🏁Getting started with the Component Manager

How to get started with the Adobe Analytics Component Manager for Google Sheets. Explains how to generate the JWT API 2.0 Token and more.

You can set the Component Manager up all by yourself with the steps below. Alternatively, we gladly guide you through the setup step-by-step. Just get in touch with us through our contact form or send us an e-mail to contact[at]datacroft.de.

1. Install the Add-On

You can install the Component Manager Add-on either

a) directly from the Google Workspace Marketplace, or

b) via the Extensions menu in Google Sheets: In Google Sheets, click on Extensions -> Add-ons -> Get add-ons.

Then search for "AA Component Manager" and install.

If you have trouble installing, try to make sure you are logged in with ONE Google account (only for installing - you can later log in with other accounts again) or try in another browser.

After installing, follow the steps below:

2. Set up your Component Manager

To start, create a new Google Sheet and give it a useful name, e.g. "Component Manager My Company".

Set File -> Settings -> Locale to "United States" so your Google Sheet understands decimal numbers the same way the Component Manager does:

Then follow the video or text guide below:

Step-by-Step-Guide Video

You need to have System Administrator rights for your Adobe Experience Cloud. The process takes about 15 minutes.

Prefer text? Read on:

1. Import the Component Manager Sheet Templates

Click on Extensions -> AA Component Manager -> Setup:

This will import all the necessary tabs. So wait a while until you see the "Finished (Re)creating sheet" message below.

2. View Terms & Conditions

After that, you should see an overlay to view the terms & conditions. With the next steps in the setup, you will also create a Component Manager account. This is why you first need to accept the terms & conditions when you run the setup for the first time.

So click on the link to the terms and read them.

We will continue with the Component Manager setup later. Now let's first set up the Adobe Analytics credentials.

3. Create a JWT API 2.0 Token & Adobe Analytics Admin Account

Option a) Let us do it. Simply give your contact from Datacroft (or write to component-manager@datacroft.de) Experience Cloud Admin rights for a day or arrange a 15-minute call where we walk you through everything.

Option b) Do it yourself. If you get stuck, see the official Adobe documentation for generating JWT Tokens.

1. Under https://console.adobe.io/, log in with a user who has Developer rights (can be given via Adobe Admin Console -> Users -> Developers) for Adobe Analytics and is an Adobe Analytics Admin.

2. Create a "project" (ideally called "Component Manager API Access").

3. Click on "Add API", select "Adobe Analytics" -> Next -> select "Service Account (JWT)" -> Next -> select "Option 1: Generate a key pair". A config.zip is downloaded which contains the private key.

4. Unzip the config.zip file and store the "private.key" file safely. You will need it again later.

5. Click Next. You need to select a Product Profile, but it does not matter which. Finally, click "Save configured API".

6. You should now see the following credentials:

7. Copy the following credentials ...

  • Client ID: 'aa443395cf0xxxxxxxxxx1c995d'

  • Client Secret: '1b4c2f9e-xxxxxxx-c08df743f2b6'

  • Tech ID (not Tech Account Email): 'E31Axxxxxxxxxx@techacct.adobe.com'

  • Org ID: '4CxxxxxxxxD8@AdobeOrg'

... and paste them into the corresponding cells ("XXXXX") in the "config" tab of your Google Sheet:

8. Now copy the Technical Account EMAIL (not the Technical Account ID!).

9. Log into the Experience Cloud and open the Admin Console:

10. Go to Products -> Analytics (do NOT click on "Assign Users"):

11. Click on the "Admins" tab and then "Add Admin".

12. Use the Technical Account Email you copied previously to create the user. In the preview, you should see "Enterprise ID" and an "SSO User Name":

After saving, your new Admin should show as "Technical Account" in the list.

4. Determine the Base Report Suite ID

Enter your main Report Suite ID into the config tab next to "base_rsid":

You can find the Report Suite ID under Admin -> Report Suites:

What is the Base Report Suite ID?

Any Component Manager Google Sheet will always show all Segments, Calculated Metrics and Date Ranges of your entire Adobe Analytics account, as these component types are not Report-Suite-specific. E.g., a segment you created in Report Suite A can be used in any other Report Suite.

However, dimensions (eVars/props & classifications) and metrics (Success Events) are Report-Suite-specifc. For example, eVar2 can mean something different in another Report Suite or it may not even be activated there. Similarly, Virtual Report Suites are built on top of a "Base Report Suite" (officially "Parent Report Suite").

Thus, the "Base Report Suite ID" tells the Component Manager from which Report Suite it shall import dimensions, metrics and Virtual Report Suites.

In other words, the Base Report Suite ID is the Report Suite ID from which...

  • eVars, props and Success Events are pulled in (segments, calculated metrics and date ranges are report-suite-independent)

  • Virtual Report Suites will be shown: the VRSs that have the Main Report Suite as their "parent suite"

The ID can later be changed in the config tab, or you can create a second sheet with another Base Report Suite ID.

5. Validate Component Manager - Adobe Analytics connection

You are now ready to check if the Component Manager can connect to the Adobe Analytics API.

1. Go to the config tab, then, select Extensions -> AA Component Manager -> Setup from the main menu again to finish the setup. You can also run this anytime again to update the API credentials.

3. Confirm the terms & conditions.

4. You are now asked to confirm or update each of the API credentials. Example:

5. When you get the private key question, paste the full private key (including "----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY---" and "---END PRIVATE KEY----" at the start and end). You got the private key with the config.zip file that you created during the setup of your Adobe Analytics API credentials (see above).

The private key is stored securely and - like all other data - it is sent to our servers in an encrypted and encoded manner.

6. Decide whether the Component Manager shall import the names and email addresses of your organization's Adobe Analytics users (see more here).

7. Confirm or change the Base Report Suite ID (see above).

8. A "Thank you, we're setting up your account" message will appear. Check the config tab's columns G-I for the field "setup_status". After 20-30 seconds, it should show "success". You should then also see a "Setup result" success message.

That's it! Your Component Account is created and the Adobe Analytics connection works!

After creating a new API User and linking it to an Admin account in Adobe Analytics, it can take a couple of minutes until the user can actually use her Admin rights. So if the Component Manager tells you that your user does not have Admin rights, try again after a couple of minutes.

6. Optional: Set up Virtual Report Suite integration

You can also do this later, but to enable Virtual Report Suite functionalities, follow the steps here.

7. Create the full sheet with all tabs and populate with data

8. Populate the sheet with data from Adobe Analytics

After you have all tabs (e.g. "comp_editor" etc.), you can start populating the sheet with data. You can take a shortcut by running "Other -> Populate all tabs":

After starting "Populate all Tabs", take a break and get a coffee, because the Component Manager should not be disturbed until it has reached the last tab to fill, which is the Component Usage tab. Filling the Component Usage tab for the first time can take an hour or longer, but you can start working in the other tabs once the Component Usage tab update has started. You will know that it started because you will be moved to that tab and you will see this message popping up on the bottom right:

"Populate all tabs" actually does not populate "all" tabs, but only those that do not require any up-front configuration (like "Compare Report Suites").

Now enjoy the Component Manager! You have now officially become a hyper-efficient Adobe Analytics Admin!

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