Store Google Analytics Raw Data Gdpr Compliant Within The Eu
Management Summary
Basic configuration BigQuery – this is how it works:
Data Location EU – Step 1
If there is no connection between Google Analytics 360 and BigQuery yet, an important basic setting must be carried out before establishing the connection. Briefly to explain: BigQuery stores the data in so-called datasets. This dataset must be for the European region. If this is not defined in advance of the connection, Google will automatically set the dataset to “US” in BigQuery and the data will end up in the United States of America.
To prevent this, the dataset must be created manually in BigQuery before configuring the connection with Google Analytics. You enter the ID of the Google Analytics data view in the name field and select the EU in the “Data location” field (see screenshot).
Set up in the Google Analytics Admin Interface – Step 2
The rest is done in the Google Analytics Admin Interface, where you can establish the connection as usual:
Procedure with an existing BigQuery connection
If you already have a Google Analytics 360 <=> BigQuery connection exists, there is a lot more to consider when changing the data location with historical data. If existing data wants to continue to be used, the data must first be exported and then imported again.
Tip: The setting can also be carried out on historical Google Analytics inventory data!
This process can be represented in six steps:
- First, the existing connection between Google Analytics 360 and BigQuery is removed.
- The data must be exported from BigQuery. You can use the Google Cloud Storage service and save the data there in CSV format. Other supported formats are JSON and Avro.
- The previously saved dataset must now be deleted as it needs to free up the name for our new dataset.
- The new dataset will now be created. You have to choose the ID of the data view to be imported as the name for the dataset. Furthermore, you select the option “data location” -> EU.
- Now, as with a new setup, you establish the connection between Google Analytics 360 and BigQuery and select the data view that you specified in the name of the dataset.
- As an optional and final step, you can import the backed up data from the old dataset back into BigQuery to enable historical analysis of old and new data.
As an alternative to this step, you can also download the backed up CSV data from Google Cloud Storage and store it in Spreadsheet format to work with the raw data.
We also describe what you can do with such raw data from Analytics 360 in BigQuery in our free book chapter on GA360.
