Google Analytics 4 Overview

Engagement > Pages and screens

This is where you view traffic to web pages in the site.

Acquisition > User Acquisition

This will show the source of visitors to the site. By default the report shows the type of source, e.g. Organic Search, Direct, Email, but doesn't break down the actual source. To show that detail click the + icon in the top left column of the table and then click on Traffic source, and then select "First User Source/Medium". This will add column showing the actual source detail.

Engagement > Events

This is where you view the types of activity taken on the site, everything from page views, to clicks, to file downloads. These are high level views of events, and don't give a great amount of detail on what specific pages, links, files are generating traffic. To enable that level of detail requires creating custom reports.

Tracking individual file downloads in GA4

To track individual file downloads by file name you'll need to create a custom report. Before going through the steps below go to Admin > Property> Data Streams and make sure that tracking downloads is enabled in the "Enhanced measurement" section (on by default.) Here are the steps needed to track PDF files:

1. Go to the property you'd like to create the report in and click the third icon down, "Explore" and then click the "Blank" plus sign to create a new report.
2. Give the report a name, such as "PDF downloads"
3. Click the + under "Segments" and then click the "Event segment".
   • Under "Include Events when:" click on "Events" and then elect "file_download"
   • Click "Add parameter" and select "file_extension", with "Condition" as "Contains" and extension as PDF. Note that you can add multiple parameters using "OR" to this if you want to include multiple file types.
   • Click the blue "Save and apply" button
4. Click the + under "Dimensions" and add the following:
   • File name
   • Event name
5. Click the + under "Metrics" and add the following:
   • Event count
   • Total users
6. Double-click all four of the dimensions and metrics to add them to the "Tab settings". You can also drag them over, ensuring that the "Dimensions" in the "Row" section and the "Metrics" are placed in the "Values" section.

If you've done this on a site that has had GA4 enabled for over a day you should see traffic for individual files listed in the form preview to the right.

User > Tech

Here is where you get data about which size screens are being used to view the site, browsers, OSes, etc. This gives extremely valuable data to guide design--as mobile users increase in percentage a greater emphasis should be place on their experience--and when it is safe to implement new technologies.

Explore

There are custom reports available under the "Explore" tab that allow more repeatable, granular reporting. An example is the previously set up custom report for file downloads, as well as pre-built reports such as "Path exploration" that shows how people drill down into the site.

Customizing reports

You can create custom reports by clicking the Reports tab and then clicking the Library icon in the lower left. On the resulting page there are pre-built reports that can be starting place, or you can click "Create new report" to start a new report.

Customizing reports shown in the sidebar

Click on the Reports tab and then click on the Library link in the bottom left.

The resulting page shows the collections of reports that are shown in the left sidebar. The recommendation is to:

• Customize the Life cycle report by clicking on the three vertical dots and selecting "Edit".
• Uncheck the boxes for Traffic acquisition, Conversions, Monetization, and Retention.
• If you'd like to add the file downloads by name report created above, here's how:
  • Click on "Create a new topic"
  • Give the topic a name, say "Event detail"

Creating a custom report and card

• Go to Engagement > Events: Event name
• Click the Pencil icon (Customize report)
• Click on Dimensions and then add the "File name" dimension and then click the blue Apply button
• Go back and then under "Summary cards" click "Create new card"
  • Add the "File name" dimension
  • Under "Metrics drop-down" add "Event count"
  • Click the blue "Apply" button

Adding a card to the Reports snapshot page

Click on “Reports snapshot” in the upper left column, and then click on the pencil icon in the upper right.

In the resulting “Customize report” column click on “Add cards” and select the “Event count by Event name” card. You can also remove unused cards and reorder them here.