January 20266 min read

Reports & Explorations

Master GA4's reporting interface: standard reports, custom explorations, funnels, and path analysis.

Reports Overview

GA4 has two main reporting areas:

code

GA4 Reporting:
├── Reports (left nav)
│   ├── Standard reports
│   ├── Customizable
│   └── For everyday monitoring
│
└── Explore (left nav)
    ├── Advanced analysis
    ├── Freeform explorations
    └── For deep-dive analysis

Reports vs Explorations

| Feature | Standard Reports | Explorations | |---------|------------------|--------------| | Purpose | Daily monitoring | Deep analysis | | Customization | Limited | Extensive | | Sharing | Property-wide | Per-user | | Data Retention | Full history | Subject to retention | | Segments | Comparisons only | Full segments | | Sampling | Minimal | May sample large datasets |

Standard Reports

Reports Navigation

code

Reports
├── Reports snapshot (overview dashboard)
├── Realtime (live data)
├── Life cycle
│   ├── Acquisition (how users arrive)
│   ├── Engagement (what users do)
│   ├── Monetization (revenue)
│   └── Retention (user return)
├── User
│   ├── Demographics
│   └── Tech
└── Library (custom reports)

Key Reports to Know

Acquisition Reports:

| Report | Shows | |--------|-------| | Overview | Traffic summary by channel | | User acquisition | First-touch channel for new users | | Traffic acquisition | Session-level channel data |

Engagement Reports:

| Report | Shows | |--------|-------| | Overview | Key engagement metrics | | Events | All events and counts | | Pages and screens | Most viewed pages | | Landing page | Entry points to site |

Monetization Reports:

| Report | Shows | |--------|-------| | Overview | Revenue summary | | Ecommerce purchases | Product performance | | Purchase journey | Funnel visualization |

Using Comparisons

Add comparisons to see segments side-by-side:

code

Click "Add comparison" at top of any report

Examples:
├── Mobile vs Desktop
├── New vs Returning users
├── US vs UK traffic
└── Organic vs Paid

Adding Secondary Dimensions

code

In any table:
1. Click "+" next to primary dimension
2. Select secondary dimension
3. Data breaks down further

Example:
Primary: Source/medium
Secondary: Device category

Shows: google/organic + mobile, google/organic + desktop, etc.

Explorations

Explorations are GA4's power-analysis tool.

Exploration Types

| Type | Purpose | Best For | |------|---------|----------| | Free-form | Flexible tables/charts | Custom analysis | | Funnel | Step-by-step conversion | Conversion analysis | | Path | User journey visualization | Navigation patterns | | Segment overlap | Compare audience overlaps | Audience insights | | User explorer | Individual user journeys | Debugging, support | | Cohort | Group behavior over time | Retention analysis | | User lifetime | LTV analysis | Customer value |

Creating an Exploration

code

Explore → Blank (or template) → Configure:

Variables (left panel):
├── Date range
├── Segments
├── Dimensions
└── Metrics

Tab Settings (middle panel):
├── Visualization type
├── Rows / Columns
├── Values
└── Filters

Free-Form Exploration Example

Goal: Analyze conversion by traffic source and landing page

code

Variables:
├── Segments: All users
├── Dimensions: Source/medium, Landing page
├── Metrics: Sessions, Key events, Conversion rate

Tab Settings:
├── Visualization: Table
├── Rows: Source/medium, Landing page
├── Values: Sessions, Key events, Key event rate
├── Filter: Sessions > 100

Funnel Exploration

Visualize step-by-step user journeys.

Creating a Funnel

code

Explore → Funnel exploration

Configure steps:
Step 1: session_start (or page_view of landing page)
Step 2: view_item (product page)
Step 3: add_to_cart
Step 4: begin_checkout
Step 5: purchase

Funnel Settings

| Setting | Options | |---------|---------| | Open/Closed | Open: enter any step. Closed: must start at step 1 | | Visualization | Standard funnel or Trended funnel | | Elapsed time | Show time between steps | | Segment | Apply segment to funnel |

Open vs Closed Funnels

code

Closed Funnel:
├── Users must complete Step 1 to be counted
├── More strict measurement
└── Best for: Linear processes (checkout)

Open Funnel:
├── Users can enter at any step
├── More inclusive
└── Best for: Non-linear journeys (content consumption)

Funnel Analysis Best Practices

code

## Key Metrics

□ Step completion rate (% who advance)
□ Abandonment rate (% who leave)
□ Time between steps
□ Segment comparisons

## Actions from Funnel Data

□ Identify biggest drop-off points
□ Compare mobile vs desktop funnels
□ A/B test pages with high abandonment
□ Create audiences from drop-off points

Pro Tip: Right-click any funnel step to create an audience of users who abandoned at that point. Use this for targeted remarketing.

Path Exploration

Visualize the paths users take through your site.

Path Directions

| Type | Shows | |------|-------| | Forward path | Where users go FROM a starting point | | Reverse path | How users got TO an ending point |

Creating a Path Exploration

code

Explore → Path exploration

Forward Path Example:
├── Starting point: page_view (homepage)
├── Shows: Next 5 pages users visit
└── Branches: Different paths taken

Reverse Path Example:
├── Ending point: purchase
├── Shows: Previous 5 steps before purchase
└── Identifies: Common conversion paths

Path Configuration

code

Node type options:
├── Event name (shows events)
├── Page title (shows pages)
└── Page path (shows URL paths)

Additional settings:
├── Breakdown: Add dimension (device, country)
├── Segment: Filter to specific users
└── Filters: Narrow results

Use Cases

| Goal | Path Type | Starting/Ending Point | |------|-----------|----------------------| | Where do homepage visitors go? | Forward | page_view (/) | | How do users reach checkout? | Reverse | begin_checkout | | What do blog readers do next? | Forward | page_view (/blog/) | | What leads to form submissions? | Reverse | generate_lead |

Custom Reports

Customizing Standard Reports

code

Reports → Any report → Customize report (pencil icon)

Options:
├── Add/remove metrics
├── Add/remove dimensions
├── Change default chart
├── Add filters
└── Save to Library

Creating Report Collections

code

Reports → Library → Create new collection

Organize:
├── Create custom report groups
├── Add reports to collection
├── Reorder reports
└── Publish to all users

Sharing Explorations

code

2025 Update: Copy explorations between properties!

In exploration:
├── Share → Copy to another property
├── Select destination property
└── Exploration copied with configuration

Note: Data doesn't copy, only the exploration structure

Report Best Practices

code

## Organization Tips

□ Create focused collections for different teams
□ Marketing: Acquisition + Campaign reports
□ Product: Engagement + User behavior
□ Executive: Overview + Key metrics only

## Exploration Tips

□ Name explorations descriptively
□ Save frequently (no auto-save)
□ Duplicate before major changes
□ Document complex explorations
□ Share via screenshot for stakeholders

Warning: Explorations are subject to data retention settings. If your retention is 2 months, historical explorations won't show older data. Standard reports retain data longer.

January 20266 min read

Reports & Explorations

Master GA4's reporting interface: standard reports, custom explorations, funnels, and path analysis.

Reports Overview

GA4 has two main reporting areas:

code

GA4 Reporting:
├── Reports (left nav)
│   ├── Standard reports
│   ├── Customizable
│   └── For everyday monitoring
│
└── Explore (left nav)
    ├── Advanced analysis
    ├── Freeform explorations
    └── For deep-dive analysis

Reports vs Explorations

Standard Reports

Reports Navigation

code

Reports
├── Reports snapshot (overview dashboard)
├── Realtime (live data)
├── Life cycle
│   ├── Acquisition (how users arrive)
│   ├── Engagement (what users do)
│   ├── Monetization (revenue)
│   └── Retention (user return)
├── User
│   ├── Demographics
│   └── Tech
└── Library (custom reports)

Key Reports to Know

Acquisition Reports:

| Report | Shows | |--------|-------| | Overview | Traffic summary by channel | | User acquisition | First-touch channel for new users | | Traffic acquisition | Session-level channel data |

Engagement Reports:

| Report | Shows | |--------|-------| | Overview | Key engagement metrics | | Events | All events and counts | | Pages and screens | Most viewed pages | | Landing page | Entry points to site |

Monetization Reports:

| Report | Shows | |--------|-------| | Overview | Revenue summary | | Ecommerce purchases | Product performance | | Purchase journey | Funnel visualization |

Using Comparisons

Add comparisons to see segments side-by-side:

code

Click "Add comparison" at top of any report

Examples:
├── Mobile vs Desktop
├── New vs Returning users
├── US vs UK traffic
└── Organic vs Paid

Adding Secondary Dimensions

code

In any table:
1. Click "+" next to primary dimension
2. Select secondary dimension
3. Data breaks down further

Example:
Primary: Source/medium
Secondary: Device category

Shows: google/organic + mobile, google/organic + desktop, etc.

Explorations

Explorations are GA4's power-analysis tool.

Exploration Types

Creating an Exploration

code

Explore → Blank (or template) → Configure:

Variables (left panel):
├── Date range
├── Segments
├── Dimensions
└── Metrics

Tab Settings (middle panel):
├── Visualization type
├── Rows / Columns
├── Values
└── Filters

Free-Form Exploration Example

Goal: Analyze conversion by traffic source and landing page

code

Variables:
├── Segments: All users
├── Dimensions: Source/medium, Landing page
├── Metrics: Sessions, Key events, Conversion rate

Tab Settings:
├── Visualization: Table
├── Rows: Source/medium, Landing page
├── Values: Sessions, Key events, Key event rate
├── Filter: Sessions > 100

Funnel Exploration

Visualize step-by-step user journeys.

Creating a Funnel

code

Explore → Funnel exploration

Configure steps:
Step 1: session_start (or page_view of landing page)
Step 2: view_item (product page)
Step 3: add_to_cart
Step 4: begin_checkout
Step 5: purchase

Funnel Settings

Open vs Closed Funnels

code

Closed Funnel:
├── Users must complete Step 1 to be counted
├── More strict measurement
└── Best for: Linear processes (checkout)

Open Funnel:
├── Users can enter at any step
├── More inclusive
└── Best for: Non-linear journeys (content consumption)

Funnel Analysis Best Practices

code

## Key Metrics

□ Step completion rate (% who advance)
□ Abandonment rate (% who leave)
□ Time between steps
□ Segment comparisons

## Actions from Funnel Data

□ Identify biggest drop-off points
□ Compare mobile vs desktop funnels
□ A/B test pages with high abandonment
□ Create audiences from drop-off points

Pro Tip: Right-click any funnel step to create an audience of users who abandoned at that point. Use this for targeted remarketing.

Path Exploration

Visualize the paths users take through your site.

Path Directions

| Type | Shows | |------|-------| | Forward path | Where users go FROM a starting point | | Reverse path | How users got TO an ending point |

Creating a Path Exploration

code

Explore → Path exploration

Forward Path Example:
├── Starting point: page_view (homepage)
├── Shows: Next 5 pages users visit
└── Branches: Different paths taken

Reverse Path Example:
├── Ending point: purchase
├── Shows: Previous 5 steps before purchase
└── Identifies: Common conversion paths

Path Configuration

code

Node type options:
├── Event name (shows events)
├── Page title (shows pages)
└── Page path (shows URL paths)

Additional settings:
├── Breakdown: Add dimension (device, country)
├── Segment: Filter to specific users
└── Filters: Narrow results

Use Cases

Custom Reports

Customizing Standard Reports

code

Reports → Any report → Customize report (pencil icon)

Options:
├── Add/remove metrics
├── Add/remove dimensions
├── Change default chart
├── Add filters
└── Save to Library

Creating Report Collections

code

Reports → Library → Create new collection

Organize:
├── Create custom report groups
├── Add reports to collection
├── Reorder reports
└── Publish to all users

Sharing Explorations

code

2025 Update: Copy explorations between properties!

In exploration:
├── Share → Copy to another property
├── Select destination property
└── Exploration copied with configuration

Note: Data doesn't copy, only the exploration structure

Report Best Practices

code

## Organization Tips

□ Create focused collections for different teams
□ Marketing: Acquisition + Campaign reports
□ Product: Engagement + User behavior
□ Executive: Overview + Key metrics only

## Exploration Tips

□ Name explorations descriptively
□ Save frequently (no auto-save)
□ Duplicate before major changes
□ Document complex explorations
□ Share via screenshot for stakeholders

Warning: Explorations are subject to data retention settings. If your retention is 2 months, historical explorations won't show older data. Standard reports retain data longer.