Get more than 7 dimensions in google analytics

Question

I am fetching my data from google analytics core api. I came to know that we can fetch only 7 dimensions using api, But here I need to fetch more than 7 dimensions with correct metrics. Is there anyway (other than using paid google analytics) to fetch more than 7 dmensions with correct metrics from google analytics.

If not, then is there any mathematical formula through which we can find intersection of dimensions fetched using 2 different dimensions having one dimension in common.

Thanks

Answer 1

The only way I have found around the 7 dimension limit is to be creative with filters. It will mean that you are sending more queries to the server, but if you aren't worried about your quota limit then its doable.

Example: ga:visitorType only has two values. New Visitor, Returning Visitor

So you could run a query with your 7 dimensions. Then add A filter ga:visitorType=New Visitor then run the same 7 dimensions with a filter added of ga:visitorType=Returning Visitor Bingo you just got an 8th dimension.

Again you need to be a little careful because you are going to increase the number of queries you run by each value of dimension you are doing creative filtering on. I wouldn't recommend doing it with say ga:landingPagePath because the number of landing pages you have is to big. You will end up running too many queries. But there are a few you can do this with. ga:isMobile, ga:deviceCategory, ga:date. Just remember the more creative filters you add the more queries you end up running. I had one where I ended up expanding it to 80 requests just to get the data back I needed. Scary but it worked.