If you’re a marketer or analyst who’s tired of slogging through endless dashboards and copy-pasting exports, this is for you. You want Google Analytics data in Domo so you can actually do something with it—pull better reports, build custom dashboards, and finally see the full picture. This guide cuts past the fluff and gets straight to connecting the two, with real talk about what works, where it gets annoying, and how to keep your sanity.
Why connect Google Analytics to Domo?
Let’s be blunt: Google Analytics is powerful, but its built-in dashboards are limiting. You can slice and dice, but cross-channel analysis? Data blending? Forget it. On the other hand, Domo is built for combining and visualizing data from a bunch of sources, not just Google’s walled garden.
By connecting Google Analytics to Domo, you can:
- Combine web analytics with data from Facebook, email, CRM, and more.
- Build custom dashboards that don’t make your eyes glaze over.
- Automate reporting so you’re not stuck in spreadsheet hell every week.
But it’s not all smooth sailing—there are limits, quirks, and a few gotchas. Let’s dig in.
Before You Start: What You’ll Need
Don’t skip this. If you don’t have all your ducks in a row, you’ll hit a wall fast.
- Domo Account: You need Creator (or higher) access to set up new data sources.
- Google Analytics Account: Standard (UA) and GA4 are both supported, but the setup is different.
- Correct Permissions: You need at least “Read & Analyze” access in Google Analytics, and you’ll need permission to add connectors in Domo.
- A Clear Question: Know what you want to track and report on. The more specific, the better. Otherwise, you’ll pull in a mess of data you don’t use.
Step 1: Decide GA Version—Universal Analytics vs GA4
Heads up: As of July 2023, Universal Analytics (UA) is officially sunset, and most new properties are GA4. Domo supports both, but you should be moving to GA4 if you haven’t already.
- If you’re on GA4: Use the “Google Analytics 4” connector in Domo.
- If you’re stuck with UA data for historical reasons: You can still connect, but expect limits.
Pro tip: Mixing UA and GA4 data is a pain—metrics don’t always match up. Try to stick to one version per dashboard.
Step 2: Add the Google Analytics Connector in Domo
- Log into Domo.
- In the main menu, go to Data > Connectors.
- Search for “Google Analytics” or “Google Analytics 4” (pick the right one).
- Click the connector, then hit Get the Data.
What’s actually happening: Domo uses API connectors to pull data from Google Analytics. This isn’t magic—it just saves you from manual exports.
Step 3: Authorize Domo to Access Google Analytics
This is the “OAuth” bit. It’s necessary, but can be confusing.
- Click Authorize in the connector setup.
- Sign in with your Google account (the one with Analytics access).
- Grant Domo the requested permissions.
Caution: If your company uses SSO or has privacy restrictions, you may need admin help. Sometimes IT will balk at granting access to third-party tools. If you hit a wall here, don’t waste hours—just escalate.
Step 4: Choose Your Account, Property, and View
This is where people get tripped up.
- GA4: You’ll pick Account > Property > Data Stream.
- UA: You’ll pick Account > Property > View.
Pick the right one—double-check you’re not accidentally pulling staging/test data.
Step 5: Select the Data You Want (Don’t Just “Select All”)
Here’s where it pays to slow down. The Google Analytics API (especially GA4) isn’t as flexible as the web interface. Some metric/dimension combos won’t work together, and if you try to pull too much, you’ll hit API limits or get errors.
Best practices: - Start with a small set of metrics and dimensions you actually need. - Avoid pulling high-cardinality dimensions (e.g., Page URL) at first—they can blow up your data volume. - If you want to blend GA data with other sources, keep your schema simple (e.g., date, source, medium, sessions).
What to ignore: Unless you have a real use case, skip weird metrics like “Event Value” or obscure dimensions. They just clutter things up.
Step 6: Set Up Scheduling and Data Refresh
- Choose how often Domo should update the data—hourly, daily, weekly, etc.
- Be realistic: For most marketing analysis, daily is plenty. Hourly refreshes are overkill (and can hit API quotas).
- Set up notifications for failed imports, so you don’t get surprised by missing data.
Hard truth: Google’s API can be flaky. Don’t panic if you see the odd failed import—just check your credentials and try again.
Step 7: Build Your First Dashboard
Now the fun part. But don’t get lost in “dashboard bloat.” Start simple:
- Sessions and users over time
- Top traffic sources
- Conversion events by channel
Tips: - Use Domo’s card builder to visualize trends, not just single numbers. - Blend GA data with spend/cost data from ad platforms for real ROI analysis. - Set up filters so stakeholders can self-serve (e.g., by date range or channel).
What to avoid: Don’t try to recreate every GA dashboard in Domo. Focus on what you can’t get in GA—like blending with other data or custom calculations.
Troubleshooting: Common Pitfalls
Even if you follow the steps, you’ll probably hit some of these annoyances:
- API Quotas: Google limits how much data you can pull per day. If you get errors, scale back on metrics/dimensions or refreshes.
- Sampling: For big sites, Google Analytics sometimes returns sampled data, not the full dataset. Your numbers might not match what you see in the GA interface.
- Missing Data: Domo can only pull what the API provides. If you’re missing historical data, it’s likely because the API can’t access it (especially with GA4).
- Data Lag: Google Analytics data isn’t always real-time—expect a delay of several hours.
- Field Mismatches: GA4 and UA use different names and structures for metrics. Double-check your schema if numbers look weird.
If you get stuck, check Domo’s connector documentation or Google’s API limits. And don’t trust the first dashboard numbers blindly—spot-check them against what you see in Google Analytics.
Advanced Tips (Only If You Actually Need Them)
- Custom Dimensions/Events: You can pull custom events from GA4, but you’ll need to define them explicitly in your connector setup.
- Multiple Accounts/Properties: You can set up multiple connectors for different sites or business units, but keep them organized—label your datasets clearly.
- SQL Transformations: Domo lets you transform/clean data after import. This is handy for blending or deduping, but don’t get over-engineered unless you have to.
What Not to Bother With
- Pulling Everything: More data isn’t better. If you try to import every field, you’ll just slow things down and create more confusion.
- Real-Time Data: Domo isn’t built for minute-to-minute analytics. If you need real-time, you’re better off with GA’s built-in tools.
- Fancy Visualizations: Focus on clarity. If your stakeholders don’t get it in five seconds, it’s too complicated.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Connecting Google Analytics to Domo isn’t hard, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Start with the basics, get your first dashboard live, and iterate from there. Don’t be afraid to adjust your metrics or dimensions as you learn what’s actually useful. And remember, the goal is insight, not just another pretty dashboard.
If you keep your setup clean and your questions focused, you’ll get way more value out of both tools—no hype, just better decisions.