Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a powerful tool for analyzing data and gaining insights for your digital strategies. To make the most of GA4, it’s important to understand all its features and configure them appropriately. One such feature is custom dimensions, which allow for more detailed and personalized data analysis.
Dimensions in GA4 are attributes of your data that describe it in text rather than numbers. For example, source/medium shows how a user arrives at a website, while the event name shows different events that happen on a website and how the user interacts with it. GA4 preconfigures a wide list of dimensions automatically when you create an account, but if you need to analyze attributes in more detail based on your website’s objectives, you can create custom dimensions.
Before creating custom dimensions, it’s recommended to check if the data you want to analyze is already provided by automatic events or enhanced measurement events. Automatic events are preconfigured by GA4 and capture a set of parameters automatically. Enhanced measurement events need to be activated within the GA4 account. If the information you want to analyze is not included in these events, you can create it as a custom dimension.
To set up custom dimensions, you need to use Google Tag Manager. First, make sure your GA4 and Google Tag Manager accounts are properly configured and linked. Then define and create the event parameter you want to send as a custom dimension. Notify GA4 about the custom dimension by going to Admin > Data display > Custom definitions. Use DebugView to check if the custom dimension is being collected correctly.
The number of custom dimensions you can create in your GA4 account is limited, so it’s important to define the highest-priority KPIs for your website or app and create only those dimensions that are truly of interest. Use predefined dimensions and metrics whenever possible to avoid exceeding this limit.
Custom dimensions provide additional information about your data, which can be analyzed within GA4. You can analyze custom dimensions through the same reports that GA4 offers in a customized way, such as the traffic or events panel. Custom dimensions can also provide more information about your data when using the explore section.
Creating custom dimensions is a valuable method for enhancing your analytics with valuable insights for your business. It allows you to analyze data accurately and efficiently, drawing the best conclusions for designing, refocusing, and defining your digital strategies. Understanding all the features of GA4, including custom dimensions, is essential for making the most of this powerful tool.
