Table of Contents
Why this matters
It’s important to address (data not available) and (not set) in Reports, we need accurate source attribution underpins every ROI calculation, channel-mix decision and budget reallocation. Two placeholder values in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) can undermine that accuracy:
| Placeholder | Typical trigger | User control | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| (data not available) | GA4 has received data for a dimension but has not finished processing it | None – GA4 updates event-level rows automatically once processing completes | Only the Source and Medium traffic-source dimensions |
| (not set) | GA4 has received no information for a dimension | Yes – almost always a configuration or tagging issue | Any dimension |
Understanding “(data not available)”
- Appears mainly in Source and Medium because those dimensions require post-collection attribution processing.
- Seen more often in Intraday reports, daily reports usually repopulate once 24-hour processing has finished.See data not available on Google
- Event-level rows can update for up to 12 days, but user- or session-level rows stay unchanged.
- Common causes include lengthy processing windows, an over-represented User ID (e.g., one hard-coded ID applied to many users) and rare system failures in retrieving advertising IDs.Ajuda do Google
Implication for CMOs – treat “(data not available)” as temporary noise. Reporting should wait until processing stabilises, especially before executive reviews.
Understanding “(not set)”
- GA4 inserts the placeholder whenever no value is supplied for the requested dimension.See not set help on Google
- Typical root causes:
- Google Ads account not linked to GA4.
- Auto-tagging disabled.
- UTM parameters are absent, incomplete, or misspelt on manually tagged URLS.
- GA4 tag in Google Tag Manager is not firing on Initialisation – All pages are missing, causing the
session_startevent to be missing. - No
page_viewevent in the session (leads to “Landing page = (not set)”). - Empty or poorly configured custom parameters such as
content_groupor a custom User ID dimension. See User id in Google Analytics help
Implication for CMOs – persistent “(not set)” values point to gaps in tagging strategy that can distort channel and campaign performance metrics.
Action checklist for marketing teams
| Priority | Action | Placeholder addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Link every active Google Ads account to GA4 and confirm auto-tagging is on | (not set) |
| 2 | Enforce a UTM naming standard; validate URLS with Google’s Campaign URL Builder before launch | (not set) |
| 3 | In Google Tag Manager, set the GA4 configuration tag to Initialisation – All pages to guarantee session_start | (not set) |
| 4 | Audit the first event in a session for missing parameters (e.g., content_group) | (not set) |
| 5 | Avoid registering User ID as a custom dimension unless absolutely required; ensure uniqueness if used | (not set) |
| 6 | Schedule reporting after the data-freshness window (24 hours or more) to reduce “(data not available)” noise | (data not available) |
| 7 | Monitor the share of “(data not available)” in Intraday reports; flag spikes but do not adjust attribution until GA4 re-processes | (data not available) |
Key take-aways for CMOs
- “(data not available)” indicates GA4’s processing timeline and should clear automatically; budget decisions should be based on post-processing data.
- “(not set)” indicates implementation debt; if ignored, it can misuse spending across channels and campaigns.
- A disciplined tagging and linking regime eliminates most “(not set)” rows, ensuring trustworthy attribution models.
References (APA 7)
Google. (n.d.). [GA4] What the value (data not available) means in your reports. Analytics Help. Retrieved 30 April 2025, from https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/15509398
Google. (n.d.). [GA4] What the value (not set) means in your reports. Analytics Help. Retrieved 30 April 2025, from https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892
See our article in our blog about (not set) in Google Analytics 4
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