Custom dimensions and Metrics in GA4
Estimate Reading Time: 4.3 mins
Since July 2023, Google Analytics 4 has replaced Universal Analytics (UA), the current version of the market-leading online analytics tool from Google.
The new GA4 platform introduces some significant modifications while being more effective and potent than before.
Custom dimensions and metrics, of which there are two, will significantly alter how digital marketers gather, examine, and draw conclusions from data.
Custom metrics and dimensions are the most critical factor when it comes to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). They give your analytics game extra flavor and depth to elevate it to the next level.
But precisely what are they, and why should you care?
In this blog, we will discuss Custom dimensions and Metrics in GA4.
Table Of Contents
What are custom dimensions and metrics?
Custom dimensions are attributes of your website's or app's data that you can use to categorize and analyze your users.
For example, let’s say you own a clothing store. A custom dimension could be the color of the clothes.
You may be quite particular with custom dimensions, allowing you to produce a report that explains in detail how each of these aspects affects your sales.
Custom metrics are numbers you wish to track but aren't included in the built-in reports, so you add them yourself.
Almost everything can be tracked using custom metrics. For example, from the number of things in a shopping cart to the amount of time, visitors spend on your website.
In GA4, you can set up 50 event-scoped custom dimensions and 25 user-scoped custom dimensions per property.
Why use custom dimensions and metrics?
Let’s say, you have an e-commerce website and want to know a couple of things like Product Sizes, brands, colors, etc. There comes the use of custom dimensions.
For example,
Product Sizes - These custom dimensions inform you of the most popular sizes for apparel, shoes, and other items among your clients to assist you in prioritizing stocking the appropriate sizes.
Product Brand - Do you want to know which brands your audience prefers? You can find the solution using this custom dimension.
Discounts and Promotions - By monitoring which discounts and promotions convert the best, you may increase the effectiveness of your marketing activities.
When it comes to the use of Custom metrics, Imagine that you are attempting to determine which of your blog posts is the most read.
You might be able to determine how many people read a particular article using only the usual GA4 data, but what if you want to know which post has received the most comments?
Custom metrics come into play here. A custom statistic that counts the number of comments on a post can be created, giving you a new option to gauge the success of your blog.
Final Thoughts
One of the new and potent analytical tools provided by Google Analytics 4 is custom dimensions and metrics.
Although setting up custom dimensions in Google Analytics 4 is quite straightforward, it requires careful planning. If you use them correctly, you can take advantage of them. However, you'll create a huge mess if you don't know what you're doing. Therefore, make sure you have a plan in place before you start.
We can help you to include your custom dimensions and metrics in your exploration reports and helps to unlock incredible insights for your business. Please contact us now.
