Statistics and Reporting
Setup
FAQs
A new version of Google Analytics was introduced in October 2020 that requires the usage of a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property to track unified web and app analytics. More details on the differences between GA4 and Universal Analytics (UA) are available here.
Beginning with version 1.36, released on July 7, 2021, Site Kit added the ability for new users to create and add a GA4 property directly through the Site Kit interface. At this time, users who have already connected Analytics in Site Kit cannot add a GA4 property using the Site Kit interface. This feature will be added to Site Kit in the future.
Statistics and Reporting
At this time, GA4 statistics are not reported within Site Kit’s dashboards. GA4 statistics can be viewed in your Analytics account. However, the addition of GA4 data to Site Kit’s dashboards and reporting is in Site Kit’s roadmap. For more details, follow this GitHub issue.
Setup
In the initial Analytics setup workflow, you will be prompted to connect an Analytics account and associated GA4 and UA properties. If one of these items does not exist, Site Kit will create it on your behalf.
To go through the initial setup process:
- Ensure that the Site Kit plugin has been installed and activated on your site and you have completed the initial Site Kit setup steps
- Go to Site Kit > Dashboard and click the prompt to Set Up Google Analytics
- Approve the connection to your Google account
- If an Analytics account, UA property, and/or GA4 property are not associated with this Google account, they will be created
- If an Analytics account, UA property, and/or GA4 property are associated with this Google account, you will be prompted to select the Account, UA Property, and/or GA4 property that you wish to connect. If a GA4 property is not yet available, one will be created.
- Click Configure Analytics to proceed
- You will be returned to the Dashboard with a notice that Analytics setup is complete
- To verify the creation and connection of the new GA4 property, go to Site Kit > Settings > Connected Services > Analytics. The GA4 property will now be listed.
FAQs
Will my traffic from Universal Analytics be included if I change from UA to GA4?
Google’s recommended best practice is to not remove Universal Analytics from your site at this time, but to instead have both UA and GA4 properties on your site. GA4 is a completely separate property from UA and a UA property cannot be migrated or converted to GA4. When you add a GA4 property to your site, data will be collected for both the UA and GA4 properties.
Does Site Kit recognise manually inserted GA4 tracking code?
No, you cannot manage a GA4 property that has been set up manually (by inserting code into your site’s <head>) in the Site Kit settings. You will be prompted to set up or connect a GA4 property in Site Kit settings if GA4 has been inserted manually.
Can I use both GA4 and UA properties using only Site Kit?
Yes! GA4 and UA properties can be used simultaneously on one site using Site Kit. Both properties can be managed in Settings > Connected Services > Analytics.
I have an AMP site in transitional mode. If I connect a GA4 property using Site Kit, will my AMP URLs be tracked?
At this time, GA4 is not compatible with AMP pages. Please subscribe to this GitHub issue for ongoing updates.
I’m using paired AMP with the official AMP plugin. Can I use a Google Analytics 4 property for my canonical (non-AMP) URLs and a Universal Tracking property for my AMP URLs?
Site Kit will insert the UA property on both the canonical and AMP versions of a property if you allow Site Kit to insert the Analytics snippet. Currently, Site Kit will only insert the GA4 snippet on the canonical version of your site while using paired AMP. Once GA4 is supported in AMP, this may change. Please subscribe to this GitHub issue for ongoing updates.
How do I track events in GA4?
GA4 includes several common events (for example, scroll tracking) by default. For more information about events, check out Google’s Events reference guides and guide on automatically collected events.
I’m using both a UA and a GA4 property on my site. Which one will Site Kit use?
When both UA and GA4 properties have been configured via Site Kit, stats will be tracked for both properties. However, in the Site Kit Dashboards, stats will only be displayed for the UA property. GA4 stats can be viewed in your Analytics account.
Is there eCommerce tracking in GA4?
Yes, GA4 can be used to track eCommerce events. See this guide from Google for more information.
I’ve implemented GA4 via Site Kit but I don’t see any real time reports on Analytics. Why?
At this time, GA4 statistics are not shown in Site Kit and can only be viewed in your Analytics account. The addition of GA4 data to Site Kit’s dashboards and reporting is in our roadmap. For more details, follow this GitHub issue.