source path
4. Medium path
5. Campaign path
6. Campaign (or source/medium) path
7. Keyword path
8. Keyword (or source/medium) path
9. Adwords campaign path
10. Ad group path
11. Adwords keyword path
12. Ad content path
13. Matched search query path
14. Placement domain path
15. Placement URL path
16. Display URL path
17. Destination URL path

All of these dimensions are pretty self-explanatory, and if you play with them, you can get a pretty good idea of how they can be used to analyze a conversion path.

You can access the last 13 dimensions by clicking on the ‘Other’ drop-down list in your Top Conversion Paths report:

Segmenting Conversion Paths in Multi-Channel Funnels Reports

You can segment conversion paths through conversion segments. They are just like the Google Analytics custom segments but are meant especially for multi-channel funnel data:

So if you want to see all of those conversion paths where the first interaction was ‘paid search’, then select ‘First Interaction is Paid Advertising’ from the ‘Default Segments’ section and then click on the ‘Apply’ button.

Similarly,

If you want to see all of those conversion paths where the first interaction was ‘Facebook’, then create a new user-defined segment named ‘First Interaction is Facebook’ by clicking on the link ‘create new conversion segment’ and then click on the ‘Apply’ button.

Read this article to learn more about creating user-defined conversion segments: 8 Google Analytics Conversions Segments you Must use. 

Note: You should look at your multi-channel funnel reports in an unfiltered view. A filtered view can corrupt your conversion path data. Use ‘Conversion segments’ instead of filtered views.

Other articles on Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnel

1. Using Assisted Conversions Report in Google Analytics
2. How to use Top Conversion Paths Report in Google Analytics
3. Time Lag Report vs Conversion Lag Report
4. Path Length Report vs Conversion Path Length Report
5. Model Comparison Tool in Google Analytics Explained
6. Do ROI Analytics, Calculate ROAS in Google Analytics
7. Data-Driven Attribution Model Explorer in Google Analytics