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1,000 allowed Analysis Points

Discussion in 'Unity Analytics' started by annagoldberg, Oct 9, 2015.

  1. annagoldberg

    annagoldberg

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2015
    Posts:
    1
    We only tagged 16 custom events, but after 3 days we somehow already spent 205/1,000 points.

    One custom event we're tracking is total duration each user watches a video (tracking code: using_viewer_<duration>). In the Data Explorer tab, it looks like each time a user watches the video, a custom event is generated for that specific use. Screen shot attached.
    • What do the numbers mean? i.e. 187.9521, 188.0135
    • Is tracking every <duration> what's causing our Analysis Points to get so high?
    • What happens to our analytics account if we reach the 1000 point limit?
     

    Attached Files:

    annagoldberg, Oct 9, 2015
    #1

  2. marc_tanenbaum

    marc_tanenbaum

    Unity Technologies

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2014
    Posts:
    637
    So here's what's happening, why it's blowing up your analytics points, and why you should fix this ASAP.

    The numbers are the <duration> values you're sending us.

    We track every unique event by name and each unique event name costs one analysis point (that's not the whole definition of an analysis point, but it's part of the definition). Since you're procedurally generating names by duration, you're creating a unique event and therefore adding a point every time the user hits a duration we've never seen before. So while I totally understand that you think you're sending 16 events, what you're actually doing (from our point-of-view) is sending us a slew of unique events.

    Obviously this isn't what you're after.

    This is why we provide custom event parameters. Numerical parameters cost just 1 analysis point for all possible values. Plus, we can operate on them to provide you useful information like averages. So if you're OK with sums, counts and averages, change your events to look like this:

    Code (csharp):
    1.  
    2. var dict = new Dictionary<string, object>();
    3. dict["duration"] = yourVideoDurationValue;
    4. Analytics.CustomEvent("using_viewer", dict);
    5.  
    If you need the values to be categorizable (i.e., see groupings that you can view in a pie chart), that'll require slightly different handling. Let me know if you need help on that.

    In answer to your final question, if you overflow the 1000 AP limit not a lot will actually happen. We're using 1000 points as a guide for now, but we use that calculation to keep an eye on apps that are potentially abusing the system. So please fix it ASAP because it's better for you and better for us...but also because at some point we might have to come back and be sterner than we'd like to be. :)

    All the best with your development!
     
    marc_tanenbaum, Oct 9, 2015
    #2
    annagoldberg likes this.