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When using custom events with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and BigQuery, the “items” array will not auto-fill unless the event explicitly includes item data. Google’s built-in events have specific expected parameters (like ‘items’ for ecommerce events), and because of this, setting up a custom event using the same naming convention will not necessarily make GA4 treat it exactly the same way as a predefined one.
The varied representation you’re seeing between recommended events and custom events is indeed because the recommended events automatically register item data when it’s present, while custom events do not.
As for a workaround on the 20 character limit for parameter values, you could split up your larger values across multiple parameters, making sure each one is below the limit, and then combining them back together in your analyses within BigQuery.
However, do keep in mind that GA4 and BigQuery are mainly designed to work with structured data rather than large strings of information in single cells, and may not be the most suitable solution depending on the specific requirements of your project.
