Custom Dimensions and Metrics in Google Analytics

Google Analytics 4 surfaces a lot of the information collected from your website or app through dimensions and metrics. When you need to report on information that Analytics doesn't surface by default, you will need to create custom dimensions and metrics. In the previous video, you learned about custom events and event parameters. In this video, you'll learn about custom dimensions and metrics, why they're useful, and how to configure them on your website for a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property using the data from the custom event.
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
2:11 - Why you need a custom dimension
4:38 - Create a custom dimension
5:52 - Build an exploration using the custom dimension
8:05 - Conclusion
Resources:
Learn more about dimensions and metrics in Google Analytics → support.google.com/analytics/...
Learn more about custom dimensions and metrics in Google Analytics → support.google.com/analytics/...
Check out the demo code for this series → github.com/googleanalytics/ga...
Join the Google Analytics 4 Discord server → / discord
Subscribe to the Google Analytics channel → / googleanalytics
Instructor → / matt_landers
#googleanalytics #googleanalytics4 #googletagmanager #ga4tutorials #ga4tutorialseries #customdimensions #custommetrics #dimensionsmetrics

[@alex.nolasco]

Exactly what I was looking for custom events with parameters , thanks!

[@stephendisney7542]

Thanks for sharing. Really helpful

[@PrasenjitSarkarSingapore]

Brilliantly explained, Matt. Thanks. Now I don't need to watch any other video on creating custom dimensions and metrics. :)

[@user-rf5wg1ph9s]

Thanks Matt. You have a good cadence while teaching. Some others go so fast, it's mind boggling! Learned a lot.

[@vishalramchandani5579]

Agreed! This course is much better than their UA course.

[@shesthebethest]

I use forms from our email automation program and currently have different forms for different pages. I’m wondering if this changes the setup process in GTM. Could I theoretically have all of them coming into GA4 as one conversion type and then simply use the custom dimension to differentiate?

[@GregJarboeReal]

Very helpful.

[@AhmedRaza-ll5yv]

My custom dimensions (two of them Document Name and Document URL) are not showing any values in these reports their values are always "not set" even though are being tracked properly everywhere else on the GA4 dashboard and is showing values there but in these reports. I've waited over 24 hours after settings up my custom dimensions but I can't remember if I triggered any event after setting them up so now I've triggered some test events but I guess I've now have to wait another 24 hours?

[@GopinathWSE]

Thanks for the clear explanation. For my case, I have newly created a page in my application and I have created a tag with custom event, trigger and a variable for the custom event in the tag manager. Then i have try to create the GA4 custom dimensions in the event scope and in the event parameters my newly added parameters are not showing in the drop down. What am i missing here? can someone help?

[@raheelaquil7591]

What if I choose page_referrer if a submit button is on the page will it count under page_referrer as that submit button or a request a quote option on the page doesn't have any URL or page?

[@ravergian]

Hi there, the Event Parameter when you are creating the new Custom dimension is no longer showing FORM_ID, is showing FORM_NAME, is it the same?, or what could be the problem

[@sushantrajbanshi4508]

After adding a new custom dimension, does it still take 24-48 hours to fetch that dimension value from Realtime report ?

[@cityofatom]

So to confirm, we need to create custom dimensions for the event parameters that come by default in the "enhanced measurement" events with GA4?

[@alexanderkarsonis3784]

How to create buckets? Like IF session duration < 1min then '

[@frankyawopoku9728]

Thanks Brother👍🏾👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@xiaolo2008]

From the practice on my project, it seems that the "percentage of total" information only be shown if the concerned dimension is put in the Columns section, rather than the Rows section. Let me take the tutorial case for example. The Form ID dimension is put in the "Columns" section so that the percentage number is displayed, yet if the Form ID is put under Rows section then no percentage information will be displayed. The issue is that if you have a considerable types of form IDs, rather than 3 of them in the case, it'd be much easier to read if the form ID is displayed as rows instead of columns. I wonder if there are any ways that I can display the percentage of event count under the row dimension? Appreciate any helps!

[@digitaldepartment188]

Very help

[@rimagerhard5047]

I wish I had know to create the custom Dimension at the same time as the Custom Parameters. Ugh. Thank you for clarifying!

[@rahulpusdekar6051]

Thanx Matt

[@KA-ep9ik]

thanks for these lectures. they are really nice. just to suggest one thing, the music at the start of the lectures is very unpleasant to the ears because of its wavy pattern from one side ear to the another specially when you are wearing headphones. could you please change that. many thanks

[@yelesee]

perfect

[@maerosss]

6:09 love this :D

[@yashraji7]

thanks

[@PinguinPinguin]

Good Video, without it I wasn't able to analyse my data. Sadly I just created my custom dimension and can not analyse the last 3 years of data...

[@sumithmotla4362]

How to build a report after creating custom events to show PURCHASES & REVENUE I've created all the custom events using GTM as per the guidelines, and I've created custom definitions or dimensions too. Under Explore, I am able to see event counts for those respective events. But when I drag sales and revenue metrics, no number shows up. Why so? Example: Event Action: Video watched. I can see that in the last 30 days, 2500 users watched the video, and the event count is 2512 (so watched more than once). I know this video has helped many understand the product well, and people have converted. (I placed 5 test orders 7 days ago after I watched the video using a different IP.) The event action dimension went to row Event Count, Active Users, Transaction, Conversion, Purchases, Revenue went it to col Conversion, Purchases, and Revenue show 0." Why is this happening?

[@0426rana]

I wish you could have added the reminder about setting up custom dimensions when you helped in setting up the custom event and parameter! Just adds 24 hrs to the learning process :)

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

my event does not show up in the list at 3:59, but does show up in the events list from 3:17

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

having to wait 2 days after you create the custom event to see if it's working and if you did it correctly doesn't help either

[@hideous3467]

@@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr I have exactly the same issue. Did it eventually populate?

[@Simply_theresa]

@@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr - my event didn't show up either, and I realized that it's because the new custom event wasn't over Google's thresholding. I was only able to see it after I changed the Reporting Identity (under admin) to Device-Based temporarily.

[@miguelcota8132]

Love the legos man!

[@AwesomeRiya]

Unable to access Git

[@vijaykulshreshtha6641]

I am unable to see "form_id" event parameter to choose from drop down list.

[@SonicnCsedits]

Same

[@MikePaul-lr2xn]

@@SonicnCsedits I've followed all the steps so far, and yeah -- same. For me, nothing at all comes up in the dropdown list.

[@SonicnCsedits]

@@MikePaul-lr2xn i got the step

[@SonicnCsedits]

You have to create it again

[@MikePaul-lr2xn]

@@SonicnCsedits how I ended up getting this working with Squarespace, which uses a dynamic form_id, was to set the trigger to look at the URL/path instead (both work). On a simple site like mine, I have a Rates form and a Contact form; I don't have the same form (e.g. a signup form) on multiple pages of my website. So, it works for me. On a more complicated site where you could have the same form in multiple places, platforms like Squarespace make this an impossible task, at least on first glance.

[@mizanrifat]

Why so complex and so much time to wait?? it's super annoying.......

I also have the same impression. Analysis of values sent by events is something so basic and mandatory, especially for a platform like Google Analytics. I think this should be simpler and more automatic.

[@matinengleahy9059]

It’s complex because of how many things you are able to build using those building blocks of custom dimensions. If they were to show one simple scenario, every other possible scenario would not be applicable and would essentially be a pretty useless video. In essence, it’s teaching you how to fish rather than giving you a fish.

[@rakhichauhan5750]

Helpful! @seobureau756

[@user-ej4rs6rh4y]

How to build a report after creating custom events to show PURCHASES & REVENUE I've created all the custom events using GTM as per the guidelines, and I've created custom definitions or dimensions too. Under Explore, I am able to see event counts for those respective events. But when I drag sales and revenue metrics, no number shows up. Why so? Example: Event Action: Video watched. I can see that in the last 30 days, 2500 users watched the video, and the event count is 2512 (so watched more than once). I know this video has helped many understand the product well, and people have converted. (I placed 5 test orders 7 days ago after I watched the video using a different IP.) The event action dimension went to row Event Count, Active Users, Transaction, Conversion, Purchases, Revenue went it to col Conversion, Purchases, and Revenue show 0." Why is this happening?