What You Have to Know

What Is a Dimension in Google Analytics 4?

In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), dimensions are information attributes or traits that present extra details about your web site’s customers and the way they work together along with your web site. 

Dimensions present context that makes your information significant. Like within the picture under:

For instance, the “Nation” dimension signifies the place an internet site customer is positioned. Which implies you possibly can see what number of guests got here from totally different international locations. 

Or it may very well be the “System Class” dimension. Which reveals which sorts of units your guests use to entry your website.

Examples of dimensions are:

• System class: The kind of machine person exercise originated from (e.g., desktop)
• Supply / medium: The referring web site/platform (e.g., Fb) and the broader channel class that refers the go to (e.g., “e-mail”)
• Browser: The browser used to entry content material (e.g., Chrome)
• Nation: Geographical location of the person (e.g., United States)
• Language: The language the person’s browser or machine makes use of (e.g., English)
• Marketing campaign / Marketing campaign ID: The identify of a advertising marketing campaign that led to a conversion (e.g., “Spring2023_Sale”)
• Web page location: The URL of a webpage the person visited (e.g., “
• Customized dimensions: The size you create your self to trace particular details about your customers

Google Analytics Dimensions vs. Google Analytics Metrics

Word that dimensions should not the identical as metrics. Dimensions are qualitative facets of your information. 

Metrics are the quantitative facets of information—measurements. In different phrases, metrics are concrete numbers.

Listed here are a couple of widespread metrics you will notice inside GA4:

• Periods: The visits when your web site or app is the person’s major focus
• Common session length: The imply time (in seconds) of customers’ periods
• Views per session: The typical variety of pages seen in a session
• Bounce fee: The portion of periods that weren’t engaged
• Transactions: The variety of accomplished purchases 
• Whole income: The income generated from purchases, subscriptions, and adverts

You’ll discover metrics like these underneath “Experiences” > “Life cycle” > “Acquisition” > “Consumer Acquisition” inside Google Analytics 4.

Additional studying: What Is a Metric in Google Analytics? [Explained]

Why Are Google Analytics Dimensions Necessary?

Dimensions enable you to perceive your information higher. And enable you to acquire insights you wouldn’t in any other case be capable of.

Right here’s an instance of how dimensions work: 

Say you might have two views in your web site. One is from a 30-year-old girl from Mississippi who acquired to your website from X (previously Twitter) utilizing her desktop laptop. The opposite is a 50-year-old man from Yishun, Singapore, who landed in your website from a Google search engine outcomes web page (SERP) utilizing his cell phone. 

If dimensions didn’t exist, all you’d know is that your website acquired two views. 

However dimensions enable you to see rather more:

Go to #1

• Session supply: X (previously Twitter)
• Age: 25-34
• Nation: United States
• System class: Desktop

Go to #2

• Session supply: Google
• Age: 45-54
• Nation: Singapore
• System class: Cellular

What Are the Varieties of Dimensions in Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics dimensions might be divided into two subcategories: predefined and customized. 

Predefined dimensions are constructed into Google Analytics experiences and are prepared to make use of. 

These are the primary teams that each one have particular, predefined dimensions inside them: 

• Attribution: Consists of all dimensions that present details about how customers arrived at your website
  • Google Adverts: Covers dimensions associated to Google Adverts
  • Search Adverts 360: Focuses on dimensions related to Search Adverts 360
• Demographics: Accommodates dimensions describing customers’ age, gender, and pursuits

• Ecommerce: Encompasses dimensions regarding transactions, merchandise, promotions, and ecommerce-related attributes
• Occasion: Supplies particulars about particular occasions and their conversion values and statuses
• Gaming: Pertains to dimensions related to in-game occasions and achievements
• Common: Consists of basic metrics that will not match into different classes, like file data and search phrases
• Geography: Consists of dimensions pertaining to person’s geographical location
• Hyperlink: Encompasses dimensions associated to hyperlinks and outbound actions
• Web page / display screen: Covers dimensions relating to content material in your web site
• Platform / machine: Gives particulars about customers’ units, browsers, and working programs

• Writer: Includes dimensions related to advert codecs and sources
• Time: Accommodates dimensions associated to particular instances and dates of occasions
• Visitors supply: Pertains to the origin of the person’s journey
  • Consumer-scoped: Focuses on the person’s first interplay sources and campaigns
  • Session-scoped: Accommodates dimensions associated to session sources and campaigns

• ​​​​Consumer: Includes dimensions describing particular person statuses and traits
• Consumer lifetime: Focuses on the person’s historic interactions and purchases
• Video: Covers dimensions related to video content material and suppliers

Additional studying: Examine the total listing of dimensions right here.

Customized dimensions (which we’ll focus on extra later) are totally different from predefined dimensions in that they aren’t robotically collected by Google Analytics. 

How Do You View Dimensions in Google Analytics 4?

Dimensions seem all all through Google Analytics.

Once you go to the “Experiences” tab inside GA4, you’ll see experiences categorized into broader collections like “Life cycle,” “Consumer,” and so forth. 

Inside particular person experiences, the dimension seems on the high of the desk on the left aspect. The dimension values are listed beneath.

The column names on the suitable aspect are metrics. And might be acknowledged by their numerical values. As you possibly can see, metrics quantify the dimension values. 

For instance, let’s say the highest row in your “Visitors acquisition” report reveals you bought 10,000 periods from natural visitors. That very same report additionally reveals you the way lengthy customers from natural search stayed in your website (common engagement time per session) and what number of conversions they drove (conversions).

Additional studying: What Are Google Analytics Periods & How Are They Measured?

What Is a Main Dimension in Google Analytics 4?

Main dimensions are the default dimensions {that a} Google Analytics report is sorted by. And seem on the left-hand aspect on the high of tables.

Like this:

You can even change the dimension for some experiences by clicking the drop-down menu over the dimension identify. And selecting one other one.

This lets you change how the information is displayed. So you possibly can be taught extra about what pursuits you. 

What Is a Secondary Dimension in Google Analytics 4?

Whereas the first dimension supplies you with the start line, a secondary dimension means that you can discover information based mostly on what you discover most respected. And provides extra context and depth to the information storytelling. 

So as to add a secondary dimension inside GA4’s experiences, click on on the ‘+’ signal beside the first dimension dropdown.

Think about this: 

You choose the “Session supply / medium” major dimension to see the place your visitors is coming from within the “Visitors acquisition” report. And see that a lot of it’s coming from Google Adverts.

Then, you add the “Session marketing campaign” secondary dimension to seek out out which particular marketing campaign drove essentially the most visitors. 

This provides you a clearer image.

What Are Customized Dimensions in Google Analytics 4?

Customized dimensions are dimensions you configure your self to gather particular information (attributes) on person interactions.

Not each enterprise is alike—so all of them have totally different wants. 

Customized dimensions fulfill these wants by permitting every enterprise to create dimensions that present helpful data particular to them. And so they let you create personalized experiences that present much more data.

However you don’t have to make use of customized dimensions. In sure circumstances, they won’t add a lot worth past what’s already supplied by Google Analytics. 

Understanding Customized Dimensions

It’s essential to grasp the connection between all the weather that go into dimensions earlier than creating customized dimensions. 

A person represents a novel IP deal with visiting your web site. And there are totally different properties that describe them (like the place they stay and what they do for work. 

An occasion is a person interplay on the location. It may be a scroll, a click on, a view, and so forth. 

Each occasion comprises parameters—bits of data that present extra context concerning the person or occasion. For instance, a click on occasion will comprise parameters that present details about the URL that was clicked, the hyperlink’s location, and so forth. 

Once you group person properties or occasion parameters, they develop into dimensions.

Find out how to Add Customized Dimensions in Google Analytics 4

Earlier than utilizing the customized dimensions inside Google Analytics 4, you should create them first. 

Additionally, remember the fact that the reporting on customized dimensions will not be retroactive inside GA4. Which means you should set them up earlier than you possibly can start analyzing the information.

So, how do you add customized dimensions in Google Analytics? 

It relies upon a bit on which kind of dimension you’re creating (event-scoped, user-scoped, or item-scoped). However we’ll go over how you can create an event-scoped customized dimension.

Step one is to create a customized occasion and parameter in GA4.

The occasion fires when a particular situation is met (e.g., somebody crammed out an data request kind). And this occasion comprises customized parameters (e.g., the shape was positioned on a touchdown web page). 

You may add customized occasions and parameters by way of Google Tag Supervisor or immediately in Google Analytics by way of “Admin” > “Occasions.”

Whereas the latter is handy, it’s additionally restricted. So, it’s normally greatest to make use of Google Tag Supervisor.

Get began by logging into your Google Tag Supervisor account. Then, you’ll must allow the suitable variable and configure your occasion. 

You may be taught extra about this in our information to Google Tag Supervisor—simply be sure you choose “Google Analytics: GA4 Occasion” as your tag sort.

When you’ve printed your adjustments to begin monitoring the occasion, you possibly can head to your Google Analytics account. 

Inside GA4, go to “Admin” > “Customized definitions.”

You’ll be redirected to a web page the place you’ll find all of the customized dimensions registered along with your property. 

Then, click on the “Create customized dimension” button within the high proper. 

The following step is to fill out the next fields: 

• Dimension identify: You may enter any identify you need—one thing that resembles the parameter’s identify (e.g., “custom_plugin_text”) or a descriptive one (e.g., “Customized plugin textual content”).
• Scope: For an event-scoped dimension, choose “Occasion.”
• Description: If you wish to add an outline, you possibly can. Nevertheless it’s not required. 
• Occasion parameter: Select the parameter you wish to accumulate the information on. In the event you used Google Tag Supervisor to arrange your occasion, this parameter identify must be the identical as that one. 

Once you’re achieved, click on the “Save” button. 

The customized dimension ought to seem contained in the GA4 after 24-48 hours. 

Greatest Practices for Efficient Customized Dimension Implementation

Listed here are a couple of greatest practices for choosing the proper customized dimension parameters:

Guarantee They’re Related to Enterprise Objectives 

Decide what information issues most to your small business. To make sure you’re creating dimensions which might be really worthwhile.

For instance, making a “Membership stage” customized dimension may be a good suggestion for those who run a subscription-based enterprise. 

And also you may create one known as “Content material format” you probably have a portal with articles, movies, podcasts, and different forms of content material. 

Your online business objectives determine what information you will accumulate, figuring out your customized dimensions. 

Apply Significant Property Values 

Make the values distinct and descriptive in order that they’re clear to everybody. 

If the customized dimension was “Membership stage,” the values may be “bronze,” “silver,” “gold,” and “platinum.” 

Do you should add the “free” worth? Not if you do not have a free membership tier.

Keep away from Dimensions with Too Many Distinctive Values

For some dimensions, there’s a likelihood of a excessive variety of distinctive values. 

This is named excessive cardinality and applies within the case of person IDs, session IDs, order IDs, timestamps, and so forth. 

Except you might have an internet site that calls for in any other case, keep away from customized dimensions with excessive cardinality. It’d mess along with your experiences and mixture information underneath an “different” row. 

Use Constant Naming Conventions 

You do not wish to identify one customized dimension “my_plugin_url” and one other “My Plugin Title.” 

Look how the default dimensions observe a constant naming sample. 

Whereas it will not pose any actual concern, it would develop into baffling and time-consuming for brand spanking new customers in your GA4 account. 

Stop Knowledge Duplication at All Prices 

Say the collected information already comes with a typical parameter that works for you. 

In the event you create a reproduction one, it negatively impacts the space for storing and complicates information evaluation.

Thus, examine for an out there one earlier than making a brand new one. 

Totally different Use Circumstances for Customized Dimensions

How do customized dimensions play out in actual life? 

Let’s discover a couple of fascinating use circumstances. 

Monitoring Variations Amongst Consumer Varieties

A customized dimension targeted on totally different classes of customers might be useful for seeing variations in how these teams work together with a website.

Let’s say your website is utilized by college students, lecturers, and directors.

You may create a customized dimension based mostly on person attributes to distinguish between them. After which use it to dig into specifics about these teams. 

Seeing Which Content material Format Performs Greatest

Customized dimensions might help you establish which content material format works greatest to your viewers: how-to articles, infographics, information updates, and op-ed items. 

You may add a “Content material format” customized dimension for this. As soon as registered, you possibly can examine for the customized dimension individually, and determine the place to double down sooner or later.

Uncover Your Prime-Promoting Seasonal Merchandise

In the event you run an ecommerce website, customized dimensions might help you confirm which merchandise carry out greatest throughout which seasons. 

With a customized dimension like “Season,” each buy transaction will get recorded with extra context. So, you possibly can filter the information for the customized dimension and discover the successful merchandise. 

Find out how to Analyze Knowledge with Customized Dimensions

You may entry the customized dimension information in each present experiences and ones you create your self.

For instance, you possibly can go to “Experiences” > “Life cycle” > “Engagement” > “Occasions.”

Click on on the “+” icon within the desk so as to add a customized dimension as a secondary dimension. Within the drop-down menu, click on the arrow subsequent to “Customized” to see all of the customized dimensions you possibly can add to the report.

You can even filter the general report by a customized dimension. 

For instance, if you wish to see solely the occasions the place the “ad_frequency” customized dimension is about to “2,” you click on the “Add filter” button beside the identify of the report. 

Fill out the fields to align along with your specs. And click on “Apply.”

Final however not least, you can too create customized experiences that use your customized dimensions by way of “Discover” > “Free kind.” 

The Explorations characteristic of Google Analytics 4 means that you can create customized experiences based mostly on superior information segmentation. Which is helpful when there are a number of customized dimensions to take care of.

Take a look at Google’s documentation on explorations to be taught extra.

Empower Selections with GA4 Dimensions

Google Analytics dimensions are foundational for data-driven evaluation and decision-making. 

And with the suitable dimensions, your information turns into a dependable supply of intelligence to financial institution on.

However you continue to want extra instruments to achieve a holistic understanding of your web site’s efficiency.

Natural Visitors Insights might help. As a result of it compiles all of your information from Google Analytics, Google Search Console and Semrush in a single place. 

Simply observe the Natural Visitors Insights configuration directions to arrange your challenge and join your accounts. And click on “Go to Natural Visitors Insights” within the setup wizard.

You’ll then be capable of see a complete report with information in your key phrase rankings, visitors, conversions, and rather more.