Proper user management in Google Analytics 4 is crucial for maintaining data security, ensuring appropriate access, and preventing accidental configuration changes. This guide will help you implement role-based access control tailored to your organization’s size and needs.
Understanding GA4 Access Levels
GA4 offers four primary access levels, each with specific permissions:
1. Admin (Highest Access)
Permissions include:
Full control over the account, properties, and data streams
Manage users and their access levels
Configure all settings and integrations
Delete properties or the entire account
Access all reports and create explorations
Risk level: High – Admins can make irreversible changes, including property deletion.
2. Editor
Permissions include:
Create and edit audiences, conversions, and custom dimensions
Configure data streams and measurement settings
Link to Google Ads and other Google products
Create and share explorations
Cannot manage user access or delete properties
Risk level: Medium – Editors can change configurations that affect data collection.
3. Analyst
Permissions include:
Create and share explorations and reports
Create audiences for analysis purposes
View all data and reports
Cannot change property settings or data collection
Risk level: Low – Analysts can view data but cannot alter configurations.
4. Viewer (Lowest Access)
Permissions include:
View reports and dashboards
View (but not create) explorations shared with them
Cannot modify any settings or create resources
Access to read-only data
Risk level: Minimal – Viewers can only consume information.
User Role Implementations by Business Size
For Solopreneurs (1 person)
When you’re a team of one, role management is straightforward, but still important for security.
Recommended Structure:
Admin Role (1 account): Your primary Google account
Editor Role (optional): A separate account for day-to-day work to prevent accidental changes
Example Setup:
Admin: your-primary-email@gmail.com (used rarely, for major changes only)
Editor: your-work-email@gmail.com (used for regular analytics work)
Best Practices:
Use different browsers or incognito mode when accessing Admin vs. Editor accounts
Enable 2-factor authentication on your Admin account
Document your configuration decisions in a secure location
Consider giving a trusted advisor Viewer access for consultation
Time Investment: 30 minutes to set up
For Small Businesses (2-10 people)
With a small team, clear role delineation becomes important to prevent configuration issues.
Recommended Structure:
Admin Role (1-2 people): Owner/digital marketing manager
Editor Role (1-2 people): Marketing specialist, webmaster
Analyst/Viewer Role (remainder): Other marketing team members, executives
No Documentation: Maintain clear records of who has access and why.
Skipping Training: Users with Editor or Admin access should be trained on the implications of their changes.
Ignoring Governance: Even small organizations need basic governance rules for analytics.
Role-Specific Training Topics
Role
Essential Training Topics
Admin
Property configuration, data governance, security best practices, advanced troubleshooting, recovery procedures
Editor
Event configuration, audience creation, conversion setup, data stream management, Google Ads linking
Analyst
Exploration techniques, audience segmentation, report creation, data interpretation, dashboard development
Viewer
Report navigation, dashboard interpretation, exploration viewing, asking effective questions about the data
Conclusion
Proper GA4 user role management is a foundational element of analytics governance. By implementing appropriate access levels based on your organization’s size and needs, you’ll maintain data security while ensuring team members have the access they need to perform their jobs effectively.
Remember that user management is not a one-time setup but an ongoing process that should evolve with your organization. Regular audits and clear documentation will help maintain the integrity of your analytics implementation.
Next Steps: After implementing proper user roles, consider developing a GA4 tracking plan that aligns with your organizational structure and analytics objectives.
Are you staring at your GA4 dashboard wondering where all your familiar metrics went? You’re not alone. Since Google forced the migration from Universal Analytics, countless businesses and analysts have been struggling to extract meaningful insights from what feels like an entirely new platform. But here’s the truth: conducting a traditional “audit” of your GA4 implementation might be missing the point entirely.
What you really need is a complete reonboarding experience—a fresh start that rebuilds your analytics foundation from the ground up. In this ultimate guide, we’ll walk you through every critical stage of properly reestablishing your GA4 implementation, from fundamental data retention settings to complex compliance requirements and seamless data pipeline integration. Stop patching up a broken system and start fresh with a proper GA4 reonboarding.
GA4 Reonboarding Part 1: Foundation & Basic Setup (Total time: 3-4 hours)
Introduction (5 minutes)
Welcome to the first part of our comprehensive GA4 reonboarding guide. In this section, we’ll establish a solid foundation for your GA4 implementation. Unlike a traditional audit that simply identifies issues, this reonboarding approach rebuilds your analytics from the ground up. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a properly configured GA4 property that delivers reliable data and insights.
GA4 Foundation Checklist: Information You’ll Need Before Starting
Before beginning your GA4 reonboarding process, gather the following information to ensure smooth implementation. Consider scheduling brief meetings with relevant stakeholders to collect this data:
Business Requirements (Meeting with Leadership/Marketing)
[ ] Key business objectives for your analytics implementation
[ ] Primary KPIs and conversion goals
[ ] List of all digital properties (websites, apps, subdomains)
[ ] Reporting needs and stakeholders who need dashboard access
Technical Information (Meeting with IT/Development)
[ ] List of internal IP addresses to filter
[ ] All domains requiring cross-domain tracking
[ ] Site search query parameters
[ ] Server-side capabilities assessment
[ ] User ID implementation possibilities
[ ] Existing data layer structure (if any)
Privacy & Legal Requirements (Meeting with Legal)
[ ] Data retention requirements for your industry/region
[ ] GDPR/CCPA compliance needs
[ ] Consent management solution in place
[ ] User data anonymization requirements
[ ] Any prohibited data collection (PII, sensitive categories)
Admin & Access Management (Meeting with Stakeholders)
[ ] List of all users requiring analytics access
[ ] Role assignments for each user (admin, editor, analyst, viewer)
[ ] Google Groups structure (if applicable)
[ ] Documentation requirements and storage location
[ ] Change management procedures
Integration Requirements (Meeting with Marketing Tech)
This checklist ensures you have all necessary information before beginning the implementation process. Schedule these meetings early to prevent delays during the reonboarding process.
Next Steps: Review your implementation against our checklist, document any custom
Understanding the GA4 Data Model (15 minutes)
GA4’s event-based model differs fundamentally from Universal Analytics’ session-based approach. Let’s clarify these differences:
Event-Based vs. Session-Based: In GA4, everything is an event. Even pageviews are now events called “page_view.” This shift allows for more flexibility but requires a different mental model.
User-Centric Focus: GA4 prioritizes users across devices and platforms rather than sessions.
Parameters Instead of Categories: UA used category/action/label for events; GA4 uses events with parameters.
Action step: Review your current data needs and map how they translate to GA4’s event model. Create a simple table listing key UA metrics and their GA4 equivalents.
Account Structure Review (20 minutes)
An optimal account structure ensures clean data organization:
Property Assessment: Determine if you need multiple properties (separate websites/apps) or if a single property with data streams is sufficient.
Data Stream Configuration:
For each website, set up a web data stream
For each mobile app, set up an app data stream
For offline data, consider measurement protocol setup
Action step: Draw your ideal GA4 account structure on paper, then implement it in the GA4 interface. Go to Admin > Property > Data Streams to configure.
Data Retention Settings (5 minutes)
GA4’s default data retention is only 2 months for user-level data:
Navigate to Admin > Property > Data Settings > Data Retention
Change from 2 months to 14 months (maximum in standard GA4)
Toggle “Reset user data on new activity” based on your needs:
ON: Resets the retention period when users return
OFF: Data is deleted after the specified period regardless of activity
Action step: Set data retention to 14 months unless you have specific privacy requirements for shorter retention.
Basic Configuration Essentials (30 minutes)
Timezone and Currency Setup (5 minutes)
Go to Admin > Property Settings
Set appropriate reporting time zone
Set default currency for revenue reporting
Automated Link Tagging (5 minutes)
Navigate to Admin > Property > Enhanced Measurement
Enable “Outbound clicks” to track traffic to external sites
Enable “Site search” with the correct search query parameter (often “q” or “s”)
Campaign Timeout Settings (5 minutes)
Go to Admin > Property > Data Settings > Data Collection
Set appropriate session timeout (default: 30 minutes)
Configure campaign timeout settings:
Campaign timeout: 30-90 days recommended
Google Ads linking: If applicable
Google Signals Activation (5 minutes)
Go to Admin > Property > Data Settings > Data Collection
Enable Google signals to get cross-device reporting capabilities
Action step: Create a checklist of these settings and mark each as you complete them.
User Access Management & Administrative Best Practices (45 minutes)
User Access Control (15 minutes)
Proper access control is essential for data security and governance:
Audit Current Users:
Go to Admin > Account/Property/View Access Management
Review all users with access to your analytics
Remove inactive users or those who no longer need access
Create Google Groups for different access levels (e.g., “Analytics Admins,” “Marketing Analysts”)
Add users to these groups rather than granting individual access
This simplifies management when team members change
Action step: Create a spreadsheet documenting each user, their role, and their access level. Implement access through Google Groups where possible.
Administrative Best Practices (30 minutes)
Change History Monitoring:
Go to Admin > Account > Change History
Review recent changes to identify unauthorized modifications
Document major configuration changes
Admin Account Security:
Enable 2-factor authentication for all admin users
Use a password manager for complex, unique passwords
Consider using a dedicated admin email that multiple authorized people can access
Backup Configuration:
Document all critical settings in a secure location
Consider using the GA4 API to export your configuration
Create a recovery plan for account access issues
Regular Access Audits:
Schedule quarterly reviews of all users with access
Verify that departed employees have been removed
Check that access levels still match job responsibilities
Notification Settings:
Configure email notifications for critical alerts
Go to Admin > Account > Settings > Notifications
Assign at least two people to receive critical alerts
Documentation Standards:
Maintain a central repository of GA4 implementation documents
Include naming conventions for events, parameters, and custom dimensions
Document decisions about configuration choices
Action step: Create an administrative calendar with scheduled tasks for account maintenance and a GA4 governance document that outlines roles, responsibilities, and documentation standards.
Internal Traffic Filters (20 minutes)
Filter out your company’s traffic to ensure clean data:
Collect internal IP addresses from your IT department
Create an internal traffic parameter:
Go to Admin > Data Streams > select your web stream
Click “Configure tag settings”
Under “Define internal traffic”, add your IP ranges
Alternatively, use Google Tag Manager to set an internal traffic parameter.
Action step: Test your internal filter by verifying in the DebugView that your own traffic is properly tagged.
Cross-Domain Tracking Setup (20 minutes)
If you have multiple domains that users move between:
Go to Admin > Data Streams > select your web stream
Click “Configure tag settings”
Under “Configure your domains”, add all domains you want to track together
Enable “Allow automatic cookie updates across domains”
Action step: Test cross-domain tracking by navigating between your domains and confirming in DebugView that the same client ID is maintained.
Enhanced Measurement Toggles (15 minutes)
GA4 offers automatic tracking of common events:
Go to Admin > Data Streams > select your web stream
Click “Enhanced Measurement” (toggle on/off as needed):
Page views (keep on)
Scrolls (recommended on)
Outbound clicks (recommended on)
Site search (on if you have search functionality)
Video engagement (on if you have embedded videos)
File downloads (on if you offer downloadable content)
Action step: Create a document explaining which enhanced measurements are enabled and why.
Basic GA4 Debugging Techniques (30 minutes)
Verify your implementation is working correctly:
DebugView Setup:
Install the Google Analytics Debugger Chrome extension
Or add “?debug_mode=1” to your URL to enable debugging
Real-Time Reports:
Go to Reports > Realtime
Visit your website in another tab to verify data collection
Event Validation:
Check that essential events like page_view appear in DebugView
Verify parameters are correctly formatted
Action step: Create a testing protocol document that outlines the steps to validate your implementation. Include screenshots of successful debug output.
Conclusion (5 minutes)
Congratulations! You’ve completed the foundation of your GA4 reonboarding. These settings form the backbone of reliable analytics data. In Part 2, we’ll build on this foundation by implementing a comprehensive event tracking strategy using Google Tag Manager.
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