It’s time to take your Google Analytics 4 Reports and Analysis Hub mastery to the next level.

In this chapter, we cover several crucial lessons about GA4 reports and analysis Hub.

From generating reports to the techniques, you can perform to navigate GA4’s features better. We also included some of the common questions that Google Analytics users ask and a better option to create stunning data visualizations and reports.

Let’s put your data to work!

Must-read: How to Upgrade to Google Analytics 4 (from UA)

Table of Contents

• Google Analytics 4 Reports You Can Generate
• When to Generate GA4 Reports
• Google Analytics 4 Analysis Hub Techniques You Can Perform
• Use Polymer to Level Up Your Google Analytics 4 Reporting and Analysis
• People Also Ask
• Master the Google Analytics 4 Reporting and Analysis Hub

Google Analytics 4 Reports You Can Generate

Google Analytics 4 features a designated "Reports" tab where you can browse all available predefined reports. 

You start off with a "Reports snapshot"—a top-level view of key metrics from other Google Analytics 4 reports. 

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

The reports snapshot page also lets you dive into more specific reports with a single click. For example, to view the Google Analytics 4 realtime report, just click View realtime in the bottom-right corner of the "Users in last 30 minutes" card. 

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

Here's a quick rundown of the different default reports and categories you can generate using Google Analytics:

Realtime report 

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

Reveal up-to-date data on your web traffic and watch changes as they happen. The realtime overview report tracks current active users, page views, events, conversions, and more. 

Acquisition reports 

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

Identify where your traffic is coming from and check the spread between new and returning visitors. The acquisition overview includes two separate reports, "user acquisition" and "traffic acquisition" (breakdown of users and traffic sources). 

Engagement reports

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

The engagement report overview links to multiple detailed reports that help analyze user interactions—namely events, conversions, landing pages opened, and pages/screens visited. These reports provide valuable insights into user behavior, which will help you build data-driven decisions to enhance the user experience.

Monetization reports

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

Google Analytics 4's monetization reports track conversions and the user journey. On the monetization overview report, you get a bird's-eye view of eCommerce purchases, in-app purchases, publisher ad impressions, and more. 

Retention report

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

In the Google Analytics 4 retention report, you can measure the growth (or decline) of your new and returning visitors over time. The report includes user engagement over time, user lifetime value, and user retention by cohort. 

User attributes report

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

The user attributes report unpacks user demographic data to help you understand your audience. Check this report to view a breakdown of your audience by location, language, gender, interests, and age. 

Tech report

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

Lastly, the tech report investigates the platforms your visitors use when using your website. It shows a breakdown of your audience's preferred operating systems, browsers, devices, and platform categories.  

When to Generate GA4 Reports

A key aspect of Google Analytics 4 reports is the ability to share customized reports. 

Creating custom reports is done for various purposes, such as: 

• Communicating results with clients
• Sharing data with colleagues
• Saving secure, offline copies of your data as backup
• Exporting data to a third-party data management solution

To save a report, use the buttons in the top-right corner of your chosen report. 

Customize your report by rearranging the data cards or removing them altogether. When done, click Save and choose to override the current report's settings or create a new one.

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

To export or share a report, click Share this report and choose your sharing method (share link or export file). If you choose the latter, you can save your report as a PDF or editable CSV file. 

Must-read: What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 Analysis Hub Techniques You Can Perform

To make the most out of your website data, you need to go beyond setting up a Google Analytics 4 property. 

It's important to explore, learn, and use the advanced features of Google Analytics 4 to turn data into valuable insights. 

For example, the "Analysis Hub" reports from Universal Analytics are now upgraded to "Explorations." This allows you to go from collecting data to generating visual reports filled with actionable insights. 

To use exploration reports, just click Explorations from the main menu. From there, choose from the available exploration templates or click Blank to build a custom report from scratch. 

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

If you're new to Google Analytics 4 or recently upgraded from Universal Analytics, consider visiting the template gallery for ideas. 

Users who have a background in data analytics, however, can familiarize themselves with the reporting interface within minutes. 

Just piece together your dashboard by specifying variables and configuring your data visualizations. The available options will depend on the analysis technique you choose, namely: 

• Free form: Build a fully-customized dashboard using data visualizations, like tables, donut charts, line charts, scatter plots, bar charts, and geo maps. 
• Cohort exploration: Quickly organize data on user cohorts and measure activity over time.
• Funnel exploration: Visualize your website's marketing funnel to discover bottlenecks that slow down conversion journeys. 
• Segment overlap: Compare data between two user segments to identify key behavior differentiators. 
• Path exploration: Take a deep dive into the user journey to discover opportunities to enhance your audience's experience.
• User explorer: Get a detailed overview of user activity on your website by tracking metrics like sessions, purchase revenue, triggered event count, and more. 
• User lifetime: Measure the business value of users from the beginning to the end of their journey. 

Must-read: GA4 for SaaS/Product: Complete Guide

Use Polymer to Level Up Your Google Analysis 4 Reporting and Analysis

Thanks to GA4's visual update, which gives it a cleaner and more accessible look, understanding GA4 metrics and dimensions is now easier.

Users can also use Google Analytics 4 reporting templates to refine and present their data in the best way possible. 

Take your data reporting and analysis further with a powerful Business Intelligence (BI) solution.

Polymer is one of the market's most advanced, easy-to-use, and cost-effective BI platforms.

It can be your centralized data reporting platform—capable of importing data from a host of services like Google Analytics 4, Google Sheets, Linear, Jira, and Zendesk. 

To visualize your data, Polymer features a flexible drag-and-drop builder that doesn't require any coding. 

Choose from the predefined data visualizations to analyze your data—from scatter plots to pivot tables. You can also get the ball rolling with AI-based recommendations on which data visualizations to use. 

Must-read: How to Set Up eCommerce Tracking in Google Analytics 4

People Also Ask

How do I get to the Analysis Hub in GA4?

Analysis Hub in GA4 is upgraded to Explorations. You can create explorations from scratch or use templates to extract actionable insights from your website data.

How do I extract data from Google Analytics 4?

Data from Google Analytics 4 reports can be exported, shared, and downloaded without any third-party tool. For more data integration options, consider exporting data to platforms like Polymer. 

How long does Google Analytics 4 take to show data?

Google Analytics 4 takes anywhere between 24 and 48 hours to collect and compile data. This applies to both default reports and explorations. 

Master the Google Analytics 4 Reporting and Analysis Hub

Google Analytics 4 is a must-have in any business's analytics stack, especially if they care about their online presence. 

With a BI platform like Polymer, see your data from never-before-seen angles and fuel your decision-making with AI-driven insights. 

See Polymer in action by starting a 14-day free trial here. 

Must-read: Event Tracking in Google Analytics 4: Ultimate Guide