Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s analytics platform which was released in October 2020. The new platform makes it easier to analyse your data across both websites and apps and is replacing Universal Analytics (UA), which first came out 17 years ago.
On July 1st 2023, Universal Analytics will stop processing new data and unfortunately, you will not be able to transfer UA data over to GA4. This means you should set up GA4 sooner rather than later so that you do not have gaps in your reporting. If you need assistance setting up the new version of Analytics, get in touch now for a painless and cost-effective option.
There are a few key changes to GA4 which may be new to you if you are not familiar with the platform. This post aims to help you understand the key features, terminology, and settings which are unique to the platform, but before we dive into the glossary, here’s what you need to know:
Events are the new sessions
Events are the new way in which Google measures the actions users take on your site. In UA, sessions was the way in which Google grouped together the pages that your users visited, the time spent on each one, and other key bits of information. With events, GA4 goes further. Google has over 40 automatically collected events across both apps and websites, including page scrolling, downloads, app uninstalls, video completions, and more.
If automatically collected events, enhanced measurement events, and recommended events aren’t enough for your data collection and analysis, custom dimensions give you even more scope to analyse the actions users take on your site, far beyond the capabilities of UA.
Engaged sessions has replaced bounce rate
Bounce rate in UA, often the bane of analysts lives, has been replaced with engaged sessions in GA4. Engaged sessions make it easier to measure the % of your site or app users who are active. An engaged session is defined by a user who spends 10 or more seconds on your site, visits 2 or more pages, or completes a conversion.
Reports vs explorations
In the left-hand navigation, you will now find reports and explorations. Reports are self explanatory: you will find pre-defined reports relating to a lot of similar things to UA including, acquisition, engagement, monetisation, demographics and tech.
Explorations however, allow you to take a deeper dive into your data with a lot more customisation. With plenty of templates to work from, including free-form, funnel, and path explorations, you can analyse many different aspects of your user data compared to one another, based on different audiences, locations, and events, among other things.
Data streams in GA4: what are they?
A data stream is one of your connected sites or apps, feeding into a single property. The simplest way to explain it is you stream the data from your site and/or app to your GA4 property which sits within your account. The set-up process, found in your property settings, makes it easy to add more related sites or apps into a single property. That being said, most of the time you will only want a single site in a property, with one additional android app and ios app if you have them.
For more information, check out the ultimate GA4 glossary below, and get in touch today if your business needs any help setting up Google Analytics 4 before the July 2023 deadline. Don’t forget to bookmark this post so you can refer back to it at any point.
A
Account
An account is the most top-level component of Analytics which holds properties and apps.
Account filters
Account filters are a legacy filter system in the settings that no longer works for GA4. Data filters are found in the property settings under data settings.
Acquisition report
The acquisition report in GA4 shows you where your users are coming from (traffic source).
Administrator
Administrators are user roles which have full control over a property.
Ads personalisation
Ads personalisation is a setting Google account users have which allows Google signals to gather more information on them, and provide advanced features.
Ads-preferred last click model
This model type assigns 100% of a click value to the last ad which was clicked by a user.
Advertising snapshot report
Found in the advertising tab in the left-hand menu, the advertising snapshot report provides metrics and allowers for a deeper dive into your linked advertising.
Advertising workspace
Found in the left-hand navigation, the advertising workspace provides reports to explore your linked advertising.
Affiliates traffic
Affiliates are a medium where traffic comes from sites you have a relationship with with the goal of completing a conversion.
Analyst
The analyst user role allows you to create and edit assets in a property, for example dashboards.
Analytics 360
Analytics 360 is the paid enterprise version of Google Analytics.
Analytics User Deletion API
The Analytics User Deletion API allows you to bulk delete data in your GA4 account, like removing the data for a group of users.
Anomaly Detection
Anomaly detection allows you to discover inconsistencies within your data using statistics.
App data stream
The app data stream (data streams can be found in the property admin settings) allows you to connect your app (for example, ios or android) to GA4 to gather and analyse data.
Attribution reports
Found under advertising in the left-hand navigation, attribution reports allow you to explore model attribution and conversion paths.
Audience builder
Found in the configure tab in the left-hand navigation, audience builder allows you to create lists of users for remarketing and reporting.
Audience triggers
Audience triggers allow you to automatically trigger an event within GA4 when a user performs a specific action or set of actions.
Audiences
Audiences are a group of users which meet a certain criteria, for example, those who visit your site through a specific channel.
Audio traffic
Audio is labelled when traffic comes from DV360 and the creative format is audio.
Auto-Tagging
GA4 will auto-tag your Google Ads data with information like the campaign name, which can be used for reporting.
Automatically Collected Events
Automatically Collected Events are user interactions with your site or app which GA4 can automatically collect. Here is a full list of automatically collected events.
Average engagement time
The average engagement time shows the average amount of time an active user is invested in your site during a specific period.
B
Benchmarking
By contributing anonymous data which is then aggregated, you can enable features like benchmarking and publications that can help you understand data trends.
BigQuery Export
By exporting your Analytics data to BigQuery, you can securely store your data in the cloud. You can combine it with additional data sources and run queries across all of your data sets.
C
Campaign Tags
Add campaign tags using UTM parameters to your ads and other campaigns to see which are working or not.
Channel grouping
A channel grouping is the label given to your traffic source to measure the breakdown of where your traffic comes from, for example, organic, direct, paid social, referral, etc.
Cohort exploration
Found in the Explore tab of the left-hand navigation, cohort exploration allows you to explore the behaviour of groups of users with shared characteristics over time on your app or website.
Configure section
Found in the left hand navigation, the configure section allows you to edit core measurement settings.
Consent mode
When a user interacts with your site’s consent mode, Google’s tags dynamically adapt based on the user’s choice, collecting data only which they give permission to. If a user’s consent mode doesn’t allow data collection, GA4 fills in the gaps in data with Conversion Models.
Content group
Group content together based on similar properties (grouped into buckets) so that you can quickly explore metrics relating to them all.
Conversion modelling
Using machine learning, conversion modelling can help you to measure the impact of your marketing when it isn’t attributed to advertising.,
Conversion paths report
Found within the advertising tab in the left-hand navigation, and under attribution, the conversion paths report allows you to see the journey your users took to complete a particular conversion.
Conversions / conversion events
Conversions, or conversion events, are actions which users have taken on your site which affect the overall success of your business, like filling in a form or making a purchase.
Cross-channel modelled conversions
This modelling explains the journey of where a conversion came from, whether that is last click, first click, linear, position-based, time decay, or data driven attribution.
Cross-network traffic
Cross-network traffic is assigned when your traffic comes from Google Ads and the network type is cross-network (includes Performance Max and Smart Shopping).
Custom dimensions
You can find custom dimensions in the configure tab in the left-hand navigation. Custom dimensions are best as a last resort after you’ve explored automatically collected events, enhanced measurement events, and recommended events. These are created by the analytics user to measure additional data which isn’t natively available in GA4.
D
Data deletion requests
You can request a data deletion from Google in the property settings. You can have a maximum of 12 active data deletion requests per property at a time.
Data driven attribution model
The data-driven attribution model spreads the value of a conversion across each touch point, based on the data which you collect
Data filters
Found in data settings, data filters allow you to filter event data in a property. Currently you can filter internal traffic and developer traffic.
Data import
Using the data import tool, found in the property settings, you can upload data from external sources and join it with your Analytics data.
Data retention period
Set the amount of time before user and event data is deleted from Analytics servers. This setting doesn’t affect reports that rely on aggregated data.
DebugView
Found within the Configure tab in the left-hand navigation is the DebugView. Use this to monitor the events which your debugging device is outputting.
Demographics report
The demographic report explains who your users are, for example, location, interests, language, and age.
Device category
Found in the tech overview report, the device category tells you what kind of devices your users are using, for example, desktop or mobile.
Device ID
This is a unique ID assigned to a device to help map out a user journey.
Dimensions
Dimensions are descriptors of your data which tend to be qualitative, for example a users country. Dimensions are paired with metrics to help you understand your data (metrics tend to be numerical).
Direct traffic
Traffic is labelled as direct when a link is clicked to your site but contains no campaign tags (UTM parameters), or your site URL is typed in directly (or bookmark clicked).
Display traffic
Traffic is labelled as display when it comes through the Google Display Network on Google Ads.
Dynamic evaluation
Dynamic evaluation is the term given to automatically building an audience list if the defined conditions are currently true for the users. If the conditions were true but no longer are, they will be automatically removed from the list.
E
Editor
Editor is a user role which allows the person to edit all data and settings for property, but cannot manage other users.
Email traffic
Email traffic refers to any users who came to your site through a link in an email.
Engaged sessions
The engaged sessions metric has replaced bounce rate from UA and is defined by a session longer than 10 seconds, 2 or more page views, or a conversion.
Engagement overview report
Found in the reports tab in the left-hand navigation, this report shows what content on your site your users are engaging with, and which events are being completed most.
Enhanced measurement events
Enhanced measurement events allow you to measure how users interact with your site content in more detail.
Event Parameters
Event parameters provide additional information that can further specify the action that the user took, or add further context to the event, like the name of the video or how long the user watched it for.
Event-scoped custom dimension
Event-scoped custom dimensions (qualitative data) are a type of dimension which a GA4 user creates to track events, rather than user-specific details.
Event-scoped custom metric
Event-scoped custom metrics (quantitative data) are a type of metric created by a GA4 users to track event-specific details.
Events
Events provide insight into actions taken on your site or app(s), including pageviews, clicks, user actions or system events. The equivalent to this in Universal Analytics was sessions.
Explorations
Explorations are an additional way to analyse your data outside of reports. Explorations include techniques like funnel exploration, path exploration, and free-form exploration, which are used to uncover insights.
Explore section
Found in the left hand navigation, the explore section displays explorations to further dive into your analytics data.
F
Firebase
Firebase is Google’s mobile app development platform. It lets you build your app across mobile platforms, like Android and iOS, and can be integrated with GA4.
First click model
The first click model attributes all of a conversion’s value to the first click to your site.
First user default channel grouping
First user default channel grouping displays the channel grouping for your new traffic.
First User Medium
First user medium displays the medium of any new traffic.
First User Source
First user source displays the source of any new traffic.
Free form exploration
Found in the explore tab in the left-hand navigation, free form exploration allows you to analyse your data by dragging and dropping variables onto a canvas to see instant visualisations.
Funnel exploration
Found in the explore tab in the left-hand navigation, funnel exploration allows you to visualise your users’ steps taken towards a key task or conversion. See where users enter your funnels, as well as where they drop off.
G
Global site tag
Otherwise known as gtag.js, the global site tag allows you to control different products and services from Google when implemented on your site.
Google Marketing Platform
GA4 data can integrate into Google Marketing Platform, mainly used by large advertising companies.
Google Optimize
Google Optimize, the site A/B testing cool from Google used to drive more conversions, integrates into GA4 by allowing you to use Google Analytics audiences in your tests.
Google signals
Google signals use data from users who are signed in to Google and who have allowed ads personalisation. When Google signals is enabled, Analytics associates event data that it collects from users with the Google Accounts of signed-in users who have consented to sharing this information.
Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager is a tag management platform from Google which allows Google’s products, including GA4, and third-party products to integrate with your site.
H
Holdback validation
Holdback validation is a machine learning best practice used by Google to improve the accuracy of modelling.
I
Identity spaces
Identity spaces are groups of User IDs, Device IDs, and Google Signals, used to create a single user journey.
Insights
Analytics insights are provided by GA4 with two different kinds of insights: automated insights (detects changes and inconsistencies in your data automatically) and custom insights (user-created triggers that provide insights when met).
Intelligence
A group of GA4 features which use machine learning. These help you to better understand your data.
L
Last click model
The last click model assigns all value to the final click to your site from a user before a conversion takes place.
Life cycle
Found in the reports tab in the left-hand navigation, the life cycle section contains acquisition, engagement, monetisation, and retention reports
Lifetime Value (LTV)
LTV allows you to see the value of a particular user to your business over all time.
Lookback Window
The lookback window defines what time period a touchpoint can be assigned credit.
M
Measurement Protocol
The measurement protocol allows you to send data to your GA4 account from internet connected devices, for example smartphone, iot devices, point of purchase systems.
Mobile Push Notifications traffic
This is traffic which has reached your site from a notification on a mobile device, like a smartphone.
Modelled data
Modelled data is a type of data which has been assigned a structure which explains where its value comes from.
Monetisation report
The monetisation report gives you information on what your customers are buying and their shopping activity.
O
Observed data
Observed data in GA4 is data which is verified and doesn’t require machine learning to ‘fill in the gaps’.
Organic search traffic
Traffic is tagged as organic search when it comes from a ranked page in a search engine (not an ad).
Organic shopping traffic
Traffic is tagged as organic shopping when it comes from set shopping sites or has a specified regex associated with shopping.
Organic social traffic
Traffic is tagged as organic social when it comes from social media and is not a social media advert.
Organic Video traffic
Traffic is tagged as organic video when it comes from set video sites or has a specified regex associated with video content.
P
Paid other traffic
Traffic is tagged as paid other when it comes from DV360 and the format is either publisher hosted, tracking, or unknown.
Paid search traffic
Traffic is tagged as paid search when it comes from Google Search ads.
Paid social traffic
Traffic is tagged as paid social when it comes from an ad on social media.
Paid video traffic
Traffic is tagged as paid video when the traffic is DV360 and the format is either native video, video, templated app install video or Flipbook.
Path exploration
Found in the explanations tab in the left-hand navigation, path exploration helps you to understand how users progress from one customer journey stage to the next.
Personalised Advertising
Personalised advertising is a setting which Google users have which allows Google Analytics to build audiences which can be used to personalise the ads which they receive.
PII (personally identifiable information)
PII is any data which can be used to identify an individual. Google has strict set policies about how you can use this data and breaking this, can result in data segments being disabled until the issue has been resolved.
Position-based model
The position-based model gives 40% of the conversion value to the first click, 40% to the last click, and the final 20% spread out evenly between the remaining clicks.
Property
A property sits inside a GA4 account and is a collection of data and reports, used to measure the success of your sitea and/or app(s).
Property ID
The property ID sits within the tracking code and associates your property with your Analytics account.
R
Realtime report
The realtime report, found in reports and home, displays events that took place within the last 30 minutes along with demographic information.
Referral traffic
Traffic is tagged as referral when users come to your site from another site (clicking on a link).
Regular Expression (Regex)
Regex, or regular expression, is a string of characters used to match, locate, and manage text, for example, tagging a traffic source with a specific tag.
Reporting identity
The reporting identity determines how Analytics associates events with users, whether that’s blended, observed or device-based.
Reports section
Found in the left hand navigation, the reports section displays reports about how your users are interacting with your app or website.
Retention report
Found in the reports tab in the left-hand navigation, the retention report shows you how many of your users are being kept on your app or site.
S
Sampling
Sampling is the act of analysing a subset of data to get similar results, rather than analysing the full set, which could be more time consuming.
Screen class
The screen class is the UIViewController or Activity that is currently in focus on a user’s screen.
Segment overlap
With segment overlap, compare up to three user segments at once to see how they relate to each other.
Session default channel grouping
The session default channel grouping dimension displays the default channel grouping across sessions.
Session-scoped custom dimension
Session-scoped custom dimensions (qualitative data) are a type of dimension which a GA4 user creates to track additional session data.
SMS traffic
Traffic is tagged as SMS when the medium is an SMS message.
Static evaluation
Static evaluation is the term given to automatically building an audience list if the defined conditions were ever true for them.
T
Tech report
Found in the reports tab in the left-hand navigation, the tech report analyses the technology your app or site visitors use, including OS, device type, and screen dimensions.
Time decay model
The time decay model assigns the most value to the click closest to the conversion, reducing click by click to the first click worth the least.
U
User exploration
With user exploration, you can select specific groups of users, like people who both visited specific pages of your site, and learn more about each anonymous individual user’s activities.
User groups
Add many users to a group, and then assign Google Marketing Platform product permissions directly to the group.
User ID
A User ID is assigned to an account which is signed in on your website and uploaded to Google Analytics to track a user journey.
User properties
User properties are attributes describing who is using your app or site. These can help you better understand segments of your user base, like user location or devices used.
User Snapshot
A user snapshot provides quick information on a user including events, location, device, app version and more.
User-scoped custom dimension
User-scoped custom dimensions (qualitative data) are a type of dimension which a GA4 user creates to track additional user data.
UTM parameters
UTM parameters (Urchin Tracking Module) allows you to provide additional information to a link including campaign name, medium, and source.
V
Viewer
A viewer is a user role which allows you to see report data and configuration settings for property.
W
Web data stream
The web data stream (data streams can be found in the property admin settings) allows you to connect your site to GA4 to gather and analyse data.
Y
YouTube web engaged view conversions (YouTube EVC)
A YouTube EVC event indicates that a user watched a YouTube video for at least 10 seconds, then converted on your website within three days of viewing the video.
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Have I missed something in this post? This resource is for everyone so as Google Analytics grows, so should the glossary. Drop me a line and I’ll add it in: [email protected].
