How one can create and configure customized dimensions in GA4

Understanding all of the options of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is crucial to taking advantage of it. Doing so means that you can configure the instrument to research information precisely and effectively. It additionally allows you to draw one of the best conclusions for designing, refocusing and defining your digital methods.

GA4 customers can configure many functionalities, together with customized dimensions, which permit for extra detailed and customized information evaluation.

What are dimensions in GA4?

Google defines a dimension as an attribute of your information. It describes your information, and it’s often written in textual content relatively than numbers.

An instance of dimensions can be supply/medium, which reveals how a person arrives at a web site:

One other instance of dimension would even be the Occasion title, which reveals the completely different occasions that occur on a web site and the way the person interacts with it:

When creating the GA4 account, the instrument preconfigures a broad checklist of dimensions robotically by default.

Nevertheless, if this isn’t sufficient on your technique’s evaluation and that you must analyze attributes in additional element and particularly primarily based on the web site’s goals, you’ll be able to create customized dimensions.

Occasions and occasion parameters

To know customized dimensions and how you can create them, you should first perceive some GA4 ideas – occasions and parameters.

• Occasions are the metrics that permit you to measure particular person interactions on a web site, akin to loading a web page, clicking on a hyperlink or submitting a type. 
• Occasion parameters are further information that web site details about these occasions (i.e., further details about how customers work together with a web site).

There are two sorts of occasion parameters in GA4, relying on how they’re captured by the instrument:

• Robotically collected parameters: These are preconfigured by GA4, which robotically captures a set of parameters (e.g. page_location, page_referrer or page_title). Google gives a checklist of all these occasion parameters created robotically or enhanced measurement.
• Customized parameters: These permit you to acquire info that isn’t captured by default. This is applicable to beneficial occasions and customized occasions, the place customized settings are required.

What are GA4 customized dimensions?

Customized dimensions are attributes that permit you to describe and acquire information in a personalized method. Basically, they’re parameters you create in GA4 to seize info that isn’t robotically tracked by the instrument.

Sorts of customized dimensions

Relying on the knowledge that you simply wish to acquire in a customized method, you’ll be able to create several types of customized dimensions, as indicated by Google:

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When is it beneficial to create customized dimensions?

Earlier than creating customized dimensions to research information in additional element, it’s advisable to examine whether or not these attributes exist already as automated occasions predefined by GA4 or as choices inside enhanced measurement occasions.

To find out if the information you wish to analyze is already supplied by automated occasions, you’ll be able to seek the advice of the checklist that Google Analytics presents beneath Robotically collected occasions. These occasions are collected robotically, so the person doesn’t have to carry out any further actions.

This isn’t the case for the enhanced measurement occasions, these should be activated throughout the GA4 account if you wish to acquire this info.

To activate these attributes, you’ll do it inside Admin > Information streams > Occasions > Enhanced measurement.

If the knowledge you wish to analyze will not be included inside these automated occasions, it’s endorsed that you simply create it as a customized dimension.

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How one can arrange customized dimensions

No matter the kind of customized dimension, it should be created by way of Google Tag Supervisor. Under is a step-by-step information for configuring an event-scoped customized dimension.

Earlier than getting began, make sure that the GA4 and Google Tag Supervisor accounts are correctly configured and linked.

Subsequent, that you must outline and create which occasion parameter you need and ship it as a customized dimension in GA4.

On this case, you’ll present within the following picture how you can create the occasion parameter to research the URL of the video {that a} person performs in your web site:

As it’s a manually configured occasion parameter solely included in Google Tag Supervisor, it is not going to be sufficient for GA4 to incorporate it in its reviews robotically. You’ll have to notify GA4 about it by going to Admin > Information show > Customized definitions.

Then, click on on Create customized dimension.

Create the customized definition with the knowledge out of your occasion parameter:

Now that your customized dimension is created, use DebugView to examine whether it is being collected appropriately and is correctly configured.

In parallel, throughout the Customized definitions part, beneath Quota info, you’ll be able to monitor the overall variety of customized dimensions created in your GA4 account.

What number of customized dimensions can I arrange in my GA4 account?

The variety of customized dimensions {that a} person can create is restricted, though it’s typically tough to achieve this restrict. 

To make sure you create solely probably the most helpful dimensions, first outline the highest-priority KPIs on your web site or app after which create and configure solely these dimensions which might be actually of curiosity. To keep away from exceeding this restrict, use predefined dimensions and metrics each time attainable.

How one can analyze customized dimensions

Customized dimensions will offer you further details about your information. This info will be analyzed inside GA4.

Within the case of GA4, you’ll be able to analyze the customized dimensions by means of the identical reviews that the instrument presents in a personalized method, both within the site visitors or occasions panel, for instance: 

Customized dimensions may also present extra details about your information when utilizing the discover part:

Creating customized dimensions is a priceless technique for enhancing your analytics with priceless insights for your enterprise.