Creating a Property View in Google Analytics 4
To create a property view in Google Analytics 4 to utilize analytics in your map, follow the steps below:
1. Go to Admin and select your account. If you have more than one account, be sure to select the correct one.
2. Under the Property column, select the Create Property button at the top.
3. Name the property and be sure to select a name that is easily identified. For example: “Concept3D University Map”. Select the proper time zone. Select Next at the bottom of the page.
4. Enter business details specific to your organization. Select Create.
5. Next, set up the data stream. Select the Web button.
6. Enter “map.concept3d.com” in the Website URL box and add a name for the data stream. Again, be sure to make it something easily identifiable like “Concept3D University Map”. Once this information is complete, select Create Stream.
7. We recommend leaving the default Enhanced measurement settings toggled on. However, if there are Enhanced Measurements you would like to NOT track, select the Settings icon and toggle off any areas you would like Google not to track.
8. Your new property and data stream are complete! Take note of your Measurement ID. You will need to entered this in the map CMS under the Options tab in the field titled Google Analytics 4 Measurement ID.
9. Once your Property and Data Stream are setup, you'll want to extend the Data Retention setting for your property. In the Admin page, open Data collection and modifications and click into Data retention.
10. Set the Event data retention to 14 months. Google Analytics will retain your data for this period!
11. After your data retention policy is extended, you'll want to add a few Custom Dimensions to capture specific Concept3D attributes. In the Admin page under Data display, open Custom Definitions and click Create Custom Dimensions.
12. There is one main Custom Dimension you'll want to add: Event Label. Universal Analytics had an Event Label dimension, and this legacy data is still available in event_label in Google Analytics 4. Add the following information and hit save to capture this data.
13. If you have multiple Map instances tracking visitor data to one Google Analytics 4 Property, you'll want to capture one more Custom Dimension: Map ID. Add the following information and hit save to capture this event_category legacy data.
Here is a quick table view of the custom dimensions available to add to your setup to ensure you capture all information. Technically you can choose to customize the name and description, but the event parameter MUST be consistent.
Dimension Name | Scope | Description | Event Parameter |
Map ID | Event | The Map ID where the event took place. (Only relevant for multi-map customers) | event_category |
Event Label | Event | Specific details about the event that occurred |
event_label
|
Event URL | Event | event_url |
14. Once these Custom Dimensions are setup, you'll be able to filter and see things like locations and which maps are seeing the most engagement!
More information on what we track can be found in the article: Interactive Map Google Analytics Overview