Automatically import data from Facebook Ads to Google Analytics — Instructions

The purpose of automatically uploading data is to save the time of marketing specialists. We’re sure this tutorial will convince you of the advantages of automatic importing. Automated data import also eliminates errors due to inattention when working with data. We’ll show you how to import data from Facebook Ads to Google Analytics with OWOX BI Pipeline.

Without automatic data import, you have to transfer cost data from other services and advertising sites to Google Analytics manually. You’ll need to spend time on this regularly – in fact, every time you need data. Accordingly, if you forget to import data or make a mistake, your reports will be based on incomplete data. As a result, you’ll make the wrong marketing decisions.

At the moment, users of Google Analytics can’t directly import cost data from Facebook Ads or other services. Google Analytics can only receive data directly from other Google services such as Google Ads, AdSense, and the Google Search Console. You can import statistics on clicks, impressions, and expenses from these Google services. If your advertising campaigns are conducted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Criteo, Bing, or other advertising platforms, you need to import data manually.

The screenshot above shows the Cost Analysis report in Google Analytics (Acquisition – Campaigns – Cost Analysis). You can see that there’s no cost data for non-Google services.

But in this next screenshot, you can see the same Cost Analysis report with complete data on the costs of various advertising campaigns.

With services for collecting data and transmitting it to various sources, there’s no need to manually upload data. After studying the instructions below, you and your specialists will be able to easily set up automatic data transfers.

We’ll show you how to quickly set up automatic data transfer to Google Analytics using OWOX BI Pipeline in two steps. After you set up this pipeline, OWOX will regularly upload your collected Facebook Ads data to Google Analytics.

In order to transfer cost data, you need to create a data set in Google Analytics:

1. Go to the Administrator section, select Account and find the Property that you want to import data to.

2. Under the Data import option, click the Create button.

3. Next, choose Cost Data as the type of data set:

4. After you’ve come up with a Name, select the Views in which the data will be displayed.

IMPORTANT! Cost data will be displayed only in the views you’ve chosen.

5. Select all the parameters shown in the screenshot below. At the end, check the Summation option to import data.

That’s all. You’ve completed the first step! 

Another nuance before creating a data stream: You’ll need to check the currency settings and change them if necessary.

OWOX BI will convert the currency from the advertising service to the currency specified in your Google Analytics view, but it’s best if the currency of the advertising service and view are the same. In that case, the data will be downloaded without conversion. Otherwise, the Open Exchange Rates API will be used.

If you skip this step, be sure to read about how to change currency in an existing pipeline.

1. Go to the OWOX page for selecting a data source. Then choose an advertising service – for example, Facebook.​

2. Next, provide access to your advertising service account.

3. Then provide access to your Google Analytics account for importing data.​

4. Select the property to which you will import the data. Also, select a data set for reports.

5. You can specify additional information when creating the stream. For example, you can exclude or change the VAT percentage.

The main thing is that after you make this decision, all further cost data should be transferred either with or without VAT as per your decision. Otherwise, your data won’t be comparable.

As mentioned earlier, you can configure the currency to avoid conversion.

Now to the final step: Click Create. That’s all! Cost data for Facebook Ads will automatically be transferred to Google Analytics.

You’ll be able to see the imported data within 36 hours. OWOX BI processes your data within 12 hours, after which importing to Google Analytics takes up to 24 hours. In just two steps (which take about 15 minutes), you can receive a report with the imported data.

As you can see, setting up automatic data import is quick and easy. If you follow our instructions, you’ll be able to see the imported cost data for your Facebook Ads campaigns in the Cost Analysis report in Google Analytics. Once you create a data flow and set up automatic import, you’ll receive data in Google Analytics once a day without a specialist and without wasting your time.

Using OWOX BI, you can automatically import data from nearly any advertising service – not only from Facebook Ads but also from Twitter Ads, Instagram, Criteo, and others. You can try OWOX for free. As a bonus, after the trial ends, you can continue importing data from one advertising service for free.

You may see OWOX BI in action personally within the live demo.