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GA4HELPER
by BEAST Analytics

GA4 Configuration Workbook

Complete your configuration workbook

GA4 Configuration Workbook

Your comprehensive guide to optimizing your Google Analytics 4 configuration

🚀 Before You Start

What you'll need:

  • • Access to your GA4 property admin section
  • • Your GA4 Helper Settings Check results
  • • About 30-45 minutes

✅ GA4 Helper's Settings Check's AUTOMATIC CHECKS

These are checked automatically by the Settings Checker, but it's good to understand.

Property Foundation

Data Retention: Set to 14 months (not 2-month default)
Key Events: 1-3 conversions marked (not 0, not 5+)
Google Signals: Status verified + privacy policy updated if enabled
Enhanced Measurement: Events enabled + related custom parameters registered
Google Ads Links: At least one account linked for attribution
Attribution Settings: Set to "Paid and Organic"
BigQuery Export: Free export enabled for data backup
Search Console: Google organic impression data is flowing properly

Data Quality Checks

Traffic Sources: Payment processors filtered as unwanted referrals
URL PII Detection: No emails/phone numbers in page paths
Site Search: Actually capturing search terms (not blanks)

🔍 MANUAL REVIEW CHECKLIST

The human judgment part that requires your business knowledge

CONFIGURATION TAB REVIEW

⏰ Timezone Settings

Current Setting: _____________________

Review Questions:

  • • Is this the same timezone as Meta Ads?
  • • Does this match your CRM timezone?
  • • Are all marketing platforms aligned?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

💰 Currency Settings

Current Setting: _____________________

Review Questions:

• Is this your main reporting currency?

🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

🏢 Business Industry

Current Setting: ______________________________________________________________

Review Questions:

• Does this actually align with your business?

🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

🌐 Cross-Domain Tracking

Current Domains Listed:

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Review Questions:

  • • Are ALL your subdomains listed?
  • • Any missing checkout or landing page domains?
  • • Are ALL your domains listed?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

EVENTS & TRACKING TAB REVIEW

🎯 Key Events

Current Key Events:

____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Review Questions:

  • • Do these TRULY match your business objectives?
  • • Could any of these events skew your key event rate?
  • • Are you missing any critical business actions?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

🔧 GA4 Created/Modified Events

Current created events:

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Condition: ___________________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Condition: ___________________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Condition: ___________________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Condition: ___________________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Condition: ___________________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Condition: ___________________________________________________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Condition: ___________________________________________________________________

Review Questions:

  • • Did a GA4 expert verify these?
  • • Were these auto-migrated from UA?
  • • Are they still relevant to current goals?
  • • Do you understand what each event/modification does?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

ATTRIBUTION TAB REVIEW

📊 Attribution Model

Current Model: ______________________________________________________________

Current Attribution Window: ________ Days

Review Questions:

  • • Do you understand how this model works?
  • • Does the conversion window match your sales cycle?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

INTEGRATIONS TAB REVIEW

🔌 Measurement Protocol Secrets

Current Secrets:

1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________

Review Questions:

  • • Are these set up correctly?
  • • Do you know what each one is used for?
  • • Are you seeing any data quality issues that could be attributed to one of these?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

CUSTOMIZATIONS TAB REVIEW

📏 Custom Dimensions

Current Dimensions (list first 10):

1. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
2. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
3. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
4. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
5. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
6. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
7. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
8. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
9. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________
10. Dimension Name: _________________________ Parameter Referenced: _________________________

Review Questions:

  • • Are you using ALL registered dimensions? Any old dimensions you can archive?
  • • Any missing parameters you send but forgot to register?
  • • Are dimension names clear and consistent?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

📈 Custom Metrics

Current Metrics (list first 5):

1. Metric Name: ____________________________ Parameter Referenced: ___________________________
2. Metric Name: ____________________________ Parameter Referenced: ___________________________
3. Metric Name: ____________________________ Parameter Referenced: ___________________________
4. Metric Name: ____________________________ Parameter Referenced: ___________________________
5. Metric Name: ____________________________ Parameter Referenced: ___________________________

Review Questions:

  • • Are you using ALL registered metrics? Any old metrics you can archive?
  • • Any missing parameters you send but forgot to register?
  • • Are metric names clear and consistent?
🎯 Action Required:

✍️ Notes:

📋 QUICK REFERENCE: GA4 ADMIN PATHS

Property Settings: Admin > Property > Property Settings

Enhanced Measurement: Admin > Data Streams > [Web Stream] > Enhanced Measurement

Measurement Protocol: Admin > Data Streams > [Web Stream] > Measurement Protocol API secrets

Cross-Domain: Admin > Data Streams > [Web Stream] > Configure Tag Settings > Configure your domains

Unwanted Referrals: Admin > Data Streams > [Web Stream] > Configure Tag Settings > Show more > List unwanted referrals

Google Signals: Admin > Data Collection and Modification > Data Collection

Data Retention: Admin > Data Collection and Modification > Data Retention

Key Events: Admin > Events

Attribution Settings: Admin > Events > In the events screen, click on "Attribution settings"

GA4 Created/Modified Events: Admin > Events > In the events screen, click on "Custom configurations"

Custom Dimensions and Metrics: Admin > Custom Definitions

Google Ads Links: Admin > Product Linking > Google Ads Links

Search Console Links: Admin > Product Linking > Google Ads Links

BigQuery: Admin > Product Linking > BigQuery Links

🔄 WHEN TO REPEAT THIS WORKBOOK

• Quarterly - Full comprehensive review

• After major website changes - Check tracking impact

• Before peak seasons - Ensure data accuracy for high-traffic periods

• After team changes - New people may have changed settings

• When data looks weird - Configuration drift investigation

📧 Questions about your results?

Check out BEAST Analytics for a professional GA4 audit or subscribe to the GA4 Helper Substack for ongoing GA4 best practices.

Last Updated: August 2025 | Works with current GA4 interface