GA4 Explore

Google Analytics 4 Data Streams Replace UA Views

Google Analytics 4

There are many differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics.

You may have noticed, for example, that there are no “views” in GA4.

They were roughly replaced by “data streams.” Google defines these as “a flow of data from a customer touchpoint (e.g., app, website) to Analytics.”

While Google cautions in its official documentation that Views and Data Streams are not the same thing, they are a close parallel.

Here’s everything you need to know about how web and app data is now tracked within the same Google Analytics 4 property.

Content

  1. Google Analytics 4 Data Streams vs. Universal Analytics Views
  2. How To Create a GA4 Data Stream
    1. Add Web Data Stream
    2. Add iOS App Data Stream
    3. Add Android App Data Stream
  3. Filter Reports by Data Stream GA4
    1. In the Reports Tab
    2. In the Explore Tab
  4. GA4 Data Streams Limit
  5. Data Stream Permissions
  6. Delete a Data Stream
    1. What happens if you delete a data stream?

Google Analytics 4 Data Streams vs. Universal Analytics Views

The main difference between Google Analytics 4 data streams and Universal Analytics views are their names.

Having multiple data streams in the same GA4 property allows you to holistically analyze your audience across platforms.

You no longer have to switch back and forth between properties to see data for your website and your app(s), respectively.

Here’s a comparison of GA4 account structure vs. Universal Analytics account structure:

Google Analytics 4 Account Property View Data Stream Structure

The Google Analytics 4 structure is Organization* > Account > Property > Data Stream

(Notice the empty “Views” column for GA4 properties.)

Google Analytics 4 Account Structure

The Universal Analytics structure is Organization* > Account > Property > Views

Universal Analytics Account Structure

*The organization level is optional.

Google says treating Data Streams like views to separate data “limits your ability to tie users across data streams, since each stream is a separate collection source of data.” In other words, the same user may be counted more than once, depending on how your site’s set up.

How To Create a GA4 Data Stream

1. Go to Admin

2. Click Data Streams in the Property Column

3. Click the blue “Add stream” button

4. Select your stream type: iOS app, Android app or Web

From here, things fork off depending on the kind of stream you’re setting up.

Add Web Data Stream

5. Enter your Website URL

6. Enter your Stream name

7. Enhanced measurement events are turned on by default. Leave them that way unless you have an exceptional reason to turn them off.

8. Click “Create stream”

In order for your web data stream to be functional, you must have the universal site tag on your site or publish a GA4 Configuration tag in your GTM container.

Add iOS App Data Stream

Starting in Google Analytics 4

(Continued from steps 1–4 above)

5. Register your app by filling in your iOS bundle ID, app name and app store ID and click Next

6. Wait while Google configures your settings in the next step. When finished, you’ll see four green checkmarks next to each of the options. Then click Next

7. Download the GoogleService-Info.plist file and move it into the root of your Xcode project and add it to all targets and click Next

8. Add the Firebase SDK and click Next

9. Add the initialization code Google provides to your main AppDelegate class and click Next

10. Run your app to verify installation. Once verified, click Finish

You should then see a screen that looks like this:

Google Analytics 4 iOS App Stream Details

Starting in Firebase

  1. Open your Firebase project
  2. Go to Project settings and click Integrations
  3. Click “Link” on the Google Analytics card
  4. Create a new Analytics account, or select an existing one

Add Android App Data Stream

Starting in Google Analytics 4

5. Enter your package name from applicationId in your app-level build.gradle file and enter your app name, then click Register app

6. Wait while Google configures your settings in the next step. When finished, you’ll see four green checkmarks next to each of the options. Then click Next

7. Download the google-services.json file and move it into your Android app module root directory. Then click Next

8. Add the Firebase SDK provided by Google. When finished, press “Sync now” in the IDE. Then click Next

9. Run your app to verify installation. Once verified, click Finish

Starting in Firebase

Same as above for iOS

Filter Reports by Data Stream in GA4

If you have multiple data streams in GA4, you may want to analyze them separate from each other, or even side by side.

(If you only have one data stream, you don’t need to worry about this.)

In the Reports Tab

To analyze data for a single data stream, use the “Add comparison” option in any of the reports.

1. Click the Add comparison button

2. Select Stream ID under the Device category in the first dropdown menu

3. Check off the dimension(s) you want to analyze

Google Analytics 4 Filter by Data Stream

If you want to analyze your web data stream by itself, click the web option and click OK. Then X out the “All Users” comparison at the top of the page to restrict the chart and rows to data related to your web stream.

If you want to analyze your iOS and Android app data together – not side by side – check them both off.

Google Analytics 4 Analyze App Data Streams Together

In the Explore Tab

1. Add “Stream name”* as a Dimensions option
You can also add “Stream ID,” but I prefer Stream name

2. Add your desired metric(s) options

3. In Tab Settings, add the Stream name dimension to Rows or Columns

4. Add your desired metric(s) to Values in Tab settings

Google Analytics 4 by Data Stream Explore

This will show you data for all data streams.

To see data for a particular data stream, use the filter at the bottom to include or exclude particular sources.

Google Analytics 4 by Data Stream Explore Filter

GA4 Data Streams Limit

Each Google Analytics 4 property can have up to 50 data streams.

There’s no limit to web streams, but only 30 of those can be app streams.

Data Stream Permissions

You cannot give permissions on a per-data-stream basis.

Since data streams are contained in properties, every user who has permission to a particular property has access to every data stream within that property.

You can also give access at the organization or account level. The user will then have access to every level below their access.

For example, if you give a user permissions for a particular account, they will have access to that account as well as all the properties and data streams within the account. They will not, however, have access to the parent organization.

Delete a Data Stream

1. Go to Admin

2. Click Data Streams in the Property column

3. Click the data stream you want to delete

4. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right portion of the window that popped out

Google Analytics 4 Delete Data Stream

5. Click “Delete stream”

What happens if you delete a data stream?

Google will continue to store its historical data. That data will no longer be processed, though.

It will no longer be available to use in report filters, either.

Also see:

Google Analytics 4 Site Search Report (GA4)

Google Analytics 4

The Google Analytics 4 site search report can help you track what users are trying to find on your website.

This information can be found in the view_search_results event in GA4. This is an enhanced measurement event, which means it’s already set up for you upon launch. (So long as you don’t turn it off.)

If your Google Analytics site search settings are properly configured, too, then you’re ready to get started.

Content

1. Google Analytics 4 Site Search Event

2. GA4 view_search_results Parameters

3. GA4 Report: Track Site Searches

  • Site Search Report in Reports
  • Site Search Report in Explore

4. What are the benefits of having site search on my website?

5. Why aren’t I getting more searches on my site?

Google Analytics 4 Site Search Event

The official GA4 event for site search is view_search_results.

This is activated by default in your enhanced measurement events.

GA4 enhanced measurement event settings

As you can see, there are some advanced settings for site search. This is where you ensure that Google is capturing your site search query and additional query parameters from your results-page URL.

GA4 view_search_results Parameters

The search_term parameter is included in the view_search_results event by default.

You can add additional parameters with additional query parameters in the advanced settings of your Site search event. (See previous screenshot.)

This will allow you to see data concerning the view_search_results event, the search_term parameter and any other custom parameters you add.

GA4 Report: Track Site Searches

There are two ways to look at a site search report in Google Analytics 4: In the Reports tab and in the Explore section.

Site Search Report in Reports

In your Google Analytics 4 dashboard, click on reports on the left sidebar.

Then click Engagement under the Life cycle menu. From there, click on Events.

When you scroll down, this will show the 10 most popular events based on how many times they have been triggered.

Scroll down to view_search_results. If you don’t see it in the first 10, you can either add more rows to the report by changing the number in the dropdown next to “Rows per page,” or you can type “view_search_results” into the “Search…” bar at the top-left portion of the table. (Not the main GA4 search bar you see in the following screenshot.)

Google Analytics 4 Report view_search_results

This will tell you (from left to right) how many times the view_search_results event has been triggered, the total number of users who triggered it, how many times per user the event was triggered and the total revenue generated by this event.

All these numbers will be based on the time frame you have selected for the report.

You can change this at the top-right portion of your dashboard screen. The numbers should then change as well.

Now click the “view_search_results” event in the table. You will be taken to another page with data limited to that event.

Google Analytics 4 view_search_results event page in Reports

Scroll down slightly and you’ll see a widget that allows you to look at data for parameters associated with this event. When you click the dropdown, you should see a “search_term” option.

This will show you exactly what people searched for on your site. But there’s a catch: this only shows data for the last 30 minutes.

Google Analytics 4 view_search_results event page with search_term parameter in Reports

What if you want to see the search terms used on your site for the entire date range you selected?

The best way to do that is in the Explore section.

Site Search Report in Explore

Here’s how to see the exact search terms users are using within your site. (Not to be confused with the keywords people use to reach your site from search engines like Google.)

Click the Explore tab on the left sidebar menu in your GA4 dashboard.

Start a new “Blank” exploration by clicking the “Blank” option.

Google Analytics 4 Explore New Blank Exploration

Now follow these steps:

1. In the Variables column, select your desired date range

2. Click the + sign next to DIMENSIONS

3. Search for “Event name” (found under “Event”), check the box next to it

4. Search for “Search term” (found under “General”), check the box next to it and click “Import”

5. Click the + sign next to DIMENSIONS

6. Search for “Event count” (found under “Event”), check the box next to it and click “Import”

7. Double-click “Event name,” “Search term” and “Event count”

These should now have populated the Tab Settings column. So long as there have been site searches within your selected date range, you should see data on the right.

Tip: Instead of double-clicking dimensions and metrics from the left, you can also drag them. In this case, double-clicking is fine because by default, the DIMENSIONS go into the ROWS section and the METRICS go into the VALUES section.

The DIMENSIONS can also go into the COLUMNS section, but we’re not going to do that for this report.

One more thing: The order in which the dimensions are placed (from top to bottom) in the ROWS or COLUMNS section is the order in which they will appear (from left to right) in the data visualization window.

Also see:
Creating Custom Dimensions in GA4
GA4 Custom Dimensions Limit

8. Scroll to the bottom of the Tab Settings column and click the box below where it says “FILTERS.” Now select “Event name.”

9. Then choose the “exactly matches” filter and select “view_search_results” as the event name.

Google Analytics 4 Tab Settings Filters Event Name

10. If you have a high volume of searches on your site, change the number in the “Show rows” number in the dropdown menu to as high as 500.

Your dashboard should now look something like this:

Google Analytics 4 Explore report view_search_results and search_term

Not big enough? To see your data in an even larger window, minimize the Variables and Tab Settings columns by clicking the small horizontal lines highlighted in the previous screenshot.

Google Analytics 4 Explore report view_search_results and search_term enlarged

What are the benefits of having site search on my website?

The Google Analytics 4 site search report can tell you a lot about what user’s want to see from you.

Here are some benefits of having site search on your website:

1. Easier for users to find content

Depending on how your site is structured, it may be easier for someone to find content by searching than by navigating.

2. Reinforces existing content topics

If people are searching for things that are already on your website, that’s confirmation that you’re providing information on relevant topics.

3. Gives you new content ideas

If people are searching for things that are NOT on your website, these could be hints as to what topics you should create content for next.

For example, let’s say you have a flowers website. Imagine that your “roses” content performs well.

While checking the report you just set up, you notice that people frequently search your site for content related to “tulips.” The problem? You don’t have any content about tulips.

If the volume is high enough, this could be a hint to start creating some high-quality tulips content.

Why aren’t I getting more searches on my site?

If you’re not getting a lot of searches on your site, here are two possible explanations:

1. Your website doesn’t actually have a search bar

If this is the case, check within your CMS to see if it’s possible to add one. You can also ask one of your site developers about adding one.

2. Your site search bar may be hidden

Most site search bars are in the page’s header, so that’s probably where most users would expect to find it.

Here’s what the search bar looks like on Amazon:

Amazon search bar example

If your site search bar is located somewhere else, your users may be less likely to utilize it.

Google Analytics 4 Landing Page Report

Google Analytics 4

A landing page is the first place – aka unique URL – a user visits when coming to your site.

Sometimes “landing page” is used an industry term to refer to a page created with a specific purpose, such as to sell subscriptions to a news website or sign up for a newsletter.

Other times, as is the case in this article, the term “landing page” simply refers to the page on which a user “landed” upon entering your site. That could be your homepage, an article, a product or anywhere else on your particular domain.

Understanding why users enter your site on a particular page – and their behavior thereafter – is important to optimizing your content.

Content

  1. How To Create a Google Analytics 4 Landing Page Report: Summary
  2. How To Create a Google Analytics 4 Landing Page Report: Detailed Explanation
  3. Should I use Page Title, Page Location or Page Path + Query String Dimension?

How To Create a Google Analytics 4 Landing Page Report: Summary

In the Google Analytics 4 Explore tab, create a free form report with the following settings:

  • Segment Comparisons: Landing page
  • Rows: Page Title
  • Values: Sessions

How To Create a Google Analytics 4 Landing Page Report: Detailed Explanation

1. Click the Explore tab on the left sidebar.

Google Analytics 4 Explore tab popout

2. Choose “Blank” from the template gallery.

Google Analytics 4 Exploration templates

3. Click the + symbol next to SEGMENTS.

Google Analytics 4 Exploration page select SEGMENTS

4. Select the Session segment option.

Google Analytics 4 add segment options: select Session segment

5. Click the “Add new condition” dropdown and type “landing page.” Select the only option that pops up. (You can also find this by clicking on “Page / screen” and scrolling down to Landing page. It’s the same thing.)

6. Click the + symbol next to DIMENSIONS.

Google Analytics 4 Exploration add new dimension

7. Type “page” in the search bar and select the following to import to your variables tab: Page Location; Page path + query string; Page title.

Google Analytics 4 select dimensions "page" search

You might not necessarily use all of these in your report, but now that they’re added to your Variables column, you have the option to do so.

8. Now click the + symbol next to METRICS (just below DIMENSIONS) and import the following to your Variables tab: Engaged sessions; Sessions; Active users; New users; Total users.

You can select more, less, or different metrics if you prefer. These are simply ones that I believe to be the most common and useful. As you begin to tweak your base Google Analytics 4 landing pages report, you’ll get a better sense of which metrics (and dimensions) you want to include.

Your dashboard should now look like this (perhaps with a different date range):

Google Analytics 4 Landing Page report setup

9. Double-click the segment you added, or simply click and drag it under SEGMENT COMPARISONS in the Tab Settings column.

10. Next, add one or more of your dimensions to ROWS (I prefer Page title), and add one or more metrics to VALUES (Sessions).

11. Here’s how your completed landing page report should look barring and changes to my recommendations*:

*The only thing not visible in the Tab Settings column of this screenshot is the Session Scoped: Landing Page segment

Google Analytics 4 Landing Page Report Basic Completed

Your report will autosave as you go, so once you finish, you can access (and edit) it at anytime by going to the main Explore page. Mine is titled “Landing Page Report” in the following screenshot:

Google Analytics 4 explore page with saved report

Should I use Page Title, Page Location or Page Path + Query String Dimension?

By using Page title instead of Page location or Page path + query string for dimension, we avoid dividing data from traffic that actually went to the same page.

Because of the / after the URL that used to be in some of my pages, GA4 saw them as different pages:

Google Analytics 4 Exploration page location and path query string

But when I filter by Page title, all traffic to my “Meet Brad” and “Contact” pages, respectively, are consolidated into a single row.

Confusion can still arise, however, if you change your page title format, as I did when changing my website’s CMS:

In the long run, though, I believe Page title is the best option.

Also see: