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 Settings 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 legacy data from Universal Analytics. In the Admin page, 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 avaiable 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 occured |
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!
Migrating a Property View from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4
If you already have a Universal Analytics property setup in Google Analytics, you can migrate it to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) using these steps.
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 Universal Analytics property from the dropdown that was created for your map.
3. Click on GA4 Setup Assistant.
4. Under I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property, select Get Started.
5. Select Create Property. This will create a new GA4 property and copy over the previous Universal Analytics property settings.
6. To find the new GA4 Measurement ID (similar to the Property ID in Universal Analytics), select See your GA4 property to enter the GA4 Setup Assistant.
7. Under the Property column, select Data Streams.
8. A list of data streams will open. Select the one that is associated with the map.
9. Note the Measurement ID. This will need to be entered in your CMS under the Options tab in the field titled Google Analytics 4 Measurement ID.
Creating a Property View in Universal Analytics
To create a property view to find the map analytics easier in your Google Analytics account, follow the steps below:
1. Create a property for map.concept3d.com
2. Go to Show Advanced Options
3. Click the option to Create a Universal Analytics Property
4. Once in the Universal Analytics property view, copy the map URL you wish to track. Then check the option for Create a Universal Analytics property only.
5. Save your view