Firebase Analytics: registering custom parameters in the console

5
votes

I'm having trouble understanding what's the benefit of registering the custom parameters of a custom event in the Firebase Analytics console.

  1. Is it for analyzing the data or for logging the data?

  2. If I don't register the custom parameters, will the events still being logged successfully?

  3. If I want to analyze the data in BigQuery, will I first have to register these parameters in the Firebase console?

  4. If I'm using more custom parameters in my app than the "Global parameter reporting quota" of Firebase, then will these events still being logged? Or I might "lose" the data for these events?

I've read the documentation thoroughly but it's not clear how the custom parameters are being handled.

2
firebasefirebase-analytics

2 Answers

5
votes

I will answer my questions since I now have a clearer picture:

TL;DR: If you want to analyze the custom parameters in the Firebase console, you first have to register them. If you want to analyze them in BigQuery, you don't have to register them, but you need to link your project to BigQuery before you start logging these events.

  1. The events and custom parameters will be always being logged, regardless if you register the parameters in the Firebase console or not.

  2. Yes, the events will be logged as well as the custom parameters, HOWEVER, in the Firebase console, you won't have access to the data of the custom parameters unless you register them. And currently there is a limit of 10 text parameters and 40 numeric parameters. So registering the parameters in the console will allow you to analyze these parameters in the Firebase console.

  3. NO, BigQuery will have the data for all events and parameters even if you don't register the parameters in the Firebase console. HOWEVER you need to link your project to BigQuery (requires a payment plan), BEFORE you start logging the events in the app. BigQuery will have access to everything from the time you link the project and onwards.

  4. Previous answers apply to this question as well.

Sources: https://stackoverflow.com/a/44501664/658323 (answered by a Google product manager) & https://stackoverflow.com/a/44808845/658323

1
votes

Answer to your questions in same order:

  1. Both logging and analysis. Firebase provide a fancy interface for custom parameters too with a graph and number of times they have been logged.

2.Yes

  1. Yes and also export the data to Big Query.

  2. Events would be logged but not the custom parameters if limits are exceeded. Check out the doc for parameters limits.