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How Cross-Domains measurement help us unite customer journey
Cross-domain measurement in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) allows for unified tracking across multiple domains. This is particularly useful for businesses that operate across different domains, such as a main website and a separate shopping cart domain. The guide is designed for GA4 users; if you’re using Universal Analytics, a different guide is available.
Benefits
- Unified User Tracking: Cross-domain measurement allows you to track a single user’s activity across multiple domains, providing a more holistic view of the customer journey.
- Enhanced Data Accuracy: By tracking users across domains, you avoid the issue of counting a single user as multiple users when they navigate between your domains.
- Customization: GA4 allows you to set up cross-domain measurement via the Admin page, providing a more user-friendly experience compared to coding it manually.
Take in consideration.
- Technical Complexity: The setup may require a certain level of technical expertise, especially if you’re migrating from Universal Analytics.
- Cookie Consent: The feature relies on first-party cookies, which means you’ll need user consent to comply with privacy regulations like GDPR.
Key Features
Cookies and IDs
- GA4 uses first-party cookies to set IDs for each unique user and session.
- Without cross-domain measurement, new cookies with new IDs are created for each domain a user visits.
- With cross-domain measurement, cookies retain the same IDs as they pass from one domain to another.
Setup via Admin
- You need the Editor role to set up cross-domain measurement in GA4.
- You can create up to 100 conditions for your cross-domain measurement setup.
Manual Setup
- GA4 also allows for manual setup through the gtag.js API, although using the Admin interface is recommended.
Verification
- To verify that cross-domain measurement is working, you can check the URL parameters on your website.
Troubleshooting
- Issues like URL redirects and conflicts with other scripts on your website can affect cross-domain measurement.
For marketers and decision-makers, understanding cross-domain measurement in GA4 is crucial for a more comprehensive view of customer behaviour, especially if your business operates across multiple domains. However, be prepared for the technical aspects of the setup and ensure you are compliant with privacy regulations.
How to Configure Cross-Domain Measurement in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Access the Admin Panel
- Log in to your Google Analytics 4 account and navigate to the Admin panel.
2. Locate Data Streams
- In the Admin panel, click on “Data Streams” under the “Property” column.
3. Select Web Data Stream
- Click on “Web” and then select the web data stream you want to configure for cross-domain measurement.
4. Configure Tag Settings
- Scroll down to the bottom and click on “Configure tag settings.”
5. Configure Your Domains
- In the “Settings” section, click on “Configure your domains.”
6. Add Domains
- If Google has automatically detected domains, they will show up in the “Recommendations” section. To accept a recommendation, click “Add.”
- To manually add a domain, click “Add condition” under “Include domains that match the following conditions.”
- Choose a match type.
- Under “Domain,” enter the identifier for the domain you want to match (e.g., example.com).
7. Save Configuration
- After adding all the domains you want to include in cross-domain measurement, click “Save.”
Benefits
- User-Friendly: The Admin panel provides a straightforward way to set up cross-domain measurement.
- Flexibility: You have the option to manually add domains or accept Google’s automatic recommendations.
Take in Consideration
- Limited to Editor Role: Only users with the Editor role can set up cross-domain measurement.
- Potential for Errors: Manual entry of domains could lead to mistakes if not done carefully.
Additional Notes
- You can add more domains on your cross-domain measurement setup.
- If you’re also using Universal Analytics, you can apply the same domains you’ve identified in your Universal Analytics setup to your GA4 setup.
By following these steps, marketers and decision-makers can ensure that their GA4 setup accurately tracks user behaviour across multiple domains. However, it’s important to be cautious during the manual setup to avoid errors and to ensure that you have the necessary permissions to make these changes.
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Reference: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10071811?hl=en
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