Definition
GA4 is Google's analytics platform for web and app measurement. In paid ads, it helps with cross-channel reporting but can undercount conversions.
How to use it
- Use GA4 for consistent channel trends; use platforms for optimization, and reconcile with MER and incrementality tests.
- Validate that conversion events fire once (dedupe pixel + server events if you use both).
- Be explicit about attribution model and lookback windows when comparing reports.
Common mistakes
- Treating GA4 as perfect truth in privacy-heavy environments (it will miss conversions).
- Comparing GA4 and platform dashboards without aligning windows and definitions.
Why this matters
This term matters because it affects how you interpret performance and make budget decisions. If you use inconsistent definitions or windows, ROAS/CPA can look "better" while profit gets worse.
Practical checklist
- Write a 1-line definition for "GA4 (Google Analytics 4)" that your team will use consistently.
- Keep the time window consistent (weekly/monthly/quarterly) when comparing trends.
- Segment results (channel/plan/cohort) before drawing big conclusions from blended averages.
- Sanity-check with a related calculator from the same category on MetricKit.
- Read the related guide (e.g., UTM + GA4 attribution: practical tracking for paid ads (without lying to yourself)) for context and common pitfalls.
Where to use this on MetricKit
Calculators
- Break-even CPM Calculator: Compute break-even and target CPM from CTR, CVR, AOV, and contribution margin assumptions.
- Break-even CTR Calculator: Compute the CTR required to break even (and hit a target) given CPM, CVR, AOV, and contribution margin.
- A/B Test Sample Size Calculator: Estimate sample size per variant for a conversion rate A/B test given baseline CVR, MDE, significance, and power.
- CPL to CAC Calculator: Convert cost per lead (CPL) into CAC using lead-to-customer rate (and compute targets).
- Break-even CVR Calculator: Compute the CVR required to break even (and hit a target) given CPM, CTR, AOV, and contribution margin.
Guides
- UTM + GA4 attribution: practical tracking for paid ads (without lying to yourself): A practical guide to UTMs and GA4: consistent source/medium/campaign tagging, conversion deduplication, and common attribution traps.