As we approach the launch of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), it’s crucial to understand how to set up and navigate the new platform. This article will touch on the basics of accessing, creating, and customising reports in GA4.
Understanding GA4 Reports
Google Analytics collects data from your websites and apps to create detailed reports. Analysing this data provides valuable insights into how users engage with your website and business. You can use these reports to monitor traffic, investigate trends, and uncover detiled information about your users and their activity. Once GA4 starts to receive data, it is displayed in the Realtime report and then appears in your other reports shortly after.
When you first start with Google Analytics, you’ll see a Reports snapshot report, a Realtime report, and several predefined reports. These reports are categorised into two types:
- Overview reports: These reports summarise information about a topic, like the Acquisition overview and Engagement overview reports.
- Detail reports: These reports provide further information about one or two dimensions to investigate your data in greater detail, like the Ecommerce purchases and Conversions reports.
Customising GA4 Reports
One of the powerful features of GA4 is the ability to customise your reports. The new platform allows you to change the reports that appear in the sidebar and the information included in each report. This customisation allows you to tailor the interface to meet your specific needs and enables you to access important data quickly and easily.
Creating Custom Reports in GA4
Creating custom reports in GA4 might seem daunting at first, especially if you’re used to Universal Analytics. However, with a bit of practice, you’ll you’ll soon be feeling confident setting up custom exploration reports. Click into the Explore tab and you’ll have the option to start a new exploration or access a previous report.
When you first set up a report, you’ll notice two columns in the report editor: Variables and Tab Settings.
- Variables: This is where you choose all the variables that you want to use in your report. These only show up in the report after being dragged over to the other column.
- Tab Settings: By dragging and dropping dimensions and metrics from the Variables column, you’ll be able to control what appears in the report.
Report Setup
Follow these steps to create your first custom report in GA4:
- Choose Free Form in the Explore Tab
- Add Segments (Optional)
- Add Dimensions
- Add Metrics
- Drag & Drop Segments
- Drag & Drop Rows and Columns
- Drag & Drop Values
- Drag & Drop Filters
Example: Creating a Landing Pages Report
One of the most common reports you can create is a landing pages report. Here’s how you can do it:
- Start with a blank report
- Add the “Landing page” dimension
- Add the following metrics: Entrances, Engagement Rate, New Users, User Engagement, Purchases or Conversions
- Drag your “Landing page” dimension into Rows
- Drag the metrics you want to see into Values
By completing these steps, you have created a basic report about landing pages. The report includes how many entrances there were on those pages, how engaged your users were, and whether or not they completed a purchase or conversion.
Conclusion
Mastering Google Analytics 4 will take time, but with some practice, you’ll quickly be able to create custom reports to easily access important information. Reporting in GA4 is flexible, so experiment and explore the new features available.
GA4 is a powerful tool that will provide valuable insights into how users engage with your website or app. By understanding how to access, create, and customise reports, you can ensure that you’re able to find the data you need to make better decisions about operations across your business – from design to product to marketing.
We hope this guide has helped get you started using reports in GA4. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out.