Process Flow
Animated overview of the full workflow
TL;DR
Go to analytics.google.com, click "Admin," then "Create Property." Enter your property name, select your time zone and currency, fill in business details, and create a Web data stream with your website URL. You will get a Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX) to install on your site — either directly or through Google Tag Manager. Configure data retention to 14 months, exclude internal traffic, and link to Google Ads. Setup takes under 15 minutes.
What Is Google Analytics 4?
GA4 is Google's current analytics platform using an event-based data model — every interaction is tracked as an event with parameters. It tells you how many people visit, where they come from, what they do, which channels drive value, and how users move through your conversion funnel. GA4 is free for most businesses.
GA4 Account Structure
Account (top-level, manages user access) > Property (represents a website/app, contains all data) > Data Stream (connection between platform and property — can have web, iOS, and Android streams merging into one property).
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these 8 steps to complete this guide
- 1
Create a Google Analytics Account
Go to analytics.google.com, sign in, click "Start measuring." Enter an Account name (usually your company name), configure data sharing settings, click Next.
- 2
Create a Property
Enter a Property name, select reporting time zone and currency, click Next.
- 3
Business Details
Select industry category and business size.
- 4
Choose Business Objectives
Select objectives (generate leads, drive sales, raise awareness, examine behaviour, or get baseline reports). Click Create and accept terms.
- 5
Create a Web Data Stream
Select Web, enter your website URL and stream name, leave Enhanced Measurement toggled ON (auto-tracks page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement, file downloads), click Create stream. You now have a Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX).
- 6
Install GA4
### Via GTM (Recommended) Create a new Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration tag (or Google Tag), enter your Measurement ID, trigger on All Pages, test and publish. ### Direct Installation Copy the gtag.js snippet from your data stream settings and paste in the `<head>` of every page. ### Platform-Specific **Shopify:** Online Store > Preferences > Google Analytics. **WordPress:** Use Site Kit by Google plugin. **Next.js:** Use @next/third-parties library.
- 7
Configure Essential Settings
### Data Retention Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. Change from 2 months to **14 months** (maximum for free GA4). ### Internal Traffic Filter Admin > Data Streams > Configure Tag Settings > Define Internal Traffic. Add your office IP. Then Admin > Data Settings > Data Filters, activate the Internal Traffic filter. ### Google Signals Admin > Data Settings > Data Collection. Enable for cross-device reporting and demographics. ### Link to Google Ads Admin > Google Ads Links > Link. Select your Google Ads account, enable auto-tagging.
- 8
Verify Installation
**Real-Time Report:** Open your website in another tab, check Reports > Real-time in GA4 — your visit should appear within 30 seconds. **DebugView:** Install Google Analytics Debugger Chrome extension, enable it, and check Admin > DebugView for detailed event data.
Frequently asked
Questions & answers
Is GA4 free?
Yes, up to 10 million events/month per property.
Multiple properties in one account?
Yes. Separate properties for different websites or brands.
What replaced Universal Analytics?
GA4. Universal Analytics was retired July 2023. GA4 uses events instead of sessions as its core data model.
Will GA4 slow down my website?
No. The GA4 tag is lightweight and loads asynchronously.
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