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Measurement glossary

What Is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?

Definition

Google Analytics 4 is Google's event-based analytics platform for measuring activity across websites and apps.

How Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Works

GA4 records events with parameters and organizes reporting around users, sessions, acquisition, engagement, conversions and ecommerce activity.

A Simple Example

A business can record page views, form submissions, phone-link clicks and purchases, then compare how users arrived and what they did.

Why Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Matters

GA4 provides a cross-channel view that is separate from any single advertising platform's reporting.

Common Misreading

GA4 is not automatically a source of truth. Consent settings, tags, attribution rules, missing events and identity limits can all change the numbers.

Related Measurement Terms

Measurement

Data-Driven Attribution

Data-driven attribution is an attribution model that uses observed conversion paths and modeling to distribute credit among eligible marketing interactions.

Measurement

Offline Conversion Import

Offline conversion import sends outcomes that happen after the initial online interaction—such as qualified leads, closed sales or booked jobs—back into an advertising or analytics platform.

Measurement

Server-Side Tracking

Server-side tracking sends marketing or analytics events from a server-controlled environment rather than relying only on code running in the visitor's browser.