GA4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the current generation of Google's web analytics platform, replacing Universal Analytics (UA) which was officially sunsetted in July 2023. GA4 represents a fundamental shift in how web activity is measured, moving from a session-based model to an event-based model where every user interaction is tracked as an event.

In GA4, everything is an event. A page view? Event. A button click? Event. A video play, a file download, a form submission? All events. This event-driven architecture gives marketers much more flexibility in tracking custom interactions without the complex 'goals and funnels' setup that UA required.

GA4 also introduced several privacy-forward features: it doesn't store IP addresses, it uses machine learning to fill data gaps caused by cookie consent rejections, and it's designed to work in a world where third-party cookies are disappearing. The platform uses Google's AI to model conversions and user behaviour even when some data is missing due to privacy regulations.

The learning curve from Universal Analytics to GA4 was steep, and many marketers still struggle with the new interface and reporting structure. But GA4's exploration reports, funnel analysis tools, and audience building capabilities are genuinely more powerful once you understand them. The key mindset shift: stop thinking about pageviews and sessions, and start thinking about user journeys and events.