Getting MCF Conversions path data from Google Bigquery

Question

I am using Google Bigquery to extract data on conversion paths from Google Analytics (GA).

When I analyze these conversion paths from the exported dataset, the last-click conversions match the Acquisition report in GA, but not to the Multi Channel Funnel (MCF) data. Apparently Bigquery doesn't really export raw data, but transforms it by deleting all last direct clicks. like described here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1319312?hl=en.

Is it possible to get the Bigquery data to correspond to Multi Channel Funnel (MCF) conversion path data? To undo the deletion of last non-direct click and get proper 'raw' user level data?

Answer 1

All of the trafficSource fields in BigQuery Export for Google Analytics use campaign attribution as described in this processing flow, which will overwrite direct traffic with the most recent campaign (if there is one and it is within the specified timeout), as you mentioned.

If you are using Universal Analytics, you can adjust the campaign timeout to be shorter than the 6 month default. For example, if you set the campaign timeout to be one day, any direct visits that come in at least one day after a visit with a campaign will be attributed to direct instead of the previous campaign. This can be done with Classic Analytics as well using _setCampaignCookieTimeout. This technique will affect data collection from the time it is implemented going forward.

Answer 2

This thread is rather dated, so I thought I'd update just in case anyone else comes across this same question.

There is a field that was introduced (both in the Google Analytics interface and the BigQuery export) that allows you to match the numbers in the MCF reports. In BigQuery, look for the field trafficSource.isTrueDirect

BigQuery Export Schema

trafficSource.isTrueDirect

True if the source of the session was Direct (meaning the user typed the name of your website URL into the browser or came to your site via a bookmark), This field will also be true if 2 successive but distinct sessions have exactly the same campaign details. Otherwise NULL.