[Avery]

Automating the creation of tags and triggers in Google Tag Manager (GTM) isn’t directly possible as GTM does not offer a feature that allows bulk creation or automatic generation. Each tag and trigger has to be configured manually based on specific needs. However, for speeding up this process, you can duplicate existing tags or triggers which saves some time. For this, you just need to select the tag or trigger you want to duplicate and modify as necessary. While GTM templates are useful in standardizing the configuration of tags, they do not directly assist in automation. Consider hiring a developer with GTM knowledge if your case is complex and needs advanced solutions for automation.

[Avery]

The person is trying to create a user_id in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) that is linked to Google BigQuery. They’ve used Google Tag Manager (GTM) to enhance GA4’s performance, linked GA4 and BigQuery, and successfully gathered site data in BigQuery. Then, they tried to pass user_id to dataLayer by adding a certain bit of code to the HEADER section above gtm.js. However, they’re unsure if using a string (USER_ID) at this stage may lead to incorrect results. They’ve also created a dataLayer variable and adjusted the GTM code accordingly.

Yet, the results they’ve received aren’t as expected. For instance, while they hoped to generate a specific comparison, the results turned out differently. They also anticipated the addition of a new user_id column in BigQuery, which hasn’t happened. It’s unclear whether they could be missing a step or overseeing something, or if it’s even feasible to pass the user_id from the frontend to the backend in the way they had envisioned.

They are seeking advice to clarify these concerns and any insights into their process would be highly appreciated.

[Avery]

Unfortunately, the “Google Analytics ID” for Chrome Extensions requires the older UA-XXXX format from Universal Analytics, and can’t directly use the newer GA4 ID format of G-XXXX. Currently, there seems to be no direct solution for using the GA4 ID with Chrome Extensions. What you could do is to set up a new Universal Analytics property as a work-around to get a UA-XXXX ID. Then you can use that UA-XXXX ID in the Chrome extension. It’s also suggested to reach out to Google Support to see if there are updates or further work-arounds to allowing newer GA4 ID usage within Chrome Extensions.

[Avery]

In the latest version of Google Analytics (GA4), you can still keep track of the real-time URLs that visitors are viewing but the process is slightly different as compared to the previous versions. The ‘Top Active Pages’ feature is replaced by ‘Active Users’ in the Realtime section. Firstly, make sure you are in the correct property of Google Analytics. Then, go to the menu on the left and click on ‘Realtime’. Now, you’ll find ‘Active users on Page or Screen’. This section will show you the real-time view of pages that visitors are currently viewing. As such, GA4 continues to provide real-time insights into visitor behavior, though the feature names and navigation pathways have been altered.

[Avery]

The pricing for Google Analytics Data API after exceeding the free quota isn’t explicitly stated on the Google Analytics website and is not straightforward. Once you cross the free quota, Google may charge you based on how much you exceed. However, there isn’t a concrete cost per additional row of data. If you find that you’re regularly exceeding the quota, it is advisable to reach out to Google’s sales or support team to discuss a pricing structure that would fit your needs. Sometimes they can give you a better idea of what the cost will be, or they might even be able to provide a custom solution. Always keep an eye on your usage to avoid unexpected charges and take advantage of setting up billing alerts to get notified when you might be exceeding your limits.

[Avery]

In Google Analytics, the “Landing Page” dimension by default only includes the path and query string, not the full domain name. However, if you wish to include the full path with the domain name, there is a solution for it. With the previous version of Google Analytics, GA3 (also known as Universal Analytics), there are online instructions available that can help you with this. The link provided will guide you on how to do it step-by-step. By following these instructions, instead of just seeing “/foo” in your landing pages, you should be able to record and view complete links such as “www.google.com/foo.” This way, you get a more detailed view of your landing pages. Let me know if these instructions work for you!

[Avery]

Currently, the Google Analytics 4 (GA4) API does not offer the same capacity for pulling assisted conversion paths data as was possible with the Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API for Universal Analytics (UA). GA4 interacts differently with data sources because it has a more user-centric focus rather than session-centric. Therefore, it introduces the “first user source” and “session source” categories. As it stands, to manage and analyze data similar to assisted conversions, you might need to devise a new method that effectively addresses the structural differences between GA4 and UA. This could potentially involve creating new models for visualizing user interactions or alternate ways of attributing conversions to different touch-points. However, GA4 is still developing and Google may introduce additional functionality to the API in the future.

[Avery]

Hey there! So with GA4, the data you’ve been accessing so far, like dimensions and metrics, typically comes from the Data API. That’s great for getting report-like data.

However, if you’re trying to access settings from a GA4 property or account, you need to switch gears a bit and use the Admin API instead.

Good news though: there’s a trove of Python samples for the GA4 admin API available you can check out and start from [here](https://github.com/googleapis/python-analytics-admin/tree/main/samples).

And guess what? Here’s another [sample code](https://github.com/googleapis/python-analytics-admin/blob/380b4264003b17b802b7099b98837694cd0b87d1/samples/generated_samples/analyticsadmin_v1alpha_generated_analytics_admin_service_get_data_retention_settings_sync.py) I’ve found that might be just what you’re looking for. It’s supposed to retrieve data retention settings, which sounds like what you’re after.

Just a heads-up though, when you’re using the Admin API, take extra care! You could unintentionally change settings or even delete properties – definitely want to avoid that. Happy coding!