Google Analytics renames cost data import to campaign data import

Google announced on November 19, 2025, a name change for its existing cost data import feature, which will now be called campaign data import. The update affects terminology only; all existing functionality remains unchanged and no action is required from current users.

The feature allows marketers to import campaign-level attributes and metrics from advertising platforms outside Google's ecosystem. According to the official documentation, the system processes cost, clicks, and impressions data from platforms such as email marketing services and social media advertising networks. The renaming aligns the feature's designation with its primary function of importing comprehensive campaign data rather than focusing exclusively on cost metrics.

"This change better aligns the feature's name with its primary function: importing campaign-level attributes and metrics, such as cost, clicks, and impressions, from non-Google advertising platforms," according to Google's announcement. The company emphasized that all existing data imports will continue functioning without interruption under the new designation.

The campaign data import system combines imported metrics with revenue and event data already measured within Google Analytics. This integration enables marketers to calculate non-Google metrics such as cost per click and return on ad spend for campaigns outside the Google Ads platform. Imported data appears in Reports > Acquisition > Non Google campaign and in the Advertising workspace under Planning > All channels.

Google Analytics processes imported metrics as daily aggregates. The platform allows multiple uploads for identical campaign IDs, accommodating the reality that advertising costs fluctuate as campaigns execute. Analytics uses the most recent uploaded data values for reporting and exploration. The system requires that import currency matches the Google Analytics property currency to maintain consistency across financial reporting.

The technical implementation requires specific campaign tracking parameters for proper data integration. Destination URLs in non-Google campaigns must include utm_id, utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign parameters. These values must match exactly between imported files and logged user sessions. For example, "Facebook" and "facebook" represent distinct values and will not join properly.

Import sources supported by the platform include Amazon Redshift, Amazon S3, BigQuery, CSV files, Google Cloud Storage, Google Sheets, HTTPS endpoints, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SFTP, Snowflake, and direct integrations with major advertising platforms. Each connector requires mapping import fields to Analytics fields, with Campaign ID, Campaign source, Campaign medium, and Campaign name corresponding to utm_id, utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign parameters respectively.

Required dimensions include campaign source, campaign medium, and date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD). Campaign ID and campaign name are optional but highly recommended for granular reporting. At least one metric—clicks, cost formatted as 0,000.00, or impressions—must be included in uploads. The platform provides CSV templates to guide manual file creation.

Third-party advertising platform import sources offer automated connections for Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Snap, and TikTok. These direct integrations simplify setup and run automatically on daily schedules. According to the documentation, third-party sources attempt pulling 24 months of historical data into Analytics properties. All paid traffic from selected third-party sources requires tagging with single unique values for utm_source and utm_medium to ensure proper data matching.

The platform tracks two import health metrics visible in data import details pages. Percentage imported indicates the number of successfully imported rows divided by total rows in the import file. Match rate shows the percentage of imported rows successfully joined with Analytics data, calculated using the most recent two years of imported information. Google Analytics reports cost, impressions, and clicks on any combination of imported dimensions regardless of match rate, providing insights even when no matching Analytics record exists.

Data availability follows standard processing timelines. After upload completion, data becomes available in reports, audiences, and explorations within 24 hours. Users must engage with campaigns after data upload for metrics and campaign properties to associate with user activity. The system permits overwriting metric and dimension values by uploading new data for identical key sets.

The campaign data import feature employs reporting-time joins, allowing association of imported campaign data with events already processed by Google Analytics. This architecture enables marketers to delete campaign data sources from the data-upload service to remove campaign data from reports without altering previously processed information.

Google Analytics has systematically expanded its cost data import capabilities throughout 2025. The platform added nine new data sources in June 2025, including Google Sheets, Amazon Redshift, Amazon S3, BigQuery, Google Cloud Storage, HTTPS, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Snowflake. These enhancements addressed marketer needs for unified advertising spend analysis across multiple platforms.

Direct integrations with major social media platforms followed throughout the year. Reddit Ads received native cost tracking on July 21, 2025, providing the first social media platform to receive direct integration within the cost import framework. Snap Ads integration launched on September 17, 2025, followed by Pinterest integration on September 26, 2025. Meta and TikTok integrations arrived on October 7, 2025, completing coverage of major social advertising platforms.

The evolution of this functionality reflects growing industry demand for cross-platform measurement capabilities. Marketing professionals managing campaigns across multiple networks previously relied on manual processes or third-party tools to aggregate cost data. Automated integrations eliminate these workflows while providing standardized metrics within a single analytics interface.

Google simplified cost data import requirements on February 3, 2025, reducing required fields from five to three core parameters: source, medium, and date. Campaign name and campaign ID became optional, though Google recommends including them for granular reporting. When cost data imports exclude these identifiers, the platform reports data in aggregate when these dimensions are requested.

The naming convention change addresses terminology that no longer fully represents the feature's capabilities. While cost remains a central metric, the system processes multiple campaign attributes including clicks and impressions alongside spending data. The broader designation of "campaign data import" encompasses this comprehensive functionality more accurately than the previous "cost data import" terminology.

For marketers managing multi-platform advertising campaigns, the renaming requires no operational changes. Existing workflows, API integrations, and automated import processes continue functioning under the new designation. Documentation references to "cost data import" will transition to "campaign data import" across Google Analytics Help Center and developer resources.

Storage and processing limitations remain unchanged under the new naming convention. Google Analytics properties maintain quotas for campaign data import, with the system processing daily aggregated data summarizing multiple events across sessions and users for each day. The platform continues requiring that imported cost currency match the Google Analytics property currency to ensure consistency in financial reporting across advertising channels.

The update reflects broader patterns in marketing technology where feature naming increasingly prioritizes functional accuracy over legacy designations. As platforms expand capabilities beyond original specifications, terminology adjustments help users understand current functionality rather than historical limitations. The campaign data import designation positions the feature for potential future enhancements beyond current metrics.

Timeline

• November 19, 2025: Google Analytics renames cost data import to campaign data import while maintaining all existing functionality
• October 7, 2025: Google Analytics launches Meta and TikTok cost data import integrations enabling automated spend tracking
• September 26, 2025: Pinterest cost data import integration launches with automated connection capabilities
• September 17, 2025: Snap Ads cost data import integration becomes available for advertisers
• July 21, 2025: Reddit Ads receives direct cost tracking integration as first social platform
• June 24, 2025: Google Analytics adds nine new data sources for cost data import in open beta
• February 3, 2025: Google Analytics simplifies cost data import requirements to three mandatory fields
• November 19, 2024: Google Analytics enhances cost data import functionality for unmatched data reporting

Summary

Who: Google Analytics announced the change affecting all users of the cost data import feature, including marketers, analysts, and advertising professionals managing multi-platform campaigns.

What: The cost data import feature received a name change to campaign data import. The update affects terminology only while maintaining complete functionality for importing cost, clicks, and impressions data from non-Google advertising platforms. All existing data imports continue functioning without modification.

When: Google announced the name change on November 19, 2025. The update took effect immediately with no transition period required since functionality remains unchanged.

Where: The change applies across Google Analytics 4 properties globally, affecting the Admin interface, documentation, and API references. Data continues appearing in Reports > Acquisition > Non Google campaign and the Advertising workspace under Planning > All channels.

Why: The renaming better aligns the feature designation with its primary function of importing campaign-level attributes and metrics beyond cost data alone. The update provides clearer terminology for users while positioning the feature for potential future capability expansions. The change reflects industry patterns toward functional accuracy in feature naming as platforms expand beyond original specifications.