With Universal Analytics being gradually phased out, present is the champion clip to get to cognize Google Analytics 4.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) provides you with greater information postulation accuracy than Universal Analytics (UA) and allows you to way the idiosyncratic travel crossed websites and apps.

GA4 besides features caller reports and enhanced Universal Analytics features. While GA4 is not a implicit departure from Universal Analytics, the caller features bash instrumentality a small portion to get utilized to.

In this guide, I’ll screen everything you request to cognize astir GA4 including however to migrate from UA and however to navigate astir the caller platform.

What is Google Analytics 4?

To specify it simply: Google Analytics 4 is simply a cross-platform analytics instrumentality that allows you to way tract visitors and show cardinal idiosyncratic behaviour metrics, which goes beyond conscionable tracking traffic. This paints a fuller representation of what users get up to erstwhile they onshore connected your site.

It’s cross-platform successful the consciousness that you tin present measurement however users prosecute with some your website and app—which is simply a archetypal for Google Analytics.

Google Analytics was primitively launched mode backmost successful 2004 and has undergone galore updates successful the clip since. It has ever been a reliable tool, but the newest version, GA4, reaches brand-new peaks successful presumption of usefulness.

The lawsuit usage metrics let you to way the idiosyncratic travel done GA4’s Funnel Exploration diagnostic which shows you the nonstop steps users instrumentality earlier completing a conversion.

This diagnostic allows you to way however efficaciously the funnel is followed which gives you a amended knowing of the conversion process.

Not lone is this information much insightful, but it is besides gathered utilizing a privacy-first model. GA4 uses information anonymization by default, meaning it nary longer stores the IP addresses of tract visitors (unlike Universal Analytics). While this is chiefly beneficial to the tract user, it does assistance you easy comply with the latest privateness laws, specified arsenic GDPR and CCPA.

Another large leap that GA4 takes is successful its embracement of AI technology. Machine learning algorithms are utilized to supply you with purchase, churn, and gross predictions for the aboriginal (more connected this later). With this, you tin get up of the curve successful presumption of emerging idiosyncratic trends.

Plus, it tin greatly amended the accuracy of your retargeting campaigns. Retargeting advertisement campaigns impact targeting products to users who person antecedently visited your tract oregon bought 1 of your products successful the past.

Machine learning tin assistance you constrictive down your retargeting run to lone people those who are astir apt to go conversions.

By being capable to place imaginable aboriginal conversions, you tin amended signifier your selling run to unafraid them.

Google Analytics 4 Vs. Universal Analytics

The champion mode to item what Google Analytics 4 is would beryllium to straight comparison it to Universal Analytics, and item areas that person either been improved upon oregon stay the aforesaid (while besides examining the brand-new features that 1 tin find exclusively connected GA4).

Machine learning

Google Analytics 4 is the archetypal mentation of GA to integrate instrumentality learning and AI. Therefore, it tin present supply you with elaborate insights into idiosyncratic behavior.

Interestingly, Google Analytics 4 does not request cookies to operate. Instead, it uses instrumentality learning to capable successful information gaps (left by users who opt retired of cooky usage) and supply you with reliable insights into idiosyncratic past — without the request for cookies.

Through the powerfulness of AI, GA4 takes your past data, analyzes it, and makes utile predictions astir aboriginal idiosyncratic behavior. Analyzing however users person interacted with your leafage successful the past provides you with a grade of penetration into however they mightiness successful the future.

GA4 past displays its predictions done its AI metrics, which are arsenic follows:

• Churn probability — The chances of a idiosyncratic who was progressive successful the past 7 days not being progressive again successful the adjacent 7 days.
• Purchase probability — The chances of an progressive idiosyncratic successful the past 28 days becoming a conversion successful the adjacent 7 days.
• Revenue prediction — How overmuch gross you tin expect to marque implicit the adjacent 28 days from a idiosyncratic who was progressive successful the past 28 days?

With this information gathered, you tin make intricate people audiences for aboriginal societal media and Google Ads campaigns.

For example, these AI metrics tin assistance you make an assemblage consisting of tract visitors who are apt to instrumentality and walk $50 successful your e-commerce store. Or, users who are apt to acquisition a merchandise successful the adjacent 7 days.

Determining the probability of specified events manually would beryllium adjacent to intolerable — which is wherefore the summation of instrumentality learning to GA4 is truthful useful.

Dashboard

The dashboard connected Google Analytics 4 is wholly antithetic from that of Universal Analytics — but don’t fto this alarm you. The dashboard has been changed for the better, with each indispensable metrics and information laid retired successful a clearer and much streamlined fashion.

The Universal Analytics dashboard looked similar this:

The Google Analytics 4 dashboard present looks similar this by default (you tin reorganize it according to your needs—more connected this later):

As you tin see, the “Users” metric connected the near is inactive the main focal constituent of the page. However, alternatively of “Sessions“, “Bounce Rate“, and “Session Duration“, you’ve got:

• “Event Count”—A real-time study of however galore events person been completed implicit the past 7 days. As we’ll research later, “Events” number arsenic respective things — it does not simply notation to acquisition conversions. A idiosyncratic playing a video connected your tract tin number arsenic an event, arsenic tin a tract visitant signing up for your mailing list.
• “Conversions“—This refers to immoderate lawsuit that has been completed that is of precocious worth to your website. For example, if a tract visitant buys 1 of your products oregon subscribes to your work oregon newsletter.
• and “Sessions“—This metric reflects however galore times a idiosyncratic has landed connected your domain, careless of whether they completed an lawsuit oregon not.

These tin beryllium shown here:

As default, these metrics volition beryllium acceptable to amusement the past 7 days, but you tin alteration this model astatine the bottommost left-hand broadside of the graph:

On the acold close of the dashboard, you tin spot however galore tract visitors you’ve received implicit the past 30 minutes.

This is akin to Universal Analytics’ “Active users successful the past 5 minutes” feature. The large quality is that you tin reappraisal the state of root of astir of this caller postulation straight beneath the graph:

Just similar successful Universal Analytics, each barroom connected the illustration represents each infinitesimal successful the past fractional hour.

If you hover your rodent implicit 1 of the bars, you tin spot precisely however galore visitors you had 12 minutes ago, for example:

However, if you’re not blessed with the caller dashboard acceptable up, don’t worry: you tin wholly customize your dashboard (much similar you could connected Universal Analytics). This way, whenever you log into Google Analytics 4, you’re met with lone the reports that substance to you.

Additionally, you tin besides make customized visualizations for your GA4 dashboard successful Google Data Studio. To bash this, you’ll request to adhd GA4 arsenic a “data source” connected your Google Data Studio account.

The “Reports” conception is besides different.

You’ll find the reports conception underneath “Home” connected the main menu:

Click connected this, and you’ll beryllium presented with your “Reports snapshot”:

“New Users” is simply a metric that has been lifted from Universal Analytics.

It provides you with earnestly adjuvant penetration into however your selling efforts are going—which is wherefore it tin present beryllium recovered connected the main reports dashboard:

Specifically, it allows you to recognize however good you’re selling your tract and however galore caller users are uncovering your site, fixed that this metric reflects new involvement successful your website.

If you click connected “Realtime Reports” connected the left-hand menu:

you tin get much insightful data. You tin reappraisal what instrumentality your users are visiting from, whether it beryllium their phone, tablet, oregon desktop.

You tin besides reappraisal wherever successful the satellite these users are based, utilizing the ample satellite map:

If you scroll down the page, you’ll summation a speedy snapshot of:

• Users by First idiosyncratic source —This reveals wherever users were earlier they arrived connected your site. Site visitors could sojourn your tract by simply typing successful the URL of your site, oregon via either the SERPs oregon by clicking connected a nexus from an outer page. With this, you tin find which root is providing you with the astir postulation currently.
• Users by Audience — Here, you reappraisal however your users acceptable into antithetic categories. With GA4, you tin make customized audiences that tin assistance you interruption down and analyse your data. As you tin spot from the screenshot above, I don’t person immoderate acceptable idiosyncratic categories listed. This is due to the fact that I haven’t defined immoderate acceptable audiences I privation to way yet. (I’ll amusement you however to make a customized assemblage aboriginal successful the article).
• Views by Page rubric and surface name — An evident one, this displays the web pages that each of your existent and caller tract visitors are viewing. With this, you tin spot which of your web pages are gaining the astir interest.

The “Life Cycle” reports conception has besides been wholly revamped. As you tin spot underneath the main Life Cycle heading:

…there are 4 main headings:

Acquisition

User acquisition looks astatine wherever caller customers travel from (either integrated search, direct, referral, integrated social, oregon integrated video):

while the postulation acquisition looks astatine some caller and returning tract visitors:

So, alternatively than looking astatine lone the league default transmission radical of conscionable caller tract visitors, postulation acquisition looks astatine the transmission radical of all your tract visitors.

Engagement

This country looks astatine the actions the users instrumentality erstwhile they are connected your site. Engagement reports see conversions, events, pages and screens, and landing pages.

All of this tin springiness you a speedy glimpse into however users interact with your site.

Most importantly, you tin usage this conception to analyse the landing pages your tract visitors are landing connected astir frequently.

Analyzing which pages astir of your tract visitors are landing connected couldn’t beryllium easier connected GA4. All you person to bash is caput implicit to “Landing pages” which you’ll find nether “Engagement”:

…and you’ll beryllium capable to reappraisal the pages that are pulling successful the astir users, arsenic good arsenic however agelong users are spending connected mean connected each landing page.

Monetization

Here, you’ll find reports connected however idiosyncratic engagement translates to monetization. Not lone volition you find reports connected e-commerce purchases, but you’ll besides beryllium capable to reappraisal the idiosyncratic acquisition travel arsenic a whole, and however steadfast ads and promotions helped unafraid the conversion.

Retention

This country allows you to reappraisal however good you clasp customers. Graphs and charts see retention by cohort, idiosyncratic engagement, and beingness value.

User retention by cohort is astir apt the astir invaluable graph successful Retention, arsenic it allows you to analyse however galore of your returning customers stock characteristics:

In the supra example, the graph shows you the retention of customers based connected the archetypal time they arrived vs 7 days later.

Event-based information model

The caller event-based information exemplary allows you to way each determination users marque connected your domain.

This helps you to recognize however your customers determination done the purchasing funnel.

Event tracking has been a portion of Google Analytics since 2004, but the conception has taken connected a full caller meaning and worth with Google Analytics 4.

In Universal Analytics, webmasters could usage lawsuit tracking to grounds each the times that tract visitors downloaded a record from your web leafage oregon clicked connected a sign-up button.

While this provided you with immoderate grade of insight, it could lone supply you with accusation connected circumstantial events connected circumstantial pages.

In contrast, Google Analytics 4 classes each leafage actions arsenic “events”. These see clicks, downloads, video plays, submissions, and truthful on.

These “events” are utilized arsenic the halfway portion of measurement of idiosyncratic engagement, arsenic they suggest that an enactment has been completed connected your site.

Hold on—I cognize what you’re thinking:

Surely classing everything arsenic an “event” volition lone pb to confusion?

How tin classifying everything arsenic an “event” beryllium utile for analytical purposes?

Well, you tin delegate lawsuit parameters to circumstantial idiosyncratic actions and springiness them a unsocial sanction to assistance you support way of each action.

For example, if you privation to measurement however galore radical subscribed to your email list, you tin delegate this enactment arsenic an “event”. You could sanction the lawsuit thing similar “mailing_list_sign_up”.

Whenever these actions are carried retired connected your site, an “event” is recorded. If you’re acquainted with UA, this is akin to assigning “Goal Completions.”

Once information has been gathered, you’ll beryllium capable to reappraisal however galore times this circumstantial lawsuit has been triggered.

I’ll explicate much astir the events-based exemplary that Google Analytics 4 follows, including wherever to find them and however to make them, aboriginal successful the article.

Cross-platform analysis

If you’ve got a website arsenic good arsenic an app, you tin usage GA4 for cross-platform analysis. The instrumentality combines information from your app and website, allowing you to way the idiosyncratic travel crossed some platforms. This is dissimilar UA, which lone allowed you to way web-based data.

Once you link your iOS oregon Android app to Google Analytics 4, unsocial idiosyncratic IDs are utilized to way your customers. Data volition beryllium gathered from each logged-in league and sent consecutive to Google Analytics.

The information gathered from the apps is overmuch the aforesaid arsenic the information gathered from your website — “events” specified arsenic video views and clicks, arsenic good arsenic conversion tracking, surface views, and truthful on.

This accusation tin assistance you amended recognize however users prosecute with your website and app features simultaneously.

A azygous information root (from either a website oregon an app) is referred to arsenic a “data stream” successful GA4. This “stream” is the travel of information from a idiosyncratic and a circumstantial level to your GA4 account.

Data limits

The information limits of Google Analytics 4 are akin to that of Universal Analytics. On some versions, you person a information bounds of 2,000 properties.

In presumption of idiosyncratic spot information limits, here’s what you should know:

• Data retention—14 months
• Number of audience—100
• Custom insights—50
• Conversions—30
• Ads links—400

Session calculations

Google Analytics 4 calculates user sessions somewhat otherwise from that Universal Analytics. In UA, “new sessions” were recorded whenever a user’s timezone went past midnight.

This means that if a idiosyncratic was connected your tract betwixt 11.59 p.m. and 12.01 am, Universal Analytics would number this 2-minute sojourn arsenic 2 abstracted sessions. Although this whitethorn look minor, if it occurred regularly capable it would marque your league number massively unreliable.

With Google Analytics 4, each idiosyncratic is fixed a league ID that remains valid for the duration of clip that they’re connected a site. If it passes midnight and a idiosyncratic is inactive connected your website, lone 1 league is counted.

However, Google’s 30-minute regularisation inactive applies. This dictates that aft 30-minutes of inactivity, the league is officially recorded arsenic having ended. This regularisation is followed by some UA and GA4.

Bounce complaint vs. engagement rate

While UA recorded bounce rate, GA4 has opted for the overmuch much affirmative “engagement rate” metric.

The engagement complaint metric reflects however galore of your tract visits are “engaged”.

This metric is calculated by adding unneurotic the fig of idiosyncratic sessions that lasted longer than 10 seconds and featured either a conversion lawsuit oregon astatine slightest 2 leafage views. These sessions are aptly named “engaged sessions.”

The bounce complaint inactive exists successful GA4, however, it’s calculated somewhat otherwise from however it is successful UA. Instead of adding unneurotic each the times users “bounced” from your web page, it counts the “non-engaged sessions.”

Non-engaged sessions are sessions that past little than 10 seconds oregon don’t pb to a conversion event. In different words, they “bounced”.

These sessions are not recorded arsenic a metric connected your dashboard, but you tin cipher your non-engaged league level by subtracting your engaged league number from your full league count.

Alternatively, you could adhd “bounce rate” to your Google Analytics 4 by customizing your reports and adding the metric manually.

Attribution modeling

Attribution modeling is the process of assigning recognition to antithetic touchpoints successful income paths. These “touchpoints” are the steps a idiosyncratic takes earlier they onshore connected a conversion. Touchpoints tin beryllium thing progressive successful the income funnel.

For example, a idiosyncratic clicking connected the nexus connected an email ad, oregon erstwhile a idiosyncratic clicked connected your tract pursuing an integrated search.

This gives you a amended thought of which touchpoints are astir liable for securing your conversions.

Google Analytics 4 has 3 antithetic attribution models to take from:

• Data-driven—This exemplary looks astatine 50 antithetic touchpoints to springiness recognition to worthy touchpoints. Its in-depth investigation besides looks astatine the clip it took to implicit the conversion and the instrumentality used.
• Ads Preferred—As the sanction implies, this exemplary gives afloat recognition to the past Google advertisement the idiosyncratic interacted with. If determination are nary Google ads successful the income funnel, past this exemplary switches to cross-channel past click.
• Cross-channel rule-based—There are 5 antithetic rules you tin take from with this attribution model:
  1. Linear — spreads recognition evenly implicit each touchpoints.
  2. Position-based — gives astir of the recognition to the archetypal and past clicks.
  3. Time decay — gives astir recognition to the touchpoint nearest the conversion.
  4. First click — gives afloat recognition to the archetypal click.
  5. Last click — gives afloat recognition to the past click.

This is simply a large measurement up from Universal Analytics, which could lone travel a last-non-direct click attribution model. In this model, nonstop postulation is excluded and the full conversion worth is credited to the past transmission the idiosyncratic interacted with before making a acquisition oregon converting.

Plus, determination are implicit 50 touchpoints that Google Analytics 4 considers, which is considerably higher than the 4 touchpoints that Universal Analytics’ considers.

Create customized segments

Another cardinal quality is that Google Analytics 4 allows you to make customized segments. Instead of analyzing information based connected determination and age, you tin make ace granular segments to pinpoint a precise peculiar benignant of tract visitor.

For example, you tin make a conception focused lone on-site visitors who added an point to their buying handbasket but didn’t implicit the purchase. Other examples of customized segments you could marque see events completed from a circumstantial operating strategy oregon successful a peculiar location.

Custom segments are based connected trigger events that hap connected your website. This is what makes GA4 segments antithetic from UA ones. On UA, your lone conception options were idiosyncratic and session. Now, GA4 allows users to make user, session, and event segments, which allows you to get overmuch much creative.

You tin make customized segments successful the “Explore” conception of GA4.

Search bar

One happening that some UA and GA4 person successful communal is an intuitive hunt bar. You tin usage this diagnostic to propulsion up information and insights instantly. It tin besides beryllium utilized to find assistance pages if you’re stuck.

For example, if I were to inquire “How galore caller users did we get past week connected mobile”, GA4 volition springiness maine an instant reply and besides suggest applicable reports to cheque out:

Or, if you request assistance mounting up a GA4 feature, you could benignant that successful the hunt barroom and get help. For example, “how bash I acceptable up events”. GA4 volition past supply you with a database of links to applicable assistance pages:

New suggested audience

With a greater absorption connected acquisition funnels, Google Analytics 4 is capable to marque close suggested audiences to assistance you grow your reach.

GA4 gathers information connected tract visitors who abandoned purchases and clicked disconnected from tutorial videos (amongst different actions) and creates “suggested audiences” from them.

With suggested audiences highlighted, you tin motorboat Google Ads and societal media campaigns successful bid to people these audiences.

You tin reappraisal these suggestions: spell to Admin > Audiences > “New audience”:

And you’ll spot suggested audiences listed nether the “Use a reference” section:

Above, suggested audiences include:

• Recently progressive users
• Purchasers
• 7-day inactive purchasers
• Non-purchases
• 7-day inactive users

Of course, your assemblage suggestions beryllium wholly connected however your tract visitors interact with your webpage. GA4 whitethorn besides marque suggested audiences specified as:

• Achievers
• Billable users
• Item searchers
• Item viewers
• Leads
• Registered users
• Searchers
• Streamers
• Top scorers
• Top players
• Tutorial abandoners
• Video completed
• Video start
• Wishlist users

DebugView

Google Analytics 4’s DebugView allows you to show however your domain is functioning and helps you troubleshoot issues.

DebugView displays visitant information successful existent time, showing you however users are navigating done your domain and completing events.

It besides shows you whenever tract visitors are met with errors oregon warnings. With these errors highlighted, you cognize which parts of your tract are functioning correctly and which parts aren’t.

You could usage DebugView with Universal Analytics, however, this had to beryllium installed arsenic a browser extension. Google Analytics 4 is antithetic due to the fact that you tin usage DebugView close connected the platform, without having to instal further plug-ins.

In bid to usage DebugView, you person to archetypal alteration the feature.

To alteration DebugView and show each events connected an idiosyncratic webpage, you’ll request to adhd the ‘debug_mode’:true parameter to your Google Tag configuration, which volition look similar this:
gtag(‘config’, ‘G-12345ABCDE’, { ‘debug_mode’:true });

Alternatively, you could alteration debug_mode to “true” successful Google Tag Manager.

Once enabled, you’ll beryllium capable to reappraisal DebugView via Admin:

Connection to BigQuery

Before, you needed a Google Analytics 360 relationship to link your Universal Analytics to BigQuery. Now, Google Analytics 4 offers each users a escaped transportation to the cloud-based information warehouse service. All you request is simply a Google Cloud relationship and BigQuery proprietor permissions.

BigQuery is utile if you support a tract that receives precocious levels of traffic. Google Analytics whitethorn not person the capableness to store each your data, truthful it would beryllium a bully thought to usage the information warehousing services provided by BigQuery.

This level tin besides beryllium utilized to aggregate and radical information from assorted sources and execute further analysis.

In bid to nexus your BigQuery account, caput implicit to Admin and click connected “BigQuery Links” underneath “Product Links”:

Then deed “Link”:

On the adjacent page, prime “Choose a BigQuery Project”:

…and you should past beryllium shown a model with your BigQuery relationship listed. If you can’t spot it listed, your BigQuery relationship whitethorn not beryllium linked to your Google Cloud account.

You’ll past request to acceptable your information location, prime information streams, and determine however often you privation information to beryllium exported to BigQuery (your options are either regular oregon continuous).

It whitethorn instrumentality immoderate clip earlier information from GA4 is exported to BigQuery. However, aft 24 hours, you should commencement to spot GA4 information appearing connected your BigQuery account.

How to Get Started with Google Analytics 4

Now, fto america research however to really usage the platform.

Using GA4 starts with signing in.

If you’ve utilized a mentation of Google Analytics successful the past, you’ll already person a Google Analytics account.

If you don’t, you’ll request to commencement from scratch.

Either way, you’ll person to acceptable up GA4.

Step 1: Create an account

As aforementioned, determination are 2 ways of doing this.

If you’ve ne'er had a Google Analytics account:

On the Google Analytics homepage, you’ll spot the “Start measuring” button:

Click connected this — it volition instrumentality you to an “Account details” page:

Step 2: Add relationship sanction and edit settings

The adjacent happening to bash is supply a sanction successful the “Account name” box. If you’re lone readying connected analyzing 1 domain, you tin usage your domain sanction arsenic your relationship name.

Next, you request to tick disconnected the relationship data-sharing settings that you privation successful your Google Analytics. This truly depends connected however overmuch information you privation to stock with Google:

Step 3: Property set-up

In the “Property name” box, benignant retired the sanction of your URL, and acceptable the “Reporting clip zone” and “Currency“:

When you deed “Next“, you’ll beryllium prompted to reply a fewer questions astir your business.

Fill these retired successful the champion mode that describes your business.

You’ll past beryllium prompted to authorities your Google Analytics objectives:

Lastly, you’ll besides person to judge the Google Analytics 4 presumption of service.

Step 4: Set up a information stream

One of the large differences betwixt Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics is that you tin enactment some web and app information into the spot settings.

At this stage, you tin take to link either an iOS oregon Android app oregon opt to conscionable absorption connected web data:

To adhd a web information stream

Click connected the “Web” button, adhd your URL, and springiness your tract a “Stream name“:

I’d urge leaving “Enhanced measurement” turned on.

This volition let GA4 to cod on-page data, specified arsenic “video views”, “downloads”, and different invaluable information.

To adhd app information stream

Click connected “Android” oregon “iOS”, whichever benignant of app you privation to monitor.

What you’re past required to capable retired depends connected the benignant of app you’re registering.

For example, if you’re adding an Android app, you’ll request to capable retired your bundle and app name:

After you deed “Register app”, you’ll person to:

Download the config record for your app > adhd the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK to your app > tally the app to corroborate the installation of the SDK/check if the app is communicating with Google servers > deed “finish.”

How to adhd GA4 to an existing property

If you’ve utilized Universal Analytics successful the past, you tin easy migrate to Google Analytics 4 via the Google Analytics 4 Property Setup Assistant.

This saves you the hassle of inserting accusation astir your website, arsenic the name, clip zone, and currency of your tract tin beryllium transferred betwixt UA and Google Analytics 4.

Here’s however you bash it:

Go to your Google Analytics relationship and prime “Admin.”

Directly nether the “Property” column, marque definite you person the applicable Universal Analytics relationship selected, earlier clicking connected “GA4 Setup Assistant”:

You’ll past beryllium presented with the “Create a caller Google Analytics 4 property” screen.

This leafage volition either say:

• Create and continue
• Or Create property

If it says “Create and continue”, you’ll request to acceptable up your Google Tag manually. There are respective options for however to bash this. You could either:

• Install manually
• Install with CMS oregon a website builder
• Create a caller Google tag

To instal a Google tag manually, prime “install manually”, and transcript the Javascript codification that is fixed to you.

You’ll person to paste this codification aft the “<head> element” of each leafage connected your website that you privation to track.

This volition make a nexus betwixt your website and Google Analytics, allowing GA4 to commencement collecting information from your site.

On the different hand, if it says “Create property”, you tin transportation your Universal Analytics tags to Google Analytics 4.

Once you’ve successfully connected your tags, prime “done.”

You’ll past beryllium returned to the main setup page, wherever it should accidental “You person successfully connected your properties”.

How to Use Google Analytics 4

Now that you’ve acceptable up Google Analytics 4, it’s clip to research and experimentation with its main functions.

While you whitethorn beryllium acquainted with however to bash immoderate of the pursuing with UA, Google Analytics 4 follows a wholly antithetic process, truthful you’ll request to larn each implicit again.

How to way conversions

As aforementioned, “events” successful Google Analytics 4 let you to measurement conversions connected a precise granular level.

If you’ve connected your app to Google Analytics 4, you’ll person respective predefined “events”, including:

• First_open — This lawsuit is triggered whenever a idiosyncratic opens the app for the archetypal time.
• App_store_subscription_convert — When a idiosyncratic switches from a escaped proceedings to an app subscription, this lawsuit volition beryllium triggered.
• App_store_subscription_renew — When a subscribed idiosyncratic switches to a higher paid tier, oregon renews their existent subscription, this lawsuit volition beryllium triggered.
• In_app_purchase — This lawsuit suggests that 1 of your app users has purchased an in-app portion of integer content.

If you’ve connected your website to Google Analytics 4, past you’ll person the pursuing predefined events:

• First_visit — This lawsuit records whenever a caller visitant lands connected your tract for the archetypal time.
• Page_view — This lawsuit is triggered whenever a idiosyncratic lands connected a caller page.
• Session_start — As the sanction implies, this lawsuit is triggered whenever a league connected your website starts.
• User_engagement — This lawsuit is triggered if a idiosyncratic spends much than 10 seconds connected 1 page, and besides visits astatine slightest 1 different web leafage connected your site. It suggests that the idiosyncratic is engaged successful your website.

But however bash you presumption these apps and web-based events?

Under the “Life Cycle Reports” section, click “Engagement”, and past click connected “Events”:

When I scroll down to the bottommost of this page, I tin spot my database of events:

(Bear successful mind: I don’t person an app, truthful the events you spot successful the images are each web-based)

So far, I’ve besides added these events:

• Scroll
• Click
• Form_start
• Form_submit
• File_download

As I’ve already explained, you tin delegate events to fundamentally anything, but however bash you bash it?

Here’s how: On the Events page, click connected “Create event“:

…and past “Create“:

A container volition past appear, wherever you tin springiness your caller lawsuit a name:

You tin sanction your caller lawsuit virtually thing that you want. However, arsenic a champion practice, I’d urge making them concise yet descriptive.

You privation to beryllium capable to place circumstantial events easily. If you don’t springiness each a chiseled and wide name, it could beryllium precise casual to get them mixed up further down the line.

Also, marque definite the sanction features the underscores successful the spot of spaces — conscionable arsenic they look successful the predefined lawsuit titles.

For example, let’s accidental I privation to make an lawsuit to way whenever idiosyncratic signs up for my newsletter.

I could sanction this lawsuit thing like:

“newsletter_sign_up”

With this, I’m going to make an lawsuit that volition trigger each clip idiosyncratic lands connected my newsletter sign-up page.

To marque this lawsuit work, I’ll request to benignant successful 2 circumstantial matching conditions successful the matching conditions conception connected the form.

Here are the 2 conditions I’ve acceptable for this example:

The archetypal information sets up the lawsuit arsenic a “page view.”

The 2nd information identifies the leafage I privation to record. In this case, it’s the “newsletter sign-up” page. This means that whenever a tract visitant views the leafage successful question, an lawsuit volition beryllium recorded.

These 2 conditions request to hap for the lawsuit to number arsenic a conversion. As in, a leafage presumption needs to occur, and that leafage presumption needs to beryllium the URL specified successful the “Value” portion of the 2nd condition.

Once you’ve finished adding conditions, deed the “Create” fastener astatine the apical right-hand broadside of the form.

Your caller lawsuit should look adjacent to the remainder of your events wrong 24 hours of you submitting it. Once it appears, it volition not supply you with past information regarding the event, arsenic it cannot stitchery information retrospectively.

However, arsenic soon arsenic this lawsuit is triggered successful the future, you volition commencement to person information regarding it.

Through Google Tag Manager, you tin besides acceptable up events for your e-commerce site.

Purchase lawsuit parameters for e-commerce conversions include:

• Currency—The benignant of currency the idiosyncratic bought your merchandise with, i.e. USD.
• Transaction_id—The bid ID attached to the transaction.
• Value—The worth of the order.
• Items—The circumstantial items the idiosyncratic is buying.

These parameters are utile from an analytical constituent of presumption arsenic you tin usage them to find the mean magnitude spent by a definite currency user. You tin besides usage them to find which items are astir fashionable with which circumstantial demographic.

It’s worthy noting present that you tin power your events from the main events table. This conversion array tin beryllium recovered successful Admin:

Once you’ve arrived astatine the events table, you tin usage the bluish toggle astatine the extremity named “mark arsenic a conversion?”:

This is utile if you’ve created an lawsuit and nary longer privation to grounds it. It’s adjacent much utile if there’s a definite benignant of leafage you privation Google Analytics 4 to halt signaling arsenic a conversion

Once acceptable up, you tin reappraisal your conversions successful Reports.

Tracking conversions is utile for tons of reasons. For example, if a batch of users are landing connected your “newsletter sign-up” leafage but are not really signing up for your newsletter, it could bespeak an contented with the sign-up process.

How to import goals from UA

If you’ve been utilizing UA for a while, you’re astir apt wondering if you tin import your humanities information from your Universal Analytics spot to the caller platform. Unfortunately, owed to the large differences betwixt the 2 models, information sets cannot beryllium merged.

However, you tin import your UA goals to GA4, to prevention you the hassle of mounting up brand-new conversion events.

To bash this, caput implicit to your Admin paper and click connected the “Property” fastener astatine the apical of the menu. From the drop-down menu, prime the Universal Analytics relationship you privation to import goals from.

Then, prime “Set-up Assistant” from the paper that appears connected the right:

Caution: Don’t prime immoderate goals from your UA that you already person acceptable up arsenic events successful GA4. This whitethorn origin you conversion disorder further down the line.

Once you person selected each the goals you’d similar to import to GA4, deed “Import selected conversions“, which you’ll beryllium capable to find astatine the apical close of your page.

Wait until a pop-up connection appears connected the bottommost left-hand broadside of your screen. This connection volition corroborate whether your goals person been successfully imported arsenic events.

How to acceptable up beingness rhythm reporting

The beingness rhythm reports connected Google Analytics 4 looks astatine the full beingness rhythm of your tract visitors, from the constituent astatine which they participate your website to erstwhile they permission oregon implicit a acquisition event.

Life rhythm reporting allows you to reappraisal however your tract visitors spell done the income funnel much broadly.

There are respective ways to acceptable up beingness rhythm reporting. While mounting up a Google Analytics property, you tin prime “get baseline reports” erstwhile choosing your concern objectives.

Alternatively, if you migrate from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 utilizing Setup Assistant, beingness rhythm reporting volition beryllium added to your caller analytics spot by default.

If you presently don’t person beingness rhythm reporting acceptable up successful Google Analytics 4, you tin adhd the reports manually.

To bash this, click connected “Library,” and past people your lifecycle reports:

To people a study collection, simply click connected the 3 dots to the close of the paper and prime “Publish” from the drop-down menu:

Monitor Traffic

You tin usage this caller Google Analytics 4 level to show your postulation levels, and besides find exactly wherever they’re coming from.

To get to cognize your postulation better, click connected “Reports” > “Acquisition” > “Traffic acquisition“:

You’ll past beryllium presented with a graph showing you the sources of your traffic, namely:

• Organic search
• Unassigned
• Direct
• Referral
• and Organic social.

If you scroll down further, you tin reappraisal the nonstop fig of users that visited your leafage via these 5 sources. You tin besides review:

• Sessions
• Engaged sessions
• Average engagement clip per session
• Engagement sessions per user
• And Events per session

For much precise data, you tin scroll up to the apical of the leafage and participate circumstantial day parameters:

Here, you could analyse your postulation level implicit 12 months, 3 months, and 1 month—right down to your postulation levels implicit the past day.

Not lone volition this change the results of your graph, but besides the array below.

This gives you invaluable penetration into however good your website is performing — particularly erstwhile you tin usage the calendar settings to pinpoint the day connected which it started.

How to specify audiences

As aforementioned, you tin make categories to assistance divided up your collected data. Rather than trying to analyse immense blocks of data, you tin divided your tract visitors, up by metrics, dimensions, and events.

To bash it, caput implicit to Admin, past “Audiences” > “New audience”:

You tin take to physique connected an existing assemblage by selecting “Templates.” However, for this example, we’ll “Start from scratch”:

Next, springiness the assemblage a rubric and commencement selecting dimensions (i.e., characteristics that specify the audience, specified arsenic property and instrumentality type):

When selecting a dimension, you tin besides prime if the information “is 1 of” oregon “is not 1 of” to see oregon exclude it from the dimension.

You tin besides prime “At immoderate constituent successful time” to marque the information use to users who astatine 1 constituent acceptable into this property radical bracket:

For this example, I volition make a customized assemblage of 45-54-year-olds who sojourn my website via a desktop.

So I’ll sanction this:

“45-54-year aged desktop users”, and adhd the other desktop metric via “platform/device” > “platform/device category”:

After this, prime contains web/desktop:

Next, deed “Save” successful the apical right-hand corner:

…and your caller assemblage volition look successful your assemblage list:

You tin cheque this array successful the aboriginal to reappraisal however this demographic has grown oregon shrunk successful clip since.

If you’ve connected your Google Ads to GA4, past you’ll besides beryllium capable to presumption and usage these audiences successful your advertisement analysis. You tin find saved audiences successful the Google Ads Shared Library.

Analyze Search Queries

To analyse hunt queries with this analytics tool, you’ll request to archetypal link your Google Search Console.

To bash this, click connected “Admin” connected the left-hand broadside of the dashboard.

Then, nether the “Product Links” tab, prime “Search Console Links“:

…then click connected the “Link” button:

…and you’ll beryllium shown a hunt barroom that reads “Link to Search Console properties I manage.” At the right-hand broadside of this bar, prime “Choose Accounts”:

This volition past amusement you the Google Search Console accounts that are linked with the Google relationship you are signed into GA4 with.

Blue tick the spot that you’d similar to link and deed “Confirm.”

Lastly, you’ll person to prime whichever information watercourse is associated with the website and property “Submit.”

After which, you should spot a “link created confirmation.”

Once you’ve successfully connected your Google Search Console, spell to “Reports” and past prime the “Google Search Console” tab.

Here, you’ll person 2 options: “Queries” and “Google integrated hunt traffic“:

For the intent of this task, prime “Queries.” You’ll beryllium led to a graph displaying your Google hunt click level implicit a acceptable period:

If you scroll down, you’ll find a array presenting all your integrated hunt queries (all 29077 worth, successful my case):

Now, you tin analyse the hunt presumption that are pulling you successful the Search clicks and impressions.

Here, you tin besides reappraisal the:

• Organic Google click-through rate
• Organic hunt position

Overall, queries are a ace useful diagnostic that provides you with precise insightful data.

Integration with Google Ads

With a bigger absorption connected allowing users to reappraisal the afloat lawsuit cycle, it makes consciousness that Google has made it overmuch easier to link your Google Ads with your Universal Analytics account.

By connecting your Google Ads account, you streamline the full income process into your GA4 dashboard. You tin reappraisal a income funnel from erstwhile the lawsuit clicks connected the advertisement close up to erstwhile they bargain the product.

To link your Google Ads account, caput implicit to Admin, scroll down, and prime “Google Ads Links” nether Product Links:

Then prime “Link”:

Next, click connected “Choose Google Ads accounts”:

…and prime your Google Ads relationship and click “Confirm”.

Lastly, reappraisal your settings and, erstwhile blessed with them, click “submit.”

Once you’ve successfully connected your Google Ads account, you should beryllium capable to reappraisal your Google Ads information successful your Reports wrong 48 hours.

How to make free-form reports

Formally known arsenic “Analysis Hub“, this conception has precocious been renamed to “Explorations“, and tin beryllium recovered connected the left-hand broadside menu:

Here, you tin marque charts, tables, multi-step funnels, and histrion graphs.

To make a free-form report, you request to either prime the “blank” oregon “free form” option. For this example, I’m going to usage the “free form” option:

Once you click connected it, you’ll beryllium presented with 2 editing columns connected the near — variables and tab settings. On the right, you’ll spot the output of the generated report:

In the “sections” column, you tin alteration the sanction of your free-form report, and take the day range, dimensions, and metrics that you privation to include:

For example, by clicking the “+” adjacent to dimensions, a leafage volition popular up displaying each the disposable dimensions you tin incorporated into your table:

Tick what you privation to adhd past deed “Import“:

You tin get originative successful the tab settings, and take however you privation your study to look. Options scope from a humble array to a visually-appealing geo-map:

Once you’ve finished editing, you person the enactment to either export the information into a Google Sheet oregon PDF by hitting the download button.

Or stock the papers with others who person entree to your Google Analytics spot by hitting the stock icon:

How to usage GA4’s study templates

If you don’t privation to marque your ain free-form report, you could usage 1 of GA4’s pre-made study templates.

In the Explorations tab, you’ll find a big of study templates that you tin physique insightful graphs and charts from.

Next to “free form”, you person a scope of options to scroll done and take from:

Alternatively, if you click connected “Template gallery”:

You’ll spot each your template options connected 1 page.

Your options are:

• Funnel exploration — Chart and analyse idiosyncratic journeys and visually reappraisal the funnels that your tract visitors spell through.
• Path exploration — Discover caller idiosyncratic journeys that your customers are going through.
• Segment overlap — With this, you tin make Venn diagrams to found however your segments overlap. This is large for investigation arsenic it allows you to find similarities betwixt your segments and perchance place caller audiences.
• User explorer — This enactment allows you to analyse the movements of idiosyncratic individual segments connected your site. By isolating users, you tin uncover unsocial insights.
• Cohort exploration — This allows you to analyse the movements and tract enactment performed by tract users successful the aforesaid cohort. For example, you tin make a graph to way the enactment of tract visitors who each stock the aforesaid archetypal sojourn date.
• User lifetime — Here, you tin reappraisal the entirety of visitors’ enactment connected your site. From the archetypal day they arrived connected your site, to erstwhile they made a acquisition and beyond.

Whichever 1 you choose, the set-up process for each of these template options is mostly the aforesaid arsenic mounting up a free-form report. The lone quality is that the visualization options volition beryllium predetermined.

For example, aft I click connected the funnel exploration template option, I’m fixed the enactment to edit segments and dimensions:

However, erstwhile it comes to visualizations, I’ve lone got 2 options:

Once you’ve selected the segments, dimensions, and metrics you privation this infographic to show, download it oregon stock it utilizing the icons astatine the apical right:

Standard Google Analytics 4 Vs. Google Analytics 360

By upgrading to Google Analytics 360, you unlock overmuch bigger information limits for your Google Analytics 4 account. The upfront terms is USD $150,000 per year, which grants you the pursuing information limits (vs. however overmuch you get with a modular Google Analytics 4 account):

User properties

Google Analytics 360 — 100 per property
Google Analytics 4 — 25 per property

Event parameters

Google Analytics 360 — 100 per event
Google Analytics 4 — 25 per event

Total conversions

Google Analytics 360 — 50
Google Analytics 4 — 30

Total Audiences

Google Analytics 360 — 400
Google Analytics 4 — 100

Explorations

Google Analytics 360 — 1,000 shared per property
Google Analytics 4 — 500 shared per property

Data retention

Google Analytics 360 — 50 months maximum
Google Analytics 4 — 14 months maximum

Distinctly named events

Google Analytics 360 — 2,000 per app instance
Google Analytics 4 — 500 per app instance

Google Analytics: Pros and Cons

Like it oregon not, Google Analytics 4 is present to stay. Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t knock it somewhat. It’s a decent platform, but determination are inactive immoderate downsides to it — particularly if you presently bask utilizing Universal Analytics.

To summarize, present are the main pros and cons of the platform:

Pros

Follow the idiosyncratic travel much granularly

The events let you to analyse precisely what your tract visitors get up to erstwhile they onshore connected your web leafage – whether it beryllium viewing a product, downloading a PDF, oregon clicking connected an interior link. Google Analytics 4 allows you to make lawsuit funnels from scratch, which lets you travel the idiosyncratic travel done your tract step-by-step.

Create customized audiences

You tin constrictive down and signifier the information presented by Google Analytics 4 by creating customized (and highly granular) audiences. Plus, these customized audiences tin automatically link with your Google Ads account, alongside different Google integrations.

Integrate aggregate platforms

With aggregate information watercourse options, you tin integrate respective websites and apps (within Google Analytics 4’s spot limits).

Cons

It has a antithetic interface from Universal Analytics

Google Analytics 4 is simply a caller platform, meaning you person to larn however to usage Google Analytics each implicit again.

If you’ve been utilizing Universal Analytics since 2012, you whitethorn announcement immoderate drastic diagnostic changes erstwhile you marque the power to GA4.

Basically, everyone who starts utilizing GA4 volition person to acquisition a learning curve.

Can’t migrate information from Universal Analytics

Given however antithetic Google Analytics 4 is from Universal Analytics, it’s unsurprising that the 2 platforms aren’t compatible. As I’ve said before, you can’t migrate past information into GA4. This means you can’t comparison information saved connected UA with information saved connected GA.

There’s a bounds connected customized dimensions

While it’s truly useful that Google Analytics 4 allows you to make customized dimensions, it doesn’t assistance that there’s a bounds connected however galore customized dimensions you have.

You’re allowed to way idiosyncratic locations, instrumentality types, and clicks — but lone to a definite extent.

While the customized dimensions bounds for GA4 is somewhat higher than UA, it does inactive bounds you.

There are nary presumption filters

Universal Analytics has presumption filters, portion Google Analytics 4 does not. This makes it hard to isolate information from a information acceptable oregon segment.

While you tin make wholly caller segments, you can’t constrictive down the information presented successful these segments. For example, erstwhile the segments person been created, you can’t exclude information from circumstantial IP addresses oregon subdomains.

FAQs

What happens if you don’t power to GA4?

If you don’t power to Google Analytics 4, you won’t person immoderate caller information from Google Analytics. On July 1st, 2023, Universal Analytics has halt processing data, truthful you won’t beryllium capable to summation immoderate up-to-date accusation from it. It is recommended that you marque the power to GA4 present to not suffer retired connected immoderate functionality.

Is GA4 GDPR compliant?

GA4 is not GDPR compliant by default but tin beryllium modified by the idiosyncratic successful bid to beryllium compliant.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the EU instrumentality connected information protection. As with Universal Analytics, webmasters tin modify the GA4 settings to guarantee that it is GDPR compliant. For example, Google has implemented information anonymization, information sharing controls, and information detention durations options for webmasters to control.

The main contented with GA4 is that it stores idiosyncratic information by default. So, arsenic agelong arsenic you don’t alteration immoderate privateness settings, GA4 volition stay GDPR compliant.

Does Google Analytics 4 store IP addresses?

Google Analytics 4 does not store afloat IP addresses. When it analyzes an IP address, it cuts disconnected the past part. It past takes and stores the metadata from the remainder of the IP address. This way, Google Analytics is capable to stitchery much wide accusation astir the tract visitors. This includes accusation connected cities, continents, countries, regions, and sub-continents of the web users who sojourn the site. However, it does not grounds the nonstop determination of the tract visitor.