UA to GA4 Terminology Translation: Your Comprehensive Guide

Learn how Universal Analytics terminology has transformed in Google Analytics 4.

Transitioning from Universal Analytics (UA) to GA4 (Google Analytics 4) requires an understanding of the terminology changes and how certain concepts translate between the two platforms. This knowledge base article serves as a dictionary, providing a comprehensive guide of key terms to bridge the gap between the two analytics platforms. By familiarizing yourself with these translations, you can smoothly navigate and interpret GA4 reports and features.

• In UA, an account represents the highest level of organization within the analytics structure. In GA4, the equivalent concept is a Measurement ID, which uniquely identifies a property.

• In UA, a property represents a website, app, or entity being tracked. In GA4, a property is replaced with the concept of a data stream, which collects data from various sources such as websites, apps, and other digital platforms.

• In UA, views allow you to create filtered or modified versions of your data. In GA4, this concept is replaced with the term "reporting," which encompasses the idea of creating custom reports and exploring data within the GA4 interface.

• Both UA and GA4 use the term "events" to represent user interactions or actions on your website or app. However, GA4 has a more comprehensive and flexible event-based tracking model compared to UA.

• In UA, goals are used to track specific actions or conversions on your website. In GA4, the equivalent concept is referred to as "conversions." GA4 provides more advanced conversion tracking options, such as enhanced measurement and conversion modeling.

• UA's funnel visualization shows the step-by-step conversion process for specific goals. In GA4, the equivalent concept is called "path analysis," which provides a visual representation of user paths and interactions within your website or app.

• Both UA and GA4 have a "User Explorer" feature that allows you to analyze individual user behavior, including their sessions, events, and conversions.

• In UA, segments are used to filter and analyze specific subsets of your data. In GA4, the equivalent concept is called "audiences," which not only allow you to create segments but also enable audience-based targeting for marketing purposes.

• UA's custom variables are replaced with "custom dimensions" and "custom metrics" in GA4. Custom dimensions provide additional context or information about your users or events, while custom metrics allow you to define and track custom numerical values.

• In UA, Source/Medium refers to the origin of traffic to your website or app, such as google/organic or newsletter/email. In GA4, Traffic Source provides similar information about the source and medium of user traffic.

• In UA, the bounce rate measures the percentage of single-page sessions without any interactions. In GA4, the engagement rate calculates the percentage of sessions with at least one event or interaction, providing a more comprehensive view of user engagement. The engagement rate is the opposite of the bounce rate, and represents the inverse of the previous metric you may be used to.