Google Analytics 4 Guides
35 guides available
GA4 Implementation Workflow
Interactive workflow — drag to pan, scroll to zoom
How to Connect GA4 to Google Ads
In GA4, go to Admin > Google Ads Links > Link. Select your Google Ads account, enable auto-tagging and personalised advertising, and submit. This lets you see Google Ads data in GA4 acquisition reports, import GA4 Key Events as Google Ads conversions for smart bidding, and share GA4 audiences with G
How to Create Custom Events in GA4
Create custom events three ways: In GA4 Admin > Events > Create Event (modify existing events based on conditions), through Google Tag Manager (create a GA4 Event tag with custom event name and parameters), or via gtag.js code (gtag('event', 'your_event_name', {parameter: value})). Use recommended e
How to Create Custom Reports in GA4
Customise existing reports by clicking the pencil icon — add/remove dimensions and metrics, apply filters, and save. Create entirely new reports in the Reports Library (Reports > Library > Create new report). Add custom summary cards and detail reports. Reports can include up to 2 dimensions and 12
How to Create a Google Analytics 4 Property
Go to analytics.google.com, click "Admin," then "Create Property." Enter your property name, select your time zone and currency, fill in business details, and create a Web data stream with your website URL. You will get a Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX) to install on your site — either directly or thr
How to Export GA4 Data to BigQuery
GA4 can export raw event-level data to Google BigQuery for advanced analysis. This gives you access to every event, parameter, and user property without sampling or data retention limits. Set up in Admin > BigQuery Links > Link. Choose daily export (free, processed next day) or streaming export (nea
GA4 Account Structure: Accounts, Properties and Data Streams
GA4 has three levels: Account (top-level, usually one per organisation, manages user access), Property (represents a product or website, contains all data and reports), and Data Stream (connection between a platform and the property — web, iOS, Android). Most businesses need one Account with one Pro
GA4 Audiences: How to Build and Export to Google Ads
In GA4, go to Admin > Audiences > New audience. Define conditions based on events, user properties, demographics, and sequences (e.g., users who viewed product pages but did not purchase in the last 30 days). When your GA4 is linked to Google Ads, audiences automatically export for remarketing and b
How to Set Up Conversions (Key Events) in GA4
In GA4, conversions are called Key Events. To mark an event as a Key Event: go to Admin > Events, find the event, and toggle 'Mark as key event.' Key events appear in conversion reports and can be imported into Google Ads for smart bidding. Mark only your primary business outcomes (purchase, generat
GA4 Cross-Domain Tracking Setup
Cross-domain tracking lets you track users as they move between two or more domains you own (e.g., your main site and a separate checkout domain) as a single session. Without it, each domain creates a new session, breaking your conversion funnel data. Configure in GA4 Admin > Data Streams > your str
GA4 Data Retention Settings: What to Choose
Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. Change from the default 2 months to 14 months (the maximum for free GA4). This setting affects Explorations and custom analyses only — standard reports retain data indefinitely regardless of this setting. Without 14-month retention, you cannot do year-ov
How to Set Up GA4 Data Streams
Data streams are the connections between your platforms and GA4. Go to Admin > Data Streams to create a Web stream (enter website URL, enable Enhanced Measurement), iOS app stream (requires Firebase SDK), or Android app stream (requires Firebase SDK). Each stream gets a unique Measurement ID (web) o
GA4 DebugView: How to Test and Debug Events
DebugView shows events as they happen in real-time with full parameter details. Enable it by installing the GA Analytics Debugger Chrome extension, using GTM Preview Mode (auto-enables debug), or adding ?debug_mode=true to your URL. In GA4, go to Admin > DebugView. You will see a timeline of events
GA4 E-Commerce Tracking: Complete Setup Guide
GA4 e-commerce tracking requires pushing specific events with structured item arrays to the data layer: view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, add_payment_info, add_shipping_info, and purchase. Each event includes an items array with item_id, item_name, price, quantity, and optional parameters (bra
GA4 Event Parameters: How to Set Up and Use Them
Event parameters add context to GA4 events — for example, a 'purchase' event can include parameters for value, currency, items, and transaction_id. GA4 automatically collects some parameters (page_location, page_title, etc.) with every event. You can add custom parameters via GTM or gtag.js. Registe
GA4 Events Explained: Auto, Enhanced, Recommended and Custom
GA4 tracks everything as events. Four types: Automatically collected events fire without configuration (first_visit, session_start, page_view). Enhanced Measurement events track common interactions when enabled (scroll, click, file_download, video_start, video_complete, view_search_results). Recomme
GA4 Explorations: How to Build Custom Analysis
Explorations are GA4's advanced analysis tool. Go to Explore > create a new exploration. Choose a technique: Free-form (drag-and-drop custom tables with any dimensions and metrics), Funnel exploration (visualise step-by-step conversion paths), Path exploration (see how users navigate your site), Seg
GA4 Funnel Analysis: How to Build Conversion Funnels
In Explorations, select Funnel exploration technique. Add steps representing each stage of your conversion path (e.g., page_view > add_to_cart > begin_checkout > purchase). Set steps as open (users can enter at any step) or closed (users must start from step 1). Apply segments to compare funnels for
GA4 Google Signals: Cross-Device Tracking Setup
Google Signals uses data from users signed into Google accounts to provide cross-device reporting, demographics and interests data, and more accurate user counts. Enable in Admin > Data Settings > Data Collection > Turn on Google Signals. When enabled, GA4 can recognise the same user across devices
How to Filter Internal Traffic in GA4
Exclude your own visits from GA4 reports by defining internal traffic rules based on IP address, then activating the filter. Go to Admin > Data Streams > Configure tag settings > Define internal traffic. Add your office IP address or range. Then go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Filters and change
GA4 Landing Page Report: Analyse Entry Points
The Landing Page report in GA4 shows which pages users land on first when they visit your site. Find it in Reports > Engagement > Landing page (or build a custom report). Key metrics to analyse: sessions, new users, engagement rate, conversions, and revenue by landing page. Use this to identify your
GA4 Path Exploration: Analyse User Journeys
Path Exploration in GA4 shows the sequence of pages and events users take through your site. Access it in Explore > Path Exploration. Choose a starting point (e.g., session_start or a specific page) or ending point (e.g., purchase) and see how users navigate. Use it to identify common paths to conve
GA4 Real-Time Reports: Monitor Live Activity
GA4's Real-Time report shows activity on your site in the last 30 minutes. Access via Reports > Real-time. See active users, their geographic location, traffic sources, pages being viewed, events firing, and conversions happening right now. Use it to verify tracking setup, monitor campaign launches,
GA4 Real-Time Reports: What They Show and How to Use Them
Real-Time reports show activity on your site in the last 30 minutes. Access via Reports > Real-time. See users currently on your site, their geographic locations, traffic sources, pages they are viewing, events firing, and conversions happening. Use Real-Time to verify new tracking implementations (
GA4 Reports Overview: Complete Walkthrough
GA4 reports are organised into Life Cycle (Acquisition, Engagement, Monetisation, Retention) and User (Demographics, Tech) sections. The Reports Snapshot is your dashboard overview. Acquisition shows where users come from (channels, campaigns, sources). Engagement shows what users do (pages, events,
GA4 Traffic Acquisition vs User Acquisition Reports Explained
GA4 has two acquisition reports that look similar but measure different things. User Acquisition shows how new users first found your site (their very first visit). Traffic Acquisition shows how all sessions (including returning visits) arrived. Use User Acquisition to understand which channels brin
GA4 User Access and Permissions Guide
GA4 has four access levels: Administrator (full control including user management), Editor (can change settings and create reports), Analyst (can create personal explorations but not change settings), and Viewer (read-only). Permissions can be set at the account or property level. Account-level perm
GA4 User Properties: How to Set Up and Use Them
User Properties are attributes you assign to users — membership tier, user type, preferred language, subscription status, etc. Set via gtag.js (gtag('set', 'user_properties', {membership: 'premium'})), GTM (GA4 Configuration tag > Fields to Set), or the Measurement Protocol. Once set, use them in re
GA4 Segments: How to Create and Use User Segments
Segments in GA4 let you isolate and compare subsets of your data in Explorations. Three types: User segments (all sessions from users who match criteria), Session segments (sessions that match criteria), and Event segments (events that match criteria). Create segments in Explorations by clicking the
GA4 vs Universal Analytics: Key Differences Explained
GA4 replaced Universal Analytics in July 2023. Key differences: GA4 uses an event-based data model (every interaction is an event) vs UA's session-based model. GA4 has a redesigned reporting interface with Explorations for custom analysis. GA4 includes machine learning insights and predictive audien
How to Install GA4 on Your Website (Multiple Methods)
Install GA4 by adding the gtag.js snippet to your site's <head> section (direct method), deploying a GA4 Configuration tag through Google Tag Manager (recommended), or using platform-specific integrations (Shopify, WordPress Site Kit, Wix, Webflow, Next.js). Your Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX) from t
How to Track Button Clicks in GA4
Track button clicks in GA4 using either Enhanced Measurement (limited, automatic) or custom events via Google Tag Manager (recommended for specific buttons). In GTM, create a Click trigger targeting your button (by Click ID, Click Classes, or Click Text), then create a GA4 Event tag that sends a cus
How to Track File Downloads in GA4
GA4 tracks file downloads automatically through Enhanced Measurement. When enabled, it captures clicks on links to files with common extensions (pdf, xlsx, docx, csv, zip, etc.) as 'file_download' events. Verify it is working in DebugView or Real-Time reports. If you need to track additional file ty
How to Track Form Submissions in GA4
Three methods: Enhanced Measurement (automatically tracks some form submissions, but unreliable for all form types), GTM Form Submission trigger (create a GA4 Event tag triggered by form submission, filtering by form ID or action URL), or custom Data Layer push (have your form push a dataLayer event
How to Track Scroll Depth in GA4
GA4 tracks 90% scroll depth automatically through Enhanced Measurement as a 'scroll' event. For more granular tracking (25%, 50%, 75%, 90%), use Google Tag Manager with a Scroll Depth trigger and GA4 Event tag. Scroll depth helps you understand how much of your content users actually consume.
How to Track UTM Parameters in GA4
UTM parameters are tags added to URLs to track traffic sources. Five parameters: utm_source (where traffic comes from — google, facebook, newsletter), utm_medium (the marketing medium — cpc, email, social), utm_campaign (the campaign name — spring_sale, brand_launch), utm_content (differentiates sim