Analytics React Native Firebase Plugin
Firebase is Google’s platform for mobile apps. The Segment Firebase destination requires that you bundle the Firebase SDK with your project. The Segment-wrapped destination code then runs on the user’s device, and sends its tracking calls to the Firebase API endpoints, and a copy to Segment for archiving.
Firebase’s destination plugin code is open source and available on GitHub. You can view it here.
Adding the dependency
You need to install the @segment/analytics-react-native-plugin-firebase
and its dependencies: @react-native-firebase/app
and @react-native-firebase/analytics
Using NPM:
npm install --save @segment/analytics-react-native-plugin-firebase @react-native-firebase/app @react-native-firebase/analytics
Using Yarn:
yarn add @segment/analytics-react-native-plugin-firebase @react-native-firebase/app @react-native-firebase/analytics
Run pod install
after the installation to autolink the Firebase SDK.
See React Native Firebase and React Native Firebase Analytics for more details of Firebase packages.
rnfirebase dependency
You will need to follow the install guide for the rnfirebase dependency too. This may include adding the GoogleService-Info.plist
and the google-services.json
file.
Using the Plugin in your App
Follow the instructions for adding plugins on the main Analytics client:
In your code where you initialize the analytics client call the .add(plugin)
method with an FirebasePlugin
instance.
import { createClient } from '@segment/analytics-react-native';
import { FirebasePlugin } from '@segment/analytics-react-native-plugin-firebase';
const segmentClient = createClient({
writeKey: 'SEGMENT_KEY'
});
segmentClient.add({ plugin: new FirebasePlugin() });
Identify
When you call identify
Segment will map to the corresponding Firebase Analytics calls:
- If there is a
userId
on youridentify
call, Segment triggerssetUserId
using the Firebase SDK - If there are traits included, Segment will set user properties for each trait you include on the
identify
call
You can use these traits to create audiences and views to analyze your users’ behavior.
Note: Google prohibits sending PII to Firebase unless “robust notice” is given to your app users. For iOS apps, some Analytics features, such as audiences and campaign attribution, and some user properties, such as Age and Interests, require the AdSupport framework to be enabled.
Learn more about Firebase’s reporting dashboard here.
Firebase has strict requirements for User Property names; they must:
- Begin with a letter (not a number or symbol, including an underscore)
- Contain only alphanumeric characters and underscores
- Be no longer than 40 characters
User Property values must be fewer than 100 characters.
You are limited to 25 unique user properties per Firebase Console.
Firebase automatically collects these user properties.
Track
When you call track
Segment will log the event with Firebase. Firebase automatically tracks the events listed here and it will still do so when bundling with Segment.
Firebase has a limit of 500 distinctly named events so it pays off to be intentional in what you track.
When you call track
, Segment maps from the Segment spec to those that match Firebase’s spec. For anything that does not match, Segment will pass the event to Firebase as a custom event. Custom parameters cannot be seen directly in the Firebase Analytics dashboard but they can be used as filters in Audiences.
Like with user properties, Segment will perform the following transformations on both your event names and event parameters. Unlike user properties, you do not need to pre-define event parameters in your Firebase dashboard.
- Trims leading and trailing whitespace from property names
- Replaces spaces with underscores
- Trims property names to 40 characters (Android only)
Event parameter values must be fewer than 100 characters.
Event Mappings
Segment adheres to Firebase’s semantic event specification and maps the following Segment spec-matching events (left) to the corresponding Firebase events (right):
Segment Event | Firebase Event |
---|---|
Products Searched | search |
Product List Viewed | view_item_list |
Product Viewed | view_item |
Product Clicked | select_content |
Product Shared | share |
Product Added | add_to_cart |
Product Added To Wish list | add_to_wishlist |
Checkout Started | begin_checkout |
Promotion Viewed | present_offer |
Payment Info Entered | add_payment_info |
Order Completed | purchase |
Order Refunded | purchase_refund |
Property Mappings
Segment maps the followed Segment spec-matching properties (left) to the corresponding Firebase event parameters (right):
Segment Property | Firebase Property | Accepted Value(s) |
---|---|---|
category |
item_category |
(String) “kitchen supplies” |
product_id |
item_id |
(String) “p1234” |
name |
item_name |
(String) “Le Creuset pot” |
price |
price |
(double) 1.0 |
quantity |
quantity |
(long) 1 |
query |
search_term |
(String) “Le Creuset” |
shipping |
shipping |
(double) 2.0 |
tax |
tax |
(double) 0.5 |
total |
value |
(double) 3.99 or (long) 3.99 |
revenue |
value |
(double) 3.99 or (long) 3.99 |
order_id |
transaction_id |
(String) “o555636” |
currency |
currency |
(String) “USD” |
Screen
Segment will map Screen events to the logScreenView method. This will set the screen name and class the user is currently viewing.
Conversion Tracking and Adwords Conversions
Firebase is Google’s recommended method for reporting conversions to Adwords. To use Firebase, track the conversion events as you normally would with Segment and Segment will send them through to Firebase.
Troubleshooting
Firebase has great logging. If you are having any issues, you can enable debug mode as outlined here.
This page was last modified: 21 Sep 2023
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