{"id":104472,"date":"2025-02-23T03:19:12","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T03:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/analytics\/customtask-builder-simo-ahavas-blog\/"},"modified":"2025-02-23T03:19:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T03:19:12","slug":"customtask-builder-simo-ahavas-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=104472","title":{"rendered":"customTask Builder | Simo Ahava’s blog"},"content":{"rendered":"


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You can use the customTask Builder<\/strong> tool to create a customTask<\/code> script. customTask<\/code> is a method of the Google Analytics<\/a> library, which lets you run JavaScript code when the hit request to Google Analytics is being built.<\/p>\n

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Click here<\/a> to jump directly to the tool.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is very useful for a number of reasons, and I recommend you read customTask<\/code> – The Guide<\/a> before doing anything with the tool.<\/p>\n

The tool automatically builds the necessary JavaScript, avoiding any potential conflicts that the overlapping methods might introduce otherwise.<\/p>\n

When you add individual features to the script by selecting items in the table, you\u2019ll see how the final script is modified accordingly.<\/p>\n

When you are satisfied with the result, select all the text within the white code box. You can also click the Copy to clipboard<\/strong> button to automatically copy the code to your clipboard.<\/p>\n

General deployment instructions<\/h2>\n

Upon adding individual items to the script, you\u2019ll notice that the first lines of the script contain default values that you\u2019ll need to modify. For example, when adding the Client ID as a Custom Dimension<\/strong> item, you\u2019ll see these lines added to the code:<\/p>\n

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\/\/ clientIdIndex: The Custom Dimension index to where you want to send the visitor's Client ID.\n<\/span>\/\/ https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Ms0ZcC  \n<\/span>var<\/span> clientIdIndex = 1<\/span>;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
The value 1<\/code> is just a default value – you\u2019ll need to change this to the Custom Dimension index you have created in Google Analytics for this specific purpose.<\/p>\n
Thus after copy-pasting the code into place, make sure you edit all the default values with the actual values you want to configure the items with. Otherwise you will run into severe data quality issues.<\/p>\n
Deployment with Google Tag Manager<\/h2>\n
If you are using Google Tag Manager, you need to copy-paste the code into a Custom JavaScript variable<\/strong>. If you use the \u201cCopy to clipboard (for GTM)\u201d button, you don\u2019t have to modify the JavaScript as instructed below.<\/p>\n
If, for some reason, you refuse to use the \u201cCopy to clipboard (for GTM)\u201d button, after copy-pasting the contents to the Custom JavaScript variable, you\u2019ll need to modify the first line by removing the var _customTask = <\/code> part like this:<\/p>\n
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\/\/ OLD, CHANGE THIS:\n<\/span>var<\/span> _customTask = function<\/span>() {\n\n\/\/ NEW, TO THIS:\n<\/span>function<\/span>() {\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
The second change you need to do is remove the semi-colon at the very end of the code block<\/strong>. In other words, remove the very last character of the entire code block, which should be a semi-colon ;<\/code>.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019re done modifying the default values, save the variable with the name {{customTask}}<\/strong> or something similar and descriptive.<\/p>\n
Field name<\/strong>: customTask
Value<\/strong>: {{customTask}}<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not using a Google Analytics Settings variable, you need to click Enable overriding settings in this tag<\/strong> in all the Google Analytics tags where you want to add this customTask<\/code> as a field, and make the same change directly to the tag itself.<\/p>\n
Deployment with analytics.js<\/h2>\n
With the regular (legacy) Universal Analytics library, you first need to make sure the variable is written into memory, so in the site JavaScript (or page template), make sure the code in the code box below is executed before any Google Analytics commands are run.<\/p>\n
Then, when you want to invoke this customTask<\/code> in your trackers, find where you are creating the tracker and make the following change:<\/p>\n
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ga('create'<\/span>, 'UA-12345-1'<\/span>);\n\nga('set'<\/span>, 'customTask'<\/span>, _customTask()); \/\/ \nga('send'<\/span>, 'pageview'<\/span>);\n<\/span><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
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Click to select which feature(s) to include<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Client ID as a Custom Dimension<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hit Type as a Custom Dimension<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Payload Length as a Custom Dimension<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Remove Custom Definitions from Page Speed Timing Hits<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Copy Hits to Multiple Properties<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Remove PII from Hits<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Copy Hits to Snowplow Collector Endpoint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Update Session Cookie<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Decorate Cross-domain Iframes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prevent Duplicate Transactions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Obfuscate And Copy Hit Payload<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Use localStorage To Persist Client ID<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Then, in your Google Analytics Settings variable<\/a>, go to Fields to set<\/strong>, and add a new field:<\/p>\n