GA4 Analysis Hub: Building Your First Exploration

Quick answer: The GA4 Analysis Hub is the area of Google Analytics 4 where you build custom analyses instead of relying on the standard reports. To build your first exploration, open Analysis in the left menu, start a blank analysis, add a date range, dimensions and metrics in the Variables column, then drag them into rows and values in the Tab Settings column. From there you can switch to funnel analysis, path analysis, segment overlap and other techniques. Before you rely on it, set data retention to 14 months, because explorations only use data within that window.

Why the Analysis Hub matters in GA4

Google Analytics 4 launched in October 2020 with a smaller set of standard reports than Universal Analytics. That surprises many people when they first open it. The idea is that the standard reports cover the essentials, and the Analysis Hub handles the questions that need more flexibility.

In Universal Analytics, many of these analyses were only available in the paid Analytics 360 product, or required custom reports and exports. In GA4 they are available to everyone. If you are coming from Universal Analytics, think of the Analysis Hub as the replacement for custom reports, the goal funnel visualization and the behavior flow report rolled into one. Our comparison of GA4 vs Universal Analytics covers the wider differences.

Before you start

• Make sure your GA4 property has been collecting data for at least a few days.
• Check data retention under Admin, Data Settings, Data Retention. The default is 2 months. Change it to 14 months, or explorations will not reach back further than 2 months.
• Know which events matter to your business. Explorations are only as good as the events you collect. Our guide to event tracking covers planning those.

Finding the Analysis Hub

In your GA4 property, click Analysis in the left navigation, then Analysis Hub. You will see a template gallery with options such as Exploration, Funnel analysis, Path analysis, Segment overlap, User explorer, Cohort analysis and User lifetime, along with a list of analyses you have created.

The layout

Every analysis has three areas:

• Variables (left): The building blocks. Here you set the date range and choose which segments, dimensions and metrics are available to the analysis.
• Tab Settings (middle): How you use those building blocks. Choose the technique and visualization, then drag dimensions into rows or columns, metrics into values, and add filters.
• Canvas (right): The results. You can have several tabs, each with its own technique.

Nothing appears on the canvas until you add items to Tab Settings, which is the step that confuses most first-time users.

Build your first exploration

Let us build a simple table showing which pages engage visitors from each traffic channel.

Step 1: Start a blank analysis

From the template gallery, choose Blank. Give the analysis a clear name, such as “Pages by channel.”

Step 2: Set the date range

In Variables, click the date range and choose the last 28 days, or a range that fits your question.

Step 3: Add dimensions

Click the plus next to Dimensions and search for:

• Page title
• Session default channel grouping
• Device category

Tick them and click Import. They now appear in the Variables column.

Step 4: Add metrics

Click the plus next to Metrics and import:

• Active users
• Sessions
• Engaged sessions
• Conversions

Step 5: Arrange the table

In Tab Settings, make sure the technique is Exploration and the visualization is Table. Drag Page title into Rows, Session default channel grouping into Columns, and Engaged sessions and Conversions into Values.

The canvas now shows a table of pages with engaged sessions and conversions broken down by channel.

Step 6: Refine

• Change the number of rows shown under Rows settings.
• Add a filter in Tab Settings, such as Device category exactly matches mobile.
• Click a column header to sort.
• Switch the visualization to a bar chart or line chart for a different view.

Using segments

Segments let you compare groups of users, sessions or events. In Variables, click the plus next to Segments. You can create:

• User segments: People who did something at any point, such as made a purchase.
• Session segments: Sessions that met conditions, such as came from paid search.
• Event segments: Specific events that met conditions.

Drag up to four segments into Segment comparisons in Tab Settings to compare them side by side. You can also right-click rows in a table to create a segment from that selection or exclude it.

Build a funnel analysis

Funnels show where people drop out of a sequence of steps. This is especially useful for checkouts, sign-ups and lead forms. If you used goal funnels in Universal Analytics, our article on goal funnels explains the older approach for comparison.

1. Create a new tab and choose Funnel analysis as the technique.
2. Click the pencil next to Steps.
3. Add each step as a condition, for example:
   • Step 1: page_view where page path contains /pricing/
   • Step 2: page_view where page path contains /contact/
   • Step 3: generate_lead event
4. Apply the steps.

The canvas shows how many users reached each step and the drop-off between steps. Useful options include:

• Open funnel: Users can enter at any step, not only the first.
• Elapsed time: Shows how long users take between steps.
• Next action: Shows what users did instead after dropping off.
• Breakdown: Split each step by a dimension such as device category.

Build a path analysis

Path analysis shows the sequence of pages or events users take, either forward from a starting point or backward from an ending point. It is a more flexible version of the behavior flow report many people used in Universal Analytics.

1. Create a new tab and choose Path analysis.
2. Choose a starting point, such as the session_start event or a specific page.
3. Click nodes to expand the next steps.
4. Switch node type between event name and page title to see different views.

To work backwards, choose Start over and set an ending point, such as the purchase event. This shows the paths that led to conversions.

Other techniques worth trying

• Segment overlap: See how up to three segments overlap, such as mobile users, new users and converters.
• Cohort analysis: Group users by when they first visited and see how many return over time.
• User lifetime: Look at behavior and value over the lifetime of users acquired through different channels.
• User explorer: Drill into the activity of individual anonymous users, useful for spotting odd behavior or testing your tracking.

Sharing and exporting

Analyses are private to you by default. Use the share option to make a read-only version visible to others with access to the property. You can also export to Google Sheets, PDF, CSV or TSV. For recurring reports for stakeholders, many teams still use Google Data Studio dashboards and keep the Analysis Hub for investigation.

Common traps

Short data retention

If retention is left at 2 months, explorations cannot show older data even though standard reports can. This is the most common reason people think data is missing.

Sampling

For large date ranges or high-traffic properties, results may be based on a sample. A shield icon at the top of the canvas shows when sampling applies. Shorten the date range or simplify the analysis to reduce it.

Thresholds

When Google signals is enabled, some data may be withheld from explorations if user counts are low, to protect privacy. This can make small segments look empty.

Event quality

If events are named inconsistently or fire twice, explorations will reflect that. Audit your tags before drawing conclusions.

FAQ

Is the Analysis Hub free?

Yes. It is included in all GA4 properties.

Can I see Universal Analytics data in the Analysis Hub?

No. It only uses data collected by your GA4 property.

Why does my exploration show no data?

Usually the date range falls outside data retention, the tab has no rows or values added, or a filter is too strict.

How many steps can a funnel have?

Several, which is plenty for most checkouts and lead forms. Keep funnels focused on a single process so the drop-off points are clear.

Next step

Build the pages by channel exploration above, then a funnel for your main conversion. Within an hour you will understand how the Analysis Hub thinks, and the other techniques will feel familiar.

If you would like help setting up GA4 events and explorations that answer real business questions, see our Know what’s working services.