Hey everyone,
I’m trying to set up tracking for my subscription-based service. I want to use the Measurement Protocol to send server-side info about monthly payments to Google Analytics. But I’m stuck!
The docs mention needing a productIndex for the API call. I’m confused about where this comes from or if it’s even necessary for my case.
Does anyone have experience with this? How do you structure the API call for recurring payments? Any tips on handling subscriptions in Analytics would be super helpful.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can share!
Hey FlyingEagle, I’ve tackled this before! For subscriptions, productIndex isn’t crucial. Focus on transaction ID, revenue, and currency. You can use custom dimensions to track subscription details. Remember to set up ecommerce tracking in GA first. Good luck with ur implementation!
I’ve implemented subscription tracking with Measurement Protocol, and I can shed some light on your question. The productIndex is primarily used for multi-product transactions, which isn’t typically necessary for subscriptions. Instead, focus on sending essential data like transaction ID, revenue, and subscription status.
For recurring payments, structure your API call to include the transaction-specific details each time a payment is processed. You can use custom dimensions to track subscription length, plan type, or other relevant metrics. One crucial tip: ensure you’re using a unique transaction ID for each payment to avoid data duplication in GA.
Remember to test thoroughly before full implementation. The Measurement Protocol can be tricky, but it’s powerful for capturing offline conversions like subscriptions.
Heya FlyingEagle! 
Tracking subscriptions can be a real head-scratcher, right? I’ve been down that road too. Have you thought about using Google Tag Manager instead of Measurement Protocol? It might simplify things a bit.
But if you’re set on MP, here’s a thought - couldn’t you just send the subscription data as a custom event rather than a product? That way, you’d sidestep the whole productIndex issue.
Oh, and quick question - what kind of subscription info are you most keen on tracking? Churn rates? Lifetime value? Might help to narrow down exactly what data you need before diving into the implementation.
Anyone else here tried alternative methods for subscription tracking? I’m always curious to learn new approaches!