[Gabriel]

There could be a few reasons for these IDs showing up in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) even though the website is not using Google Tag Manager (GTM). It’s possible that the site implemented GA4 without GTM and hard-coded its tracking capabilities in the site’s code itself. Alternatively, they could be using another Tag Management System, which is not Google’s. Also, there could be a server-side implementation where these IDs are being passed along to GA4. Basically, when a user logs into the website, the server could be sending these details of client ID, affinity ID, and customer ID to GA4 as part of the payload of the event API call. As for the lack of a GTM tag, it is possible that it was removed or never implemented, especially if the website did a direct integration with GA4.

[Gabriel]

Once you have the accountTicketId, you can use it to navigate to the Google Analytics Terms of Service page. Usually, this is done by constructing a URL that includes the accountTicketId. After accepting Google’s Terms and Conditions, your Google Analytics account will be successfully created. Remember to note down the accountTicketId as it is essential for the setup process. The next steps would typically involve configuring your account, setting up any user properties, or any additional settings that you might need for your specific analytical requirements.

[Gabriel]

Absolutely, I’ve been in your shoes too and understand the confusion. I took a deep dive and analyzed a single day’s worth of data from BigQuery in Google Sheets. What I noticed was that the results I got with the GA4BigQuery code matched what I got in BigQuery, but there was a stark difference with the GA4 data. This was particularly noticeable with lower traffic pages.

Also, the counts I got for ’email’ as a source in event parameters, ea_tracking_id, and traffic_source fields were consistently lower than what GA4 reported. I tested it on my development site as well where I know the exact number of sessions that have ’email’ as a source. Although GA4 reported it correctly, BigQuery was once again off the mark.

My conclusion? The issue doesn’t lie in the SQL queries or the tagging, but in the GA4 data source in BigQuery. It’s like Google is randomly attributing some of the traffic to ‘not set’. I’ve taken this up with Google and hoping for a solution. Apologies that I couldn’t provide an immediate fix.

[Gabriel]

It sounds like somewhere within your system, new event types are being introduced without your knowledge, which is causing confusion. This could be due to different applications or plugins installed on your website or system that are automatically sending these events. To find out where these events are coming from, you should locate your tracking code on your site, as this is likely where these events originate. By reviewing the place where the tracking code is implemented, you may be able to pinpoint the source of these unexpected events and adjust the code or settings to stop them happening in the future. You might also want to check with other people who may have access to make changes in order to uncover any recent activity that could explain these new events. If that doesn’t help, you might have to consult with a professional who understands code and systems integration.