GA4 and attribution guides

"Data may be withheld": GA4 thresholding, explained

You open a GA4 report, see an orange icon and a row that should have numbers sitting blank.

"Unassigned" traffic in GA4, and how to get rid of it

Unassigned is GA4 admitting defeat: it collected the sessions but could not match them to any channel in its rules.

Auto-tagging vs UTMs, and GCLID, GBRAID and WBRAID explained

What Google’s auto-tagging does, how it differs from manual UTM tags, and what GCLID, GBRAID and WBRAID are for. How to use them together without breaking your attribution.

Cross-domain tracking in GA4 and GTM, set up properly

If your users move between domains (site to checkout, booking or payment), GA4 can restart the session and lose the source. Here’s how cross-domain tracking works and how to set it up.

GA4 attribution explained (and what changed from Universal Analytics)

A plain-English guide to how GA4 decides which channel gets credit for a conversion, the attribution models available, and what changed when Universal Analytics went away.

Google Ads and GA4 report different conversions. Who is right?

Same website, same sales, two Google products, two different numbers.

Key events vs conversions in GA4 (the rename that confused everyone)

In 2024 Google renamed GA4 "conversions" to "key events", and reserved the word "conversions" for the ads side.

Referral exclusions and self-referrals in GA4, explained

Self-referrals and rogue referral sources quietly steal credit from your real marketing channels in GA4. Here’s what they are and how to fix them with referral exclusions.

The "(other)" row in GA4, and why it hides your best data

When a report shows a big <b>(other)</b> row, GA4 is not broken: it hit a limit on how many unique values it will keep and bundled the rest together.

Why GA4 is full of "(not set)" (and what each one means)

"(not set)" is GA4's way of saying "I was asked for a value and didn't have one".

Why GA4 landing pages show "(not set)"

The landing page is derived from the first page_view of a session.

Why GA4 shows traffic from countries you don't sell to

A wave of sessions from countries you have never shipped to usually is not new demand.

Why GA4 users, sessions and conversions never add up

People open GA4, see users, sessions and conversions that refuse to reconcile, and conclude it is broken.

Why is direct traffic so high in GA4?

A big 'Direct' channel in GA4 usually means lost source data, not people typing your URL. Here's what really causes it and how to win that attribution back.

Why is my GA4 traffic so low?

If GA4 is showing far fewer visitors than you expect, here are the common reasons, from cookie banners and missing tags to filters and the wrong data stream, and how to check each.

Why your first-click and last-click numbers differ so much

Switch your attribution model and your best channel can change overnight.

Why your GA4 conversion rate looks impossibly high

If your conversion rate suddenly reads 20%, 40% or more, do not celebrate yet.

Why your GA4 conversions arrive late or delayed

You make a sale and it is not in GA4 yet.

Why your paid traffic shows as organic in GA4

Paid clicks counted as organic or direct? Why it happens and how to fix it.

Why your three analytics tools all report different revenue

GA4 says one number, Google Ads another, Meta a third, and your shop a fourth.

Your GA4 funnel says everyone skips a step

You build a funnel exploration, and one step shows a cliff: 90% of people apparently vanish between add-to-cart and checkout, or skip a step entirely.

Your own domain showing as a referral in GA4

If datahound.agency shows up as a referral source to datahound.agency, something is handing GA4 a fresh session mid-journey.

How to track outbound link clicks in GA4

GA4 can track clicks on links that leave your site, automatically or with a custom event. Here is how outbound click tracking works, how to switch it on, and how to report on it.

How to track PDF and file downloads in GA4

GA4 can track downloads of PDFs, spreadsheets and other files. Here is how the automatic file_download event works, its limits, and how to track downloads it misses.

How to track scroll depth in GA4 with GTM

GA4 tracks a 90% scroll automatically, but real scroll-depth tracking needs GTM. Here is how to track 25, 50, 75 and 100% scroll and use it without fooling yourself.

How to track phone-number (tel:) clicks as conversions in GA4

For service businesses, a tap on a phone number is a lead. Here is how to track tel: link clicks in GA4 with GTM and count them as conversions, plus the limits to know.

How to track mailto: email clicks in GA4

Clicks on email links are a quick contact-intent signal. Here is how to track mailto: clicks in GA4 using Google Tag Manager, and when to treat them as conversions.

How to track a Calendly or booking-widget booking as a conversion

Embedded booking tools like Calendly sit in an iframe, so GA4 cannot see the booking by default. Here is how to capture the booking event and count it as a conversion.

How to track YouTube embed video plays in GA4

GA4 can track plays, progress and completion of embedded YouTube videos, if you set it up right. Here is how the automatic video events work and the one setting people miss.

How to set a conversion value for leads in GA4

Giving your leads a value lets Google and Meta bid for revenue, not just form fills. Here is how to attach a value to lead conversions in GA4 and why it changes your results.

How to track a multi-step form in GA4 without a thank-you page

Multi-step and single-page forms often never load a thank-you URL, so GA4 misses the submission. Here is how to track each step and the completion with events instead.

How to exclude your own visits from GA4 (internal traffic filter)

Your own visits, and your developer's, quietly inflate GA4. Here is how to exclude internal traffic by IP and by a developer flag, and how to confirm the filter is working.

GA4 channel groupings explained: default vs custom

GA4 sorts traffic into channels using rules you can change. Here is how default channel groupings work, when to build a custom one, and why bad UTMs break them.

GA4 data retention: why your old data vanished

GA4 deletes user-level data after 2 or 14 months by default, which is why old explorations go empty. Here is what retention controls, what it does not, and what to set it to.

How to tag email and SMS links with UTMs (so they stop showing as direct)

Untagged email and SMS links collapse into Direct traffic in GA4. Here is how to UTM-tag them correctly, the medium values GA4 expects, and the mistakes that misfile them.

How to track across subdomains in GA4 (blog.yoursite.com)

Moving between your main site and a subdomain can break sessions and inflate referrals in GA4. Here is how cross-subdomain tracking works and how to set it up cleanly.

How to set up GA4 for a single-page app (React, Vue, Next.js)

Single-page apps do not reload between views, so GA4 only sees the first page. Here is how to track virtual page views and events in a React, Vue or Next.js app properly.

Why your GA4 BigQuery numbers don't match the GA4 reports

Export GA4 to BigQuery and the totals rarely match the GA4 UI. Here is why: sampling, modelling, thresholding, attribution and timezones. And which number to trust.

Why GA4 sessions don't match your Google Ads clicks

Google Ads reports more clicks than GA4 reports sessions, and that is expected. Here is why the gap exists, when it is too big, and how to narrow it.

Why GA4 and Search Console clicks don't match

GA4 organic sessions and Search Console clicks measure different things, so they never tie out. Here is what each one counts and which to trust for SEO.

Payment gateway showing as a referral in GA4 (Stripe, PayPal, Klarna)

When checkout redirects to Stripe, PayPal or Klarna and back, GA4 can credit the sale to the payment provider. Here is why, and how to fix the referral with an exclusion.

How to set up GA4 on Shopify properly

Shopify and GA4 can be connected several ways, and the easy one often misses checkout and purchase data. Here is how to set up GA4 on Shopify so ecommerce actually tracks.

How to set up GA4 on Webflow

Webflow has no native GA4 integration, so you add it by hand or via GTM. Here is the clean way to set up GA4 on Webflow, including form and interaction tracking.

GA4 property vs data stream: what's the difference?

GA4's structure confuses people: account, property, data stream. Here is what each level is, how they nest, and the mistakes that split or merge your data by accident.

How to add a second website to GA4

Adding another site to GA4 can mean a new data stream or a new property, and the choice shapes your reports. Here is how to decide and how to set it up cleanly.

How to connect GA4 to Looker Studio

Looker Studio turns GA4 into shareable dashboards. Here is how to connect GA4 as a data source, the settings that matter, and why your numbers may differ from the GA4 UI.

How to create a custom dimension in GA4

Custom dimensions let you report on your own event parameters, like plan type or author. Here is how to register one in GA4, the limits, and why yours may show (not set).

How to build a funnel report in GA4

GA4's funnel exploration shows exactly where people drop off between steps. Here is how to build one, how to read it, and the setup that makes funnels trustworthy.

Engaged sessions vs sessions in GA4, explained

GA4 replaced bounce rate with engagement, and 'engaged sessions' confuses everyone. Here is what counts as an engaged session, how it differs from a session, and why it matters.

"Last non-direct click" in GA4, explained

GA4's default attribution ignores direct traffic when assigning credit, which surprises people. Here is what last non-direct click means and how it shapes your reports.

How to build a GA4 audience for Google Ads

GA4 audiences can feed Google Ads for remarketing and targeting. Here is how to build one, link it to Ads, and the consent and size rules that decide if it works.

Why your UTM campaign isn't showing in GA4

You tagged a link with UTMs but the campaign never appears in GA4. Here is why, from wrong parameters to timing and channel rules, and how to get it reporting.

How to stop your staging or test site polluting GA4

If your staging site shares the GA4 tag, test traffic and fake conversions leak into your real reports. Here is how to keep staging data out of GA4 for good.

What is Google Signals in GA4?

Google Signals adds cross-device and demographic data to GA4 using signed-in Google users. Here is what it does, the privacy trade-offs, and why it can cause data thresholding.

What is Enhanced Measurement in GA4?

Enhanced Measurement makes GA4 track scrolls, outbound clicks, downloads, searches and video automatically. Here is what it captures, its limits, and when to turn parts off.