Google Analytics API - retrieve Custom Segment Id by its name

Question

Using Google Analytics API to retrieve 20+ Profiles' data so i can combine all of them into one set of data for analysis. (separate profiles are for different domains that all have identical content)

I am using a Custom Segment on each Profile to remove referral spam. I have given the Custom Segments the same name eg 'referrer spam'.

So I want to use these Custom Segments when retrieving records with the API. However have run into a challenge.

I thought I could loop through the segments and get each Profile's Id by the Custom Segment name eg 'referrer spam'. The first thing I did was loop through the Segments to see what it would give me. So I did the following:

# Authenticate and construct service.
service = get_service('analytics', 'v3', scope, key_file_location,
service_account_email)

segments = service.management().segments().list().execute()

for segment in segments.get('items', []):
  print 'Segment ID ' + segment.get('id') + " - " + segment.get('name')

But this doesn't retrieve the Custom Segments, only the 'standard' Google segments eg things like:

Segment ID -1 - All Sessions
Segment ID -2 - New Users
Segment ID -3 - Returning Users
Segment ID -4 - Paid Traffic
Segment ID -5 - Organic Traffic
Segment ID -6 - Search Traffic
Segment ID -7 - Direct Traffic
Segment ID -8 - Referral Traffic
Segment ID -9 - Sessions with Conversions
Segment ID -10 - Sessions with Transactions
etc etc

So it looks like I am unable to access the Custom Segments.

I believe this has something to do with fact that I am using a Service Account and it doesn't have permissions to access the Custom Segments?

I have given the API generated developer gmail address/user read permission to all of the Profiles. I guess that isn't sufficient to get the Custom Segments.

Am I missing something? Is there a way to get Custom Segment using a Service Account? Do I need to authenticate with other than Service Account?

Harshit Harshit · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-24T22:22:35

I found an easy way to get custom segments details from api.

First, you need to have user management access, probably an administrator can easily do that.

Manage Segments#Set Segment availability

Visit this link and go to 'Set Segment availability' section in there.
Apply 'Collaborate permission' option as shown in the link.

After applying permission, just from your service account and api run the same code as you mention in you question or follow the below link of code to list all segments details.

Listing a User's Segments

This time you will be able to get custom segment ids. I was trying to get the custom segment details since last 3-4 days. Hope it helps.

Google Analytics API - retrieve Custom Segment Id by its name

2 Answers