Views in Universal Analytics provide a way to filter data, and report on and restrict access to subsets of data. However, Google Analytics 4 properties do not have reporting views. This article shows how you can effect those things in a Google Analytics 4 property.
Filtering data
Google Analytics 4 filters are applied at the property level, and affect data from all data streams in that property. All reports for a property use the same filtered data.
Universal Analytics filters are applied at the view level and affect only the data in that view. You can have multiple views in a single property, each with different filters applied. The reports for each view are affected only by the filters for that view.
Currently, Google Analytics 4 offers filters to either include or exclude internal traffic and developer traffic.
Universal Analytics offers a wider variety of filters, including search-and-replace, geography, social network, and more advanced options.
The following table outlines the various Google Analytics 4 features that effect the same or similar outcomes as Universal Analytics filters.
| Google Analytics 4 | Universal Analytics |
|---|---|
|
Internal-traffic exclusion |
Internal-traffic exclusion |
|
Bot filtering |
Bot filtering |
|
Cross-domain measurement Configure cross-domain measurement in the Analytics interface. |
Cross-domain measurement |
|
Data transformation Transform data by modifying existing events (e.g., event names, parameter values) via UI controls. |
Data transformation Transform data via filters: |
Reporting on subsets of data
In your reports, you can view specific subsets of data and you can compare subsets of data; for example, you can view only "Users 25-34 in Canada", or you can compare "Users 25-34 in Canada" to "Users 25-34 in France".
| Google Analytics 4 | Universal Analytics |
|---|---|
|
View subsets of data Use comparisons to view subsets of data as defined by dimensions and dimension values. |
View subsets of data Use segments to identify subsets of data by dimension, dimension value, metric, and metric value. Segments also let you determine the scope of data (e.g., user, session, hit), and the sequence in which data must occur. |
|
Compare subsets of data |
Compare subsets of data |
| Comparisons are configured at the report level. | Segments are configured at the report or view level. |
Restricting access to data via permissions
Google Analytics 4 lets you assign roles (i.e., sets of permissions) at the account and/or property level. If a user has access to a property, then by default that user can see all data from all data streams in that property. However, in addition to assigning roles, you can also restrict access to cost and revenue data when you assign a role to a user.
Universal Analytics lets you set permissions at the account, property, and/or view level. If a user has access to a view, then that user can see all data in that view. Within a property, though, you can restrict access to different reporting views.