Dashboard Analytics Setup

This guide will help you configure Google Analytics to display dashboard charts in your application.

Prerequisites

A Google account
Access to Google Cloud Console
Access to Google Analytics

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Project

Go to Google Cloud Console
Click Select a project → New Project
Enter a project name (e.g., "My Analytics Dashboard")
Click Create

Step 2: Enable Google Analytics Data API

In your Google Cloud project, go to APIs & Services → Library
Search for "Google Analytics Data API"
Click on Google Analytics Data API
Click Enable

Step 3: Create Service Account

Go to APIs & Services → Credentials
Click Create Credentials → Service Account
Fill in the service account details:
- Service account name: e.g., "analytics-dashboard"
- Service account ID: will be auto-generated
- Description: Optional description
Click Create and Continue
Skip the optional steps (Grant users access to this service account)
Click Done

Step 4: Create and Download Service Account Key

In Credentials page, find your newly created service account
Click on the service account email
Go to the Keys tab
Click Add Key → Create new key
Select JSON as the key type
Click Create
The JSON file will be automatically downloaded to your computer

[!IMPORTANT] Keep this JSON file secure! It contains credentials that grant access to your Google Analytics data.

Step 5: Upload Service Account Credentials

Rename the downloaded JSON file to service-account-credentials.json

Place it in your Laravel application at:

storage/app/analytics/service-account-credentials.json

Make sure the directory exists:
```
mkdir -p storage/app/analytics
```

Step 6: Get Google Analytics Property ID

Method 1: Using Google Analytics Admin

Go to Google Analytics
Click Admin (gear icon in the bottom left)
In the Property column, select your property
Click Property Settings
Copy the Property ID (starts with numbers, e.g., 123456789)

Method 2: Using Google Analytics Data Stream

In Google Analytics Admin, go to Data Streams
Select your data stream (Web, iOS, or Android)
You'll see the Measurement ID (e.g., G-XXXXXXXXXX)
The Property ID is shown at the top of the page

[!NOTE] The Property ID is different from the Measurement ID. Make sure you copy the correct Property ID (numeric format).

Step 7: Grant Service Account Access to Google Analytics

In Google Analytics Admin, go to Property Access Management
Click the + icon to add users
Enter the service account email (find it in the downloaded JSON file, under client_email)
- Example: analytics-dashboard@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com
Select role: Viewer (minimum required) or Analyst
Click Add

Step 8: Configure Laravel Application

Option 1: Using Environment Variables (Recommended)

Add to your .env file:

ANALYTICS_PROPERTY_ID=123456789

The service account credentials path is already configured in config/analytics.php:

'service_account_credentials_json' => storage_path('app/analytics/service-account-credentials.json'),

Option 2: Using Array Credentials

Instead of a file path, you can pass credentials as an array. Edit config/analytics.php:

'service_account_credentials_json' => [
    'type' => 'service_account',
    'project_id' => 'your-project-id',
    'private_key_id' => 'your-private-key-id',
    'private_key' => '-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\n...\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\n',
    'client_email' => 'your-service-account@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com',
    'client_id' => 'your-client-id',
    'auth_uri' => 'https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth',
    'token_uri' => 'https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token',
    'auth_provider_x509_cert_url' => 'https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v1/certs',
    'client_x509_cert_url' => 'your-cert-url',
],

[!WARNING] If using array credentials, make sure to keep your .env file secure and never commit it to version control.

Step 9: Verify Configuration

Check File Permissions

Ensure the JSON file is readable by your web server:

chmod 644 storage/app/analytics/service-account-credentials.json

Test the Connection

Create a test route or command to verify the setup:

use Spatie\Analytics\Analytics;
use Spatie\Analytics\Period;

$analytics = app(Analytics::class);
$analyticsData = $analytics->fetchTotalVisitorsAndPageViews(Period::days(7));

dd($analyticsData);

If configured correctly, you should see analytics data returned.

Troubleshooting

Error: "Service account credentials file not found"

Verify the file path is correct
Check file permissions
Ensure the directory exists

Error: "User does not have sufficient permissions"

Make sure you granted the service account access in Google Analytics (Step 7)
Wait a few minutes for permissions to propagate
Verify you're using the correct Property ID

Error: "API has not been used in project"

Enable the Google Analytics Data API in your Google Cloud project (Step 2)
Wait a few minutes for the API to be fully enabled

Error: "Invalid property ID"

Double-check the Property ID in Google Analytics
Ensure you're using the Property ID, not the Measurement ID
Property IDs are numeric (e.g., 123456789), not alphanumeric (e.g., G-XXXXXXXXXX)

Cache Configuration

Analytics responses are cached by default for 24 hours. You can adjust this in config/analytics.php:

'cache_lifetime_in_minutes' => 60 * 24, // 24 hours

To disable caching:

'cache_lifetime_in_minutes' => 0,

Security Best Practices

Never commit credentials to version control
- Add storage/app/analytics/*.json to .gitignore

Restrict file permissions

chmod 600 storage/app/analytics/service-account-credentials.json

Use environment variables
- Store sensitive configuration in .env file
Grant minimal permissions
- Service account only needs Viewer role in Google Analytics
Rotate keys regularly
- Create new service account keys periodically
- Delete old keys from Google Cloud Console