How to Set Up GA4: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

What Is GA4?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is simply a escaped instrumentality for tracking visits to websites and apps. It besides tracks interactions that hap connected these platforms.

This instrumentality provides insights into postulation numbers, idiosyncratic demographics, most-visited pages, and more. Google developed GA4 and its predecessor, Universal Analytics (UA).

In this guide, we’ll explicate however GA4 differs from UA, however to acceptable up GA4, and however to usage it to way your website’s performance.

How GA4 Tracking Differs from UA

UA was the earlier mentation of Google Analytics earlier Google launched GA4 successful October 2020.

GA4 differs from UA successful cardinal ways:

• User interactions: UA called idiosyncratic interactions “hits,” with circumstantial deed types for leafage views, events, and different interactions. GA4 calls each idiosyncratic interactions “events.”
• Google Analytics relationship structure: UA accounts could incorporate aggregate properties, which could past incorporate aggregate views for filtered information segments. GA4 accounts tin inactive incorporate aggregate properties, but they cannot incorporate views. Unlike UA properties, GA4 properties tin person aggregate information streams from websites and apps. UA properties tracked information from lone 1 source.

Standard UA accounts stopped processing information connected July 1, 2023. If you privation to way website show with Google Analytics, you request to acceptable up GA4.

Further reading: Differences Between GA4 and UA

How to Set up GA4

Setting up GA4 involves 5 main steps:

1. Create a GA4 Account
2. Create a GA4 Property
3. Provide Your Business Details
4. Provide Your Business Objectives
5. Create a Data Stream

1. Create a GA4 Account

You request a Google Analytics relationship to acceptable up GA4. If you don’t already person one, spell tohttps://analytics.google.com/ and log successful to your Google account.

After logging in, click the cogwheel icon connected the near sidebar to entree the “Admin” settings.

On the Admin dashboard, click “+ Create” > “Account” to make your Google Analytics account.

Give your relationship a sanction successful the “Account name” field. Use the “Account Data Sharing Settings” to prime however you privation to share your information with Google.

Click “Next” erstwhile you’re done.

2. Create a GA4 Property

A GA4 spot is simply a postulation of information from a website oregon app. A elemental spot illustration is 1 that has information from lone a azygous website oregon app. If you person much precocious reporting needs, acceptable up a spot that gathers data from aggregate sources.

To make a GA4 property, supply a sanction successful the “Property name” field. The sanction indispensable incorporate astatine slightest 4 characters. Then, specify your preferred clip portion and currency.

Click “Next.”

3. Provide Your Business Details

Fill retired the “Industry category” and “Business size” fields.

Click “Next.”

4. Provide Your Business Objectives

Select astatine slightest 1 concern objective. GA4 uses these choices to tailor its default reports to conscionable your needs.

If you prime “Get baseline reports,” GA4 volition supply reports covering the full lawsuit beingness cycle alternatively of reports focused connected a azygous concern objective.

Click “Create.”

Google Analytics’ presumption of work statement volition appear. Adjust the state mounting if needed.

Review the agreement. If you accept, click “I Accept.”

5. Create a Data Stream

A data stream sends information from your website oregon app to your GA4 property. Creating a information watercourse depends connected whether your root is simply a website, iOS app, oregon Android app.

To make a information watercourse from a website, click “Web.”

Type your domain successful the “Website URL” field. Provide a sanction successful the “Stream name” field.

Then click “Create stream.”

A model volition look showing your information stream’s measurement ID and different details.

Save the measurement ID determination convenient. You whitethorn request it later.

After creating your website’s information stream, the adjacent measurement is to instal GA4 connected your website.

Further reading: This guide covers creating information streams for iOS and Android apps.

How to Install GA4 connected Your Website

Watch this video for an overview of the GA4 installation process connected a website:

Below, we’ll stock the steps for these 3 GA4 installation methods:

1. Install GA4 with Google Tag Manager
2. Install GA4 Using an Integration
3. Install GA4 Manually

Use the archetypal method if you person Google Tag Manager (GTM) connected your site. 

Use the 2nd method if you utilized a website builder similar WordPress, Squarespace, oregon Wix and don’t person GTM. 

If your website doesn’t person GTM and can’t integrate with GA4, usage the 3rd method to instal GA4 manually.

Method 1: Install GA4 with Google Tag Manager

GTM is simply a level for adding codification snippets (called “tags”) to a website without nonstop codification edits. This includes tags for GA4.

If you privation to usage this method but don’t person GTM installed, follow these steps to acceptable it up first. You’ll make a “container” that holds tags and different modifications successful GTM.

Then, spell tohttps://tagmanager.google.com/ and log successful to your Google account.

Select your website’s GTM container.

Click “Add a caller tag” connected your container’s workspace overview.

Click “Untitled Tag” to sanction your tag, similar “GA4 Setup.”

Click anyplace successful the “Tag Configuration” panel.

From the “Choose tag type” window, prime “Google Tag.”

Fill retired the “Tag ID” tract with your GA4 information stream’s measurement ID. If you haven’t saved it, learn however to find it here.

Adjust the tag’s configuration, shared event, and precocious settings if needed.

Click anyplace successful the “Triggering” sheet to specify erstwhile GTM should load the GA4 tag. That tag sends information from your website to GA4.

From the “Choose a trigger” window, prime “Initialization - All Pages.” This volition load the GA4 tag earlier immoderate different tags.

Click “Save” to prevention your caller tag.

Next, trial your GA4 tag by clicking “Preview” connected the container’s workspace overview.

The Google Tag Assistant volition unfastened successful a caller tab. Type your domain into the “Your website’s URL” tract and click “Connect.”

Your website volition unfastened successful a caller window. Leave it unfastened and instrumentality to Tag Assistant.

If Tag Assistant connects successfully, a “Connected!” model volition appear. Click “Continue.”

In Tag Assistant, cheque the “Tags Fired” class successful the “Output of [your measurement ID]” panel. If you spot your GA4 tag there, GTM loaded it successfully.

Close Tag Assistant and your website. Then, click “Submit” successful the container’s workspace overview to finalize your GTM changes.

A “Submit Changes” model volition appear.

Leave “Submission Configuration” arsenic “Publish and Create Version.” Then use:

• The “Version Name” tract to sanction the caller mentation of your website (e.g., “GA4 installed”)
• The “Version Description” tract to supply details of your changes

Click “Publish” to activate your GA4 installation.

Method 2: Install GA4 Using an Integration

Some website builders (like Squarespace and Wix) person autochthonal GA4 integration. They see built-in features to link a tract with GA4. You conscionable adhd your GA4 measurement ID.

Follow these guides to instal GA4 utilizing your website builder’s autochthonal integration:

• How to instal GA4 connected a Squarespace website
• How to instal GA4 connected a Wix website

WordPress doesn’t person autochthonal GA4 integration. Instead, usage a third-party plugin. Many are available, including Google’s Site Kit plugin, which we’ll show here.

Log successful to your WordPress admin dashboard and click “Plugins” > “Add New Plugin.”

On the “Add Plugins” page, benignant “site kit” into the hunt field.

Then, property “Enter” oregon “return” connected your keyboard to tally the search.

Look for “Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed.” Click “Install Now" to adhd the plugin.

Then click “Activate.”

You’ll spot a occurrence connection confirming Site Kit activation. Click “Start setup.”

On the setup screen, cheque the container that says “Connect Google Analytics arsenic portion of your setup,” past click “Sign successful with Google.”

Sign successful and assistance Site Kit entree to your Google relationship arsenic prompted.

Site Kit volition usher you done these 3 steps:

1. Verifying ownership of your website
2. Turning connected metrics successful Site Kit
3. Setting up Google Search Console (GSC)

When you finish, you’ll spot a surface labeled “Set up Google Analytics.” Click “Next” to instal GA4 connected your site.

On the “Connect Service” screen, usage the “Account,” “Property,” and “Web information stream” drop-downs to prime the GA4 account, property, and data stream you created. 

Then click “Configure Analytics.”

A occurrence connection volition corroborate GA4 is installed connected your website.

Method 3: Install GA4 Manually

To instal GA4 manually, spell to the “Web watercourse details”window for your website’s information watercourse successful GA4. Click “Admin” successful the near sidebar.

Under “Property settings,” prime “Data postulation and modification” > “Data streams.”

Click your website’s information stream.

In the “Web watercourse details” window, scroll down and prime “View tag instructions.”

Click “Install manually.”

A codification snippet volition appear. Copy it utilizing the clipboard icon.

Paste the snippet into each page’s HTML, instantly aft the opening <head> tag.

Save your changes.

How to Track Events with GA4

UA treated “events” arsenic circumstantial idiosyncratic interactions (excluding leafage loads). GA4 considers all interactions arsenic “events.”

GA4 events examples include:

• Page loads
• First visits
• Form submissions
• Adding items to a buying cart

To spot events successful GA4, click “Reports” successful the near sidebar.

Then click “Engagement” > “Events.”

You’ll spot a database of events GA4 detected for a circumstantial day range.

Each lawsuit introduction shows:

• Event count: Total triggers of that event
• Total users: Unique users who triggered the event
• Event number per user: Average triggers per user
• Total revenue: Total gross the lawsuit generated

Click the day scope astatine the apical to alteration the lawsuit reporting clip frame.

Click immoderate lawsuit successful the study to get event-specific metrics like:

• Event number by country
• Event number by gender
• Events per session

For example, here’s the user_engagement lawsuit report:

You tin besides make an “Exploration” (an precocious customized report) for definite events.

Further reading: How to Create a Custom GA4 Events Exploration

How to Track Conversions with GA4

A conversion is an lawsuit that fulfills a concern goal. Examples include:

• A merchandise objection booking
• An bid placement
• A record download

GA4 doesn’t supply default conversion events, truthful you indispensable set them up yourself to lucifer your goals. GA4 volition past grounds them arsenic they occur.

To presumption conversions, click “Reports” successful the near sidebar.

Then click “Engagement” > “Conversions.”

For immoderate fixed day range, you’ll see:

• Conversions: The fig of times the conversion lawsuit occurred
• Total users: How galore unsocial users converted
• Total revenue: Revenue earned from that event

Use the Conversions metric successful different GA4 reports to way conversions by postulation source, page, oregon different attributes. For example, successful the Pages and screens report, you tin spot however galore conversions occurred connected each page.

Click the “All events” drop-down nether the Conversion metric to spot results for circumstantial conversion events.

How to Import Data to GA4

You tin import information from different sources (like CRM tools) into GA4. This centralizes your information truthful you tin analyse it each successful 1 platform.

Data you tin import includes:

• Ad outgo data
• Item data
• User ID data
• Client ID data
• Offline lawsuit data

You tin import information manually with a CSV file, oregon you tin docket regular imports from a CSV record connected an SFTP server.

To bash this, click “Admin” successful the near sidebar.

Under “Property settings,” prime “Data postulation and modification” > “Data import.”

Click “Create information source.”

Give the information root a descriptive sanction and prime the information benignant you’re importing.

Scroll down and take your import source.

If your import root is simply a CSV file, click “Upload CSV” to upload the file. If you’re utilizing an SFTP server, power the import root to “SFTP,” capable retired your server details, and acceptable up the import schedule.

Click “Next.”

Map the information fields from your root to GA4’s fields.

Click “Import.”

The import volition commencement close away.

If you’re importing from SFTP, click the pencil icon to rename your import fields to lucifer the CSV. 

Then click “Create & make key.”

GA4 volition nutrient a nationalist cardinal to authorize the transportation to your SFTP server. Copy this cardinal and adhd it to your server settings.

GA4 volition import your information according to the docket you set. Then you tin analyse information from GA4 and different sources together.

Types of Analyses successful GA4

GA4 tin assistance you analyze:

• Number of users who visited your website. You tin spot trends implicit clip by adjusting the day range.

  

• Demographics of your website visitors. Includes country, city, language, gender, and interests.

• Most fashionable pages. Includes however good they thrust conversions.

• Events happening connected your website

• Conversions connected your website

• Top postulation sources. Tracks integrated search, email, referrals, and nonstop visits.

• Devices users usage to sojourn your website. Distinguishes desktop vs. mobile and adjacent operating systems and browsers.

• Purchase journeys. Tracks from the commencement of a league to the viewing of a merchandise to the checkout, and highlights wherever users driblet disconnected successful the acquisition funnel.

Use these findings to measure however good your website increases marque awareness, grows your lawsuit base, and drives sales.

If you request easier-to-read reports, AI Narratives for GA4 tin help. It uses your GA4 information to present straightforward reports connected leafage views, conversions, revenue, and more, on with recommendations for improvements.

AI Narratives for GA4 tin besides nonstop automated email reports and notify you of antithetic postulation changes.

Consider connecting GA4 with different tools for deeper insights. For example, Semrush’s Organic Traffic Insights integrates with GA4 and GSC to amusement keyword, user, and league information from those tools and from Semrush’s ain database for your landing pages.

It tin besides uncover which keywords thrust postulation to your pages—even if GA4 labels them arsenic “(not provided).” Then it shows your ranking positions and stock of postulation for those keywords.

Get Started with GA4

Setting up GA4 requires immoderate archetypal steps, but the escaped information connected website show makes it worthwhile.

To heighten your GA4 experience, usage AI Narratives for GA4 and Organic Traffic Insights. These tools tin enrich your GA4 reports with recommended adjacent steps and connection a broader presumption of your hunt rankings.

Try some for escaped with a Semrush account.

FAQs

How Do I Get Access to GA4?

To get entree to GA4, motion up for a Google account, past make a Google Analytics account. Follow GA4’s onboarding steps. If you’re installing GA4 connected a site, usage GTM, a GA4 integration, oregon manually adhd the GA4 snippet to your webpages.

What Is the Best Practice for a GA4 Setup?

Google recommends nary much than 3 information streams (one for a website, 1 for iOS, and 1 for Android) per GA4 property. For aggregate websites oregon apps, acceptable up aggregate GA4 properties if your information measurement objectives necessitate them.

How Much Does It Cost to Set up GA4?

GA4 is escaped to acceptable up. You whitethorn incur costs if you usage paid third-party tools oregon integrations. For example, if you person a Semrush account, you tin usage AI Narratives for GA4 for escaped for 7 days, past wage $39/month afterward.