CODEWITHSUNDEEP
google-analyticsgoogle-analytics-4http-refererutm-tracking
Prasanth
Prasanth

Reputation: 11

Acquisition in Google Analytics 4 HTTP referrer and UTM parameters

I am currently getting to know about Google Analytics 4 (GA4). It is said that the GA4 tracks the referral traffic using the http referrer field in the request header. If the referrer field is not present/empty in the header then GA4, relies on UTM params for identifying the souce/medium. If both the referrer and UTM params are not present then GA4 classifies the source of traffic as Direct. Now the doubt I have is, if both the http referrer and UTM params is present which one will the GA4 consider to generate the report in acquisition?

To be more clear, let us consider this scenario: Let there be a website with domain mywebsite.com Let x be a person who is scrolling down in linkedin.com. There he sees a post that has 3-4 lines of text and a hyperlink that redirects to https://mywebsite.com/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=testsocialpost. He then click on that link. Let's say this is x's first time visiting the website. So in this case, I will be having the http referrer=linkedin.com and utm_source=linkedin, utm_medium=testsocialpost

Q1) How the report is generated in GA4 in the Reports -> Lifecycle -> Acquisition in the table if I choose First user source/medium dimension.Below is the Sample screenshot of the table for another website. Sample screenshot of the table for another website Will the report table be something like this:

| FirstUser source/medium | New users |
| ----------------------- | --------- |
| linkedin.com/referral   | 1         |

(or something like this below)

| FirstUser source/medium | New users |
| ----------------------- | --------- |
| linkedin/testsocialpost | 1         |

Q2) If there are 2 different users visiting mywebsite.com redirected from 2 different linked in post in which 1 post has utm params and other does not have utm params. Then the generated report table will be like something below?

| FirstUser source/medium | New users |
| ----------------------- | --------- |
| linkedin.com/referral   | 1         |
| linkedin/testsocialpost | 1         |

Will this be the generated report or something else.

References: https://cxl.com/blog/utm-parameters/

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1282

Answers (1)

zborovskaya
zborovskaya

Reputation: 1143

UTM parameters have a higher priority, so in Q1 you will see linkedin/testsocialpost in report. In Q2 you are right.

Upvotes: 2

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