Do multiple Google Analytics profiles share the same raw data?

Question

I have two profiles under one web site in Google Analytics. The two profiles are essentially the same except one has defined parameters to exclude (e.g. id, page... etc) so that I could aggregate the page views while ignoring parameters.

Now I begin to think it's a bad idea because my mail chimp (integrated with Google Analytics) only reports campaign data in one profile and not the other. Does data go into one profile and not the other? My impression was that Google Analytics stores all data in one huge database, and all views (profile, dashboard, statistics... etc) are all just database queries -- and even if I deleted profile and recreate it I'd still get the same data. Is this true? Or does each profile hold its own set of data, not shared with other profiles?

Answer 1

I'm not sure how things work behind the scene, but as a user you should consider each profile to have a separate copy of the data: If you delete a profile then recreate it, then you'll lose the data in the original; if you filter data out of a profile, then you won't be able to get it back.

For this reason, Google recommends you keep at least one profile without any filters, so all your data's recorded in case you change your mind and want to use the unfiltered data later.

Answer 2

Absolutely.

Think of it this way: GA is based on a three-tiered schema of (i) accounts; (ii) profile; and (iii) 'web sites'.

Google collects data under an Account rubric--which corresponds to the UA ID that appears in your tracking code. An Account is comprised of (one or) multiple Profiles.

Setting a new Profile doesn't require that you install new tracking code, because the data for the new Profile will be collected under the same Account.

(As an aside, two Profiles might now have any data in common because for instance, they are defined on sets of mutually exclusive sets of pages comprising your Site--e.g., your Site has two subdirectories under and you have set up two profiles, one for each.)