Cross-domain tracking in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) pertains to monitoring users and their interactions across multiple domains.
By default, GA4 lacks the capability to monitor users and their interactions across different domains due to its utilization of first-party cookies, which are restricted to the domain of origin. Consequently, implementing cross-domain tracking must be done manually.
Cross-domain tracking becomes necessary in Google Analytics 4 when your session extends across multiple domains, aiming for Google Analytics to recognize sessions across various domains as one cohesive session.
Lacking cross-domain tracking setup, you’ll encounter difficulty in comprehending and monitoring a user’s journey across multiple domains.
Consider a scenario where you operate two distinct websites, each equipped with its own individual GA4 properties.Your aim is to establish cross-domain tracking between these sites.
Given Google’s recommendation to employ the same GA4 property and web data stream for cross-domain tracking, and considering your current setup with separate GA4 properties for each domain, integration into a single GA4 property becomes necessary.
Essentially, this entails reinstalling GA4 tracking for one of the domains involved in cross-domain tracking to ensure both domains utilize the same measurement ID.
However, this approach may not be feasible for many users who prefer maintaining separate GA4 properties for each domain and may find consolidation solely for cross-domain tracking impractical.
As an alternative, rather than merging two GA4 properties into one and reconfiguring GA4 tracking for one domain, it’s advisable to establish a third GA4 property exclusively dedicated to cross-domain tracking purposes.
If you encounter difficulties configuring cross-domain tracking or seek expert assistance in setting up your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) properties, conducting audits, testing cross-domain tracking, or visualizing data from multiple domains within the same data stream, feel free to reach out to SmartLi.
(not set) is displayed in the interface when a dimension being utilized in the report lacks a value, serving as a temporary placeholder. To resolve this, allow up to 48 hours for Google Analytics 4 to process data. Newly configured settings may take at least 24 to 48 hours before reflecting in the GA4 reports.
Source/Medium is (not set) in GA4
When accessing your Traffic Acquisition reports and selecting the Session Source / Medium dimension, encountering ‘(not set)’ indicates that such traffic will be categorized under the Unassigned session default channel group. There are several reasons for the absence of data in the Session source/medium labeled as “not set.”
Measurement protocol is not implemented correctly.Events sent to GA4 lack a correct session_id, especially if they’re sent without a timestamp_micros parameter when sent up to 72 hours in the past.
The session_id must correspond to a session previously tracked by GA4 on the website; otherwise, if randomly generated, the source/medium will appear as (not set). For events sent to the past, a valid session_id and accurate timestamp (with timestamp_micros parameter) reflecting when the session occurred on the site are essential.
Session_start event is missing. It can result in traffic-source-related dimensions, like Session source / medium, displaying a (not set) value. One possible cause is server-side tagging, where this event may be excluded from transmission to GA4. While other reasons for missing the session_start event remain unidentified, it’s typically a minor occurrence affecting only a small percentage of sessions. Although GA developers released fixes on November 2nd, 2023, the issue persists. Any updates on this matter will be reflected in this guide.
Audience triggers. Audience triggers in Google Analytics 4 initially seemed promising, enabling the creation of intricate audiences with automatic event dispatch upon visitor entry. However, there is a drawback: an increase in (not set) traffic sources. This inconsistency varies across properties and is particularly evident when audience triggers are linked to predictive audiences. In such cases, events may not be attributed to existing sessions, resulting in (not set) / (not set) for source/medium. Even standard audience triggers can contribute to this issue. Unfortunately, as audience triggers are managed within Google Analytics 4’s backend, there’s no direct solution. Users employing triggers should anticipate higher occurrences of (not set) traffic sources.
Check UTM parameters. Ordinarily, if these parameters are absent, GA4 will attribute the traffic source to direct, referral, or another trackable source. However, if the UTM parameters are incorrectly configured (e.g., with invalid syntax or missing values), it might encounter (not set) in traffic reports. It’s challenging to provide detailed advice due to the myriad of potential scenarios. Therefore, carefully review UTM parameters and the links shared across different channels by you and your marketing team to ensure they contain valid values.
Resolving ‘(not set)’ instances in Google Analytics 4 reports requires patience and thorough investigation. Whether it’s allowing sufficient time for data processing or checking the correctness of UTM parameters, attention to detail is key. Understanding the nuances behind ‘(not set)’ occurrences, whether related to session tracking, audience triggers, or UTM parameters, empowers users to enhance the accuracy and reliability of their analytics insights. SmartLi offers Google Analytics 4 (GA4) audits and training service to help businesses to ensure their data remains informative and actionable for making informed decisions.
Data retention in Google Analytics 4 pertains to its capacity to store user data for a defined duration, after which it is purged from the databases. GA4 collects and assesses visitor data, encompassing their behavior and interactions with websites, utilizing this information to generate default reports for streamlined analysis. However, to maintain user data privacy and regulatory adherence, periodic deletion of older data becomes imperative. Consequently, businesses may experience the loss of crucial historical data, thereby impacting their analytical capacities. This temporal duration for which GA4 preserves data is termed data retention.GA4 recently updated its Data rRetention settings, introducing separate retention periods for user data. The default retention period is set to 2 months, but it is advised to manually adjust it to 14 months in Google Analytics 4. Additionally, event-level data retention will automatically decrease to two months if they exceed 25 billion (for standard) or 250 billion (for 360) billable events in the last 31 days. Event-level data older than 2 months will be inaccessible and permanently deleted. This adjustment will impact only a limited number of Google Analytics properties.
User-Level Data vs Event-Level Data
User-level data is associated with a specific user and includes information about demographics (age, gender, location), preferences (communication, products, privacy) and more (recency, frequency, operating system).
Event-level data is associated with events (actions) that users take on a website or app and includes information about the type of event, when and where the event happened, and other details (such as session duration and conversions).
In GA4, both explorations and standard reports utilize user-level and event-level data. The key distinction is that explorations reports present raw data, while standard reports present aggregated data.
Takeaways
Regularly Downloading Historical Data: RWebsite owners are encouraged to schedule regular downloads of historical data, ideally every 6 to 12 months. For GA4 accounts with standard properties becoming to Large or 360 properties becoming XL, it is advisable to download historical data on a monthly basis. Failure to do so may result in the loss of significant historical data due to GA4’s data retention settings, impacting analytical capabilities and trend analysis.
Manual Adjustment of Data Retention Settings: Website owners are advised to modify their data retention settings manually, specifically extending the default retention period from 2 months to 14 months. This adjustment aims to retain a greater volume of data for analysis purposes, encompassing both user and event data retention.
Enable Reset User Data On New Activity: Activating this feature within the data retention configuration resets the designated time frame (ranging from 2 to 14 months) whenever a user revisits the website. Consequently, user data persists provided they revisit within the specified retention period.
Regularly Check Email Inbox: Google Analytics automatically sends notifications to website owners when their property nears or surpasses data retention thresholds. Between receiving the 2 emails, website owners can decrease the number of billable events sent to the Google Analytics 4 property, to ensure compliance with the current limits for property size and to maintain longer event-level retention.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has updated its data retention settings, introducing separate retention periods for user and event-level data. The default retention period is set to 2 months, but it is recommended to manually adjust it to 14 months for better data analysis. GA4 audit and training services are essential for website owners to manage their analytics effectively. Audit services ensure data accuracy by identifying discrepancies, while education services provide valuable resources for understanding and maximizing GA4 features, including setting up tracking and interpreting data.
The Google Ad Grant merges marketing and fundraising opportunities, empowering nonprofits to expand their missions and engage with broader audiences of donors, volunteers, and advocates. By providing eligible organizations with $10,000 in monthly ad credits, the program facilitates enhanced website traffic and online conversions.
At SmartLi, we specialize in managing Google Ad Grants for nonprofits, ensuring they maximize the benefits of the program. With expert guidance on current best practices, your nonprofit can efficiently connect with a wider audience of potential supporters.
What is Google Ad Grant?
The Google Ad Grant program offers a complimentary version of Google Ads tailored for specific charitable organizations. Unlike regular Google Ad accounts, which incur costs per ad click, participants in the Google Grant program can showcase their advertisements at no charge. This enables nonprofits to reduce their marketing expenditures. Eligible organizations receive $10,000 in monthly advertising credits, which automatically renew each month provided they adhere to program guidelines. These credits can be used to bid on various keywords and promote their website through text-based ads on SERPs related to those keywords.
The program’s overarching objective is to empower nonprofits to raise awareness for their causes. Since its inception in 2003, Google has provided over $10 billion in free advertising to more than 115,000 nonprofits across 51 countries. While the Google Ad Grant program itself is cost-free, establishing and maintaining your account will demand considerable time and effort.
To achieve genuine success, it’s essential to allocate staff resources to manage ad campaigns or enlist the services of a Google Ad Grants agency, such as SmartLi.
What Are the Google Grant Eligibility Requirements for Nonprofits?
To be eligible for Google Ad Grants in Canada, nonprofit organizations must adhere to the program’s universal criteria, which encompass:
Be An Eligible Nonprofit: Organizations must be registered as non-profits and possess a valid charity number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Additionally, verification by TechSoup is required to confirm nonprofit status.
Having a functioning website that provides valuable content on your nonprofit and mission: Nonprofits must maintain a functional website that offers valuable content related to their mission. All information promoted through Google Ad Grants must be hosted on the organization’s website. Google’s standard eligibility review includes requirements such as domain ownership, unique website content, and a detailed description of the organization’s mission and activities. Furthermore, advertising on the website must be pertinent to the nonprofit’s mission and cannot include Google AdSense or affiliate advertising links.
Which Organizations Are Not Eligible for Google Ad Grants?
Although the Google Ad Grants program is accessible to numerous nonprofits, certain exceptions exist. Ineligible entities for Google Ad Grants include:
Governmental entities and organizations
Hospitals and healthcare organizations
Schools, academic institutions, and universities—however, the fundraising arms of educational organizations are eligible!
What’s The Difference Between Google Ad Grants and A Regular Google Ads Account?
Google Grants
Regular Google Ads
Budget
Receive up to $10,000 per month without the need for a credit card, as payments are not deducted from the organization.
You can set your budget to any desired amount, depending on your credit card’s availability.
Auction Placement
Whenever your ads are competing with a standard account in an auction, they will appear below the paid account. Grants essentially fill the remaining slots in the auction.
Prioritized over Google Ads Grant accounts.
Placement Type
Restricted to text-based ads exclusively on Google Search.
Access to Google’s all placements including: display, video, shopping, and more.
Policies & Limitation
Google Ad Grants must adhere to an additional set of rules, including account recommendations and maintaining specific standard metrics to ensure account activity.
Out-of-Pocket Google Ads accounts that require payment must adhere to the standard advertising guidelines established by Google.
Benefits of Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits
1. Enhanced Website Engagement: Google Ad Grants enable you to guide visitors to the most relevant pages, thereby enhancing their user experience. By analyzing the search intent behind various keywords, you can identify the content that searchers will find most valuable.
2. Increased Online Conversions: With a well-planned Google Ad Grants management strategy, you can effectively promote key pages and forms to drive conversions, including donations, volunteer registrations, event sign-ups, and ticket sales.
3. Expanded Brand Visibility: Integrating Google Ad Grants into your communication strategies can significantly boost your online visibility. Strategically amplify your web content on Google to reach individuals who are most likely to support your cause, whether they are existing supporters or newcomers to your nonprofit.
4. Insights into Supporters’ Motivations: Leveraging Google Ad Grants allows you to track campaign performance through Google Analytics, providing insight into the specific actions users take once they visit your site. This data enables you to understand what motivates users to engage with your cause, empowering you to optimize the content promoted through Google Ad Grants and inspire more users to support your mission.
The Google Ad Grant program offers invaluable opportunities for nonprofits in Canada to expand their reach and engage with a wider audience of supporters. With $10,000 in monthly ad credits available, organizations can enhance their website traffic and drive online conversions. Also, a regular GA4 audit is essential to ensure optimal performance and adherence to program guidelines, ultimately enabling nonprofits to effectively leverage the benefits of the Google Ad Grants program. SmartLi specializes in managing Google Ad Grants for nonprofits, as well as offering GA4 audit and education services, providing expert guidance to maximize program benefits.
