This document contains frequently asked questions that arise when using the Google Analytics 4 (GA4) data source. You can quickly navigate to a particular FAQ by using the table of contents below.
What is the difference between the Google Analytics and GA4 connectors?
How can I get started with GA4?
Why can’t I see my Google Analytics properties in the GA4 data source in TapClicks?
What do I need to connect to the GA4 data source?
What permissions do I need in order to connect to GA4?
Why can’t I see any Cost or Revenue fields populating from GA4 in TapClicks?
What if I need data from GA4 that TapClicks doesn’t quite support?
What fields are available for this data source?
What data can I assign to my Tap Client from this data source?
Why are Sessions not matching the GA4 UI?
Why Do Active User and "Users" Metrics Differ Between TapClicks and GA4?
Can I get my Custom Dimensions from GA4 into TapClicks?
Can I request DIYs for Google Analytics 4 (GA4-DIY)?
How many Dimensions and Metrics can be included in Google Analytics 4 DIY?
Why don’t I see my DIY data views in the dropdown for an On Demand widget?
What is the Custom data view versus the DIY data views?
What is the difference between the Google Analytics and GA4 connectors?
GA4 is the next-generation measurement solution that replaced the legacy Google Analytics Universal Analytics (UA) properties used to measure website traffic. Universal Analytics properties stopped processing data on July 1, 2023, and Google Analytics users were encouraged to transition to GA4 properties before that deadline.
An easy way to understand if your properties are Universal Analytics or a GA4 entity, check the property ID. If it has a “UA-” prefix, you have a Universal Analytics property and if the property ID is numbers only, then you are using a GA4 property. For more information, check out this article from Google.
How can I get started with GA4?
We recommend that you check out the articles that Google has published on this topic:
- Introducing Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Make the switch to Google Analytics 4
- Google Analytics 4 training and support
What impact will migrating from Google Analytics Universal Analytics properties to GA4 properties have on my TapClicks dashboards?
There will be an impact to your reports. The first step you can take is to connect to GA4 in your dashboard so that data can start flowing in and you can start to think about how to work with this new data.
For a complete review of what actions you should take and what options you have when it comes to reporting, please review this article.
Why can’t I see my Google Analytics properties in the GA4 data source in TapClicks?
This is because Google Analytics properties can be found under the Google Analytics data source in TapClicks. Go to your Manage Data Sources page and search for Google Analytics. Connect to that tile and you will be able to see your Google Analytics Universal Analytics (UA) properties. For more information about GA4, check out the following resources:
What do I need to connect to the GA4 data source?
You will need a username and password with access to a Google Analytics Universal Analytics property to connect to this data source.
What permissions do I need in order to connect to GA4?
We require at least a viewer role, which includes the permissions "View & Analyze".
Why can’t I see any Cost or Revenue fields populating from GA4 in TapClicks?
It’s possible that your GA4 user doesn’t have permission to access these fields. Check with your GA4 administrator to confirm that you should have access to Cost and Revenue metrics.
Once enabled, you may need to reauthenticate your connection to GA4 and update your dashboard to refresh your data in TapClicks for reporting purposes.
What if I need data from GA4 that TapClicks doesn’t quite support?
There are a few ways to approach this situation.
1] Request a custom GA DIY data view for your GA4 Data.
- Reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com to start this process and
- Include the dimensions and metrics you need for reporting, you can request up tp three Dimensions and seven Metrics (calculated fields are not counted against the seven metrics limit, but base values needed for calculations are).
2] Review if the data you need can be accessed through On Demand widgets.
- Similar to the Smart Connector option above, this will allow you to get to your data fast.
- This path has some limitations on which TapClicks features can be applied to the data set. For example, you cannot currently use Channels with On Demand data sets (now called on-demand data sets).
3] Submit a request to the product team to evaluate bringing this data into the Instant On connector.
- Make sure to include report extract examples so that we can review exactly the Dimensions and Metrics you’re looking for in your dashboard.
- If you need help with this process, feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com.
If you prefer, you can create a Smart Connector to bring in this data, but the best practice is to expose a GA DIY for continuity with your Google Analytics data source and minimize the need for re-assigning and recreating Dashboards, Calculations , and Channels.
What fields are available for this data source?
After you connect a data source to TapClicks, you can use that data in your reports. These fields are organized into groups of similar types of data called Data Views.
For Google Analytics 4, you will find a list of all dimensions and fields available for use in TapClicks, organized by data view, here: Google Analytics 4.
What data can I assign to my Tap Client from this data source?
Level 1 - Property
Level 2 - Can be customized. Reach out to your Customer Success Manager for more information.
Why are Sessions not matching the Google Analytics 4 UI?
Sessions in Google Analytics 4 are different than they were in Universal Analytics. They now don't expire if a user returns to a website from a different source in the middle of an active session. It would still be one session but both traffic sources would be in the same session thus counting a session for both. In the Google Analytics UI, they will show you that session deduped in the total row as they know it is the same.
Since TapClicks pulls data daily and stores it the data for Sessions will not match what you are seeing in the Google Analytics 4 UI. Note that due to sessions reporting inaccurately, any metric that uses sessions in its calculation will also be inaccurate due to this. We strongly suggest, that to get as accurate reporting as possible, you leverage our On Demand widgets for Google Analytics 4 where you can customize your view of the data, time frame, and aggregation logic.
Why Do Active User and "Users" Metrics Differ Between TapClicks and Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
Google Analytics sends User data daily through their API. TapClicks stores this data as-is, which can lead to higher totals when viewing multiple days.
For example:
- Monday: 1 user
- Tuesday: 1 user
- Wednesday: 1 user
GA4 displays unique users across the date range (showing 1), while TapClicks sums daily data (showing 3). This is a limitation of Google’s API and affects all platforms using it.
For more accurate reporting, consider using On Demand Connectors in TapClicks. These connectors retrieve real-time data directly from the source API, helping address issues like metric inflation. Learn more about On Demand Connectors here.
Can I get my Custom Dimensions from Google Analytics 4 into TapClicks?
Yes! We can pull in Custom Dimensions via the DIY data view process. If you need a DIY data view, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or customercare@tapclicks.com.
Can I request DIYs for Google Analytics 4 (GA4-DIY)?
Yes! This was considered when the feed was built. Follow the same approach as you do for the regular GA-DIYs. Note that for Google Analytics 4 you can request Custom Dimensions where previously in Google Analytics UA this was not supported.
How many Dimensions and Metrics can be included in Google Analytics 4 DIY?
Our limit is 7 dimensions and 10 metrics to ensure we consistently return data for all regardless of TapClicks configuration.
Why don’t I see my DIY data views in the dropdown for an On Demand widget?
The reason you do not see the DIY data views that have been built for you in the dropdown when building an On Demand widget is that they do not apply to On Demand Connectors. DIY data views are only for the stored data set and will not carry over. If you want to report on the same data in an On Demand widget, please use the Custom data view.
What is the Custom data view versus the DIY data views?
In TapClicks, the Custom data view is a flexible data view within the On Demand Connector for Google Analytics 4 that enables you to build out an API call to GA4 that is custom to you and your needs. Note that this data view will also allow you to select custom dimensions and metrics you have created. While the On Demand Connector has the Custom data view, the stored connector has DIY data views. The DIY data views are built based on your specific needs, fetch data from the API daily and store it for your ease of use. These require definition on our backend and have limitations based on the API. However, they do support custom dimensions in addition to all standard fields.
In summary:
- Custom data view = flexible data view for On Demand Connector
- DIY data view = flexible data view for stored connector