Google Analytics 4 – Glossary

Google Analytics 4 is Google’s default analytics for websites and apps, powerful and tightly integrated with Google’s ecosystem. It can be complex to operate, and it introduces privacy, consent, and performance tradeoffs to consider.

What it’s good for

• Unified reporting across web and app in one property.
• Flexible event tracking and parameters for meaningful actions.
• Predictive insights, audiences, and built in attribution.
• Direct integrations with Google Ads and other Google tools.

Drawbacks to consider

• Complexity and learning curve, many teams need training and careful planning.
• Privacy and consent overhead, GA4 often requires consent banners and clear disclosures (EU GDPR, CCPA, and similar).
• Potential data loss, adblockers and consent choices can reduce captured traffic.
• Performance impact, GA scripts can increase page weight versus lightweight tools.

When to use

• You need Ads integrations, granular event tracking, and cross platform reporting.
• Your team can manage consent, configuration, and ongoing QA.

Tips

• Define a simple event naming convention before implementation.
• Enable DebugView and verify key events with real visits.
• Document consent behavior, what loads with and without consent.
• Review page weight, consider server side tagging or alternatives when speed matters.

Alternatives

• Plausible Analytics - simple, lightweight, privacy focused. Easier to use, fewer features, no cookies by default.
• Matomo - Open source, full‑featured web analytics. Strong privacy controls, on‑prem or cloud. More complex than lightweight tools.
• Fathom Analytics - Simple, cookie‑free analytics. Fast script, forever data retention. Limited granularity vs GA4.
• Cloudflare Web Analytics - Free, privacy‑focused basics. Easy for sites on Cloudflare. Limited features.

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