Is there a way to apply the same google analytics filter to multiple properties?

[donsilvernail]

I manage WordPress multiple sites for my clients. Some of these clients are SEO customers. One issue I have with the analytics reports is the occurrence of spam and ghost spam. I know how to create filters to block however there are always more and more. Is there away to export the filter and import it to all the other properties i manage? Or do they just have to be done manually every time i need to block spam?

[DonnaDuncan]

In addition to the include filter that Carlos has explained, I also use the spamreferrerblock plugin for Wordpress sites. The two together have vastly improved reporting accuracies for sites I monitor.

[donsilvernail]

Hi Malleablebyte,

I do understand that it only covers the problem, however i do need the problem covered! I have to show this data to clients and it cannot be misleading as far as organic and social markers are concerned.

Thanks.

[malleablebyte]

Hi Donald,

I think I should mention to you that the solution that you are applying to GA are not really solving the traffic spam problem. Rather, all that you are doing is hiding the spam data. After applying the solution, the spamming will continue to happen except that now you wouldn't see it anymore. It works great for (Google) ghost spam but there are many more types of web traffic spam that you will happily ignore thinking that all is fine now...

Thanks Carlos for mentioning MB (malleablebyte.org). We are a bunch of researchers trying to really solve the web traffic spam problem. Referral spam is merely a subset of web traffic spam. Web traffic spam is evolving and in some instances botnets are used to do web traffic spamming but these data doesn't really show up on your GA. They look like human visitors but are really bots either harvesting data from your site or making money with referral spamming.

Our hope is to bring awareness to this problem and help people avoid the false impression that the current techniques are adequately solving the problem. MB is our effort to collect data for research and experiment with possible solutions. MB is more advanced than mere filters, it includes machine learning and predictive algorithms that we hope can make a real difference.

[Carloseo]

To apply the filters to different properties in the same account:

1. Go to the Admin tab > Select the account from the dropdown (first column)
2. Select All filters
3. Choose the filter you want to apply
4. Go to Apply filters to views at the bottom of the Edit Filter page
5. And move all the views from the properties you want to apply the filter

"Apply filters to views"

[donsilvernail]

Thanks Carlos,

My filters would be on the same account. Can you direct me to instructions on how to pass those filters?

[Snoogle]

Thanks Carlos! The **ONE filter that only includes real hostnames **works like a charm. That spam traffic is really getting bad lately.

[Carloseo]

Hi Donald,

The only way to pass filters between properties is if they are on the same account, I'm afraid that is not possible to share filters, for historical data you can do it with segments though.

There are a couple of web services that will add the filters automatically for you.

• http://malleablebyte.org/discuss
• http://referrer-spam.help/

They are good  help, but there are 3 inconvenients:

1. You need to grant access to your account, although I think they are trustful.
2. Most likely you will have hits from the spam, by the time they add the spammer to the list, the same happens when you add filters manually after you spot the spammer.
3. Lately spam has been hitting with fake direct visits and these won't be excluded with those filters

The best solution for ghost spam  for now(the one I've been using for months), is instead of excluding fake traffic you should include real, this can be done using 1 of the main characteristics of ghost spam the hostname.

If you check your list of referral spam, you will notice that the use either a fake hostname or is not set. Based on this you can create ONE filter that only includes real hostnames, and all ghost spam no matter if it is referral, keyword, page or direct visit will be excluded.

You will still have to create it for all the accounts, but you won't have to create a filter every time, and most importantly you won't receive hits at all from ghost spam.

You can find a detailed guide on how to set up this filter in this article

• http://www.ohow.co/what-is-referrer-spam-how-stop-it-guide/

Hope it helps,

Carlos