Understanding User Acquisition Sources in Google Analytics 4
Knowing where your users come from is fundamental to understanding your marketing effectiveness and allocating resources efficiently. We'll show you how to create a detailed report in Google Analytics 4 that breaks down your user base by their traffic sources, helping you identify which channels are bringing in the most users and deserve more attention or optimization.Basic Report Structure
- Report Type: Free Form Exploration
- Primary Dimension: Session source / medium
- Secondary Dimension: Session campaign
- Metrics: Total users, New users, Engaged sessions
- Visualization: Table format with optional bar chart
Steps to Create the Report
- Open GA4 and navigate to Explore section
- Click the Blank template to start a new exploration
- Under the Dimensions click the + button and search for Session source / medium and Session campaign, check the checkbox beside them and click Confirm
- Under the Metrics click the + button and search for Total users, New users, and Engaged sessions, check the checkbox beside them and click Confirm
- Drag Session source / medium to the Rows section of your report
- Drag Total users, New users, and Engaged sessions to the Values section
- Optional: Add Session campaign as a secondary dimension by dragging it below Session source / medium in the Rows section
- Set your desired date range in the report settings
- Add a filter if you want to focus on specific sources
Important Dimensions and Metrics
- Session source / medium: Shows where users came from (e.g., google/organic, facebook/cpc)
- Session campaign: Identifies specific marketing campaigns driving traffic
- Total users: The total number of users from each source
- New users: First-time visitors from each source
- Engaged sessions: Sessions that lasted longer than 10 seconds or had a conversion
Actionable Insights
- Identify your top-performing traffic sources and increase investment in these channels
- Compare engagement rates between different sources to optimize marketing spend
- Analyze which sources bring in the most new users vs. returning users
- Use the data to adjust your marketing mix and budget allocation
- Monitor campaign performance across different sources to optimize messaging
Answers Similar Questions
- How to track traffic sources in GA4
- Google Analytics 4 user acquisition report
- GA4 source/medium analysis
- Track marketing channels in Google Analytics
- GA4 traffic source dashboard setup
