GA4’s Custom Dimension & Parameter Data Model

In this article:

• GA4 vs. Universal Analytics Terminology
• GA4 vs. Universal Analytics: How the Data Flow Differs
• GA4 Data Stream Diagram

GA4 Simplifies Data Flow with Custom Dimensions & Parameters

With the instauration of User and Event Parameters arsenic elemental key-value pairs successful Google Analytics 4’s information collection, Google has simplified the Analytics information model. But, that doesn’t mean that the level has mislaid immoderate capabilities. In fact, it has made the GA4 information pipeline much robust and powerful.

Previous versions of Google Analytics gave america antithetic “hit” types: pageview, event, timing, arsenic good arsenic the lesser-known transaction, screenview, social, and exception. In GA4, those person each been rolled up into 1 deed type: “event“.

No longer is analytics lawsuit tracking tied to Google’s taxonomy of eventCategory, eventAction and eventLabel. There are inactive immoderate Google-recommended events and lawsuit parameters, of course, but for the astir part, you are escaped to specify immoderate parameters you privation with your events!

These parameters, which are key-value pairs, person antithetic names according to their scope, and arsenic they determination done the GA4 pipeline. So, let’s specify these terms!

GA4 vs. Universal Analytics Terminology

These ^^ tin beryllium sent with each lawsuit (click, scroll, video play, etc) by the tracking codification to amended picture the event, and are the earthy information that Google Analytics stores.

These ^^ are akin to Event Parameters, but use to a User connected the whole, and aren’t sent connected each interaction.

This ^^ is the interior word for customized parameters that are text-based, and are disposable for usage successful modular reports.

These ^^ are akin to Custom Dimensions, they are disposable for usage successful modular reports, but for numerical information (“levels completed” oregon “points” for example).

This ^^ is GA4’s sanction for what Universal Analytics called Goals, with immoderate cardinal differences — namely, they are present defined by Event Names (not parameters) and nary longer number lone erstwhile per session.

GA4 vs. Universal Analytics: How the Data Flow Differs

Modify Events & Parameters successful the UI

Creating events and parameters dynamically wrong the GA4 interface allows you to physique disconnected existing events to make custom-defined Conversions successful GA4.

For example, if you usage a thank-you pageview arsenic a conversion page, you tin make a caller Event successful the GA4 UI called form_thank_you from the Event pageview that has a page_path containing “thank-you”. You tin past people the caller lawsuit called form_thank_you as a Conversion successful the GA4 interface.

Conversions Are Defined by Event Names

In Universal Analytics, you could usage the 3 dimensions Event Category, Event Action and Event Label to cherry-pick the events you wanted to usage to specify a Goal.

In GA4, you tin lone usage the Event Name to specify a Conversion.

Conversions No Longer Count Once Per Session

The Conversion number successful GA4 volition increment each clip a idiosyncratic performs a conversion-worthy action, adjacent if they execute it aggregate times per browsing session. Universal Analytics, connected the different hand, would number 1 conversion-worthy enactment per browsing Session. This volition instrumentality immoderate getting utilized to!

Only Parameters Marked As Custom Dimensions oregon Metrics Are Available successful Standard Reports

This is apt a regulation that is intended to support the Standard Reports from getting bogged down by the galore customized dimensions and metrics that you could perchance acceptable up. All Event and User Parameters volition beryllium stored and available via BigQuery, but lone the ones marked arsenic Custom Definitions (dimensions oregon metrics) tin beryllium displayed successful the default GA4 reports.

GA4 Data Stream Diagram

To show however the information flows done Google Analytics 4, spot the simplified diagram below. The infrastructure for GA4 is overmuch improved from Universal Analytics, which means it is much streamlined.

The supra diagram does NOT amusement the complexity of an enterprise-grade information level that includes information collection, information processing, and information visualization each nether 1 umbrella.

GA4 has introduced the quality to devour mobile app tracking information alongside web tracking information successful the Google stack, which is seen astatine the apical with some streams going into Google Analytics 4. 

We’re inactive waiting for a GA4 diagnostic that rivals Universal Analytics’ robust View Filters, which allows you to hunt and regenerate magnitude values. That being said, the caller GA4 features to create, modify, and region lawsuit parameters are almighty and necessary, arsenic we showed supra successful the Conversion example.

The remainder of the diagram (“data out”) resembles however you’d expect information to beryllium stored and queried for reporting. The lone large “gotcha” present is that each collected Parameters are accessible via BigQuery, whereas lone Parameters that are setup arsenic Custom Dimensions oregon Custom Metrics are accessible successful the GA4 reporting interface.

Additional GA4 Resources

Learn More astir GA4 from Seer:

• When Universal Analytics Will Officially Stop Collecting Data
• GA4 Frequently Asked Questions
• Google Analytics Data Compliance 101

We tin get you started with GA4, oregon physique retired a implicit Google Analytics 4 implementation for you to execute parity with your existing Universal Analytics. 

Contact Seer to larn much astir our GA4 services.

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