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Google Analytics 4: Authentication & Configuration
Google Analytics 4: Authentication & Configuration
Alina Marques avatar
Written by Alina Marques
Updated over a year ago

Google Analytics helps you analyze web traffic and paint a complete picture of your audience and their engagement with user-generated content.

Visual UGC assists with the analysis of user-generated content by providing a suite of reports that leverage your instance of Google Analytics.

Commerce Events Tracking

For Commerce Events Tracking, if your widgets are not deployed via Nosto Placements, you are required to install the UGC Commerce script on your website

If you are a Visual UGC-only customer, you will also need to install the Nosto Product and Cart Tagging on your website

We recommend you complete this step before configuring the Plugin, but it can also be done after.

Authentication Setup

  • Go to Plugins > Google Analytics.

  • Select the Google Analytics 4 option.

  • You will be redirected to a Google authentication screen. At this point, login with your Google Account.

  • You will then be prompted to authorize Visual UGC to use your account for reporting purposes.

  • Click Allow. Selecting “Allow” will enable Visual UGC to set up Custom Dimensions, Measurement Protocol API secret and view your Google Analytics data.

Role Requirements:

  • To successfully enable the Google Analytics 4 Plugin, please ensure that your account has one of the following roles: Analyst, Marketer, Editor, or Administrator in Google Analytics. Find more details about Google Analytics roles here.

  • If the Google Account connected has a Viewer-only role, you will receive an error when you click the Save & Start Tracking button in the Configuration section.

Plugin Configuration

By default, all Widgets and Email Campaigns utilize the global Google Analytics configuration configured in the Plugins section. If you use your widgets on multiple websites, you can consider tracking individual widgets using a custom config.

Check this article about how to track individual widgets using a Custom Google Analytics Config.

Once the authentication process is complete, users will need to configure the plugin by selecting the following:

  • Default Analytics Account: The account is the gateway to Analytics and provides the container for your Analytics properties.

  • Default Property ID: Properties are the containers for your reports based on the data you collect from your apps and sites.

  • Default Data Stream: A data stream is a flow of data from a customer touchpoint (e.g., app, website) to Google Analytics.

  • Events: Events are used to measure different interactions with Tiles, Widgets, Email, and Commerce stages. See the Glossary of Events for more details.

  • At the end, click Save and Start Tracking.

Email Events Tracking

If you choose to enable Email Tracking, once you click Save & Start Tracking, you will be prompted with the "User Data Collection Acknowledgement" to consent Visual UGC to use the Google Measurement Protocol API to track Email events.

If you embedded tiles in email campaigns before enabling the Google Analytics 4 plugin, they will not be automatically tracked. You will need to re-embed Tiles after the tracking is enabled. Refer to our Developer Portal guide

Good to Know

Which Visual UGC Features can you track with the Google Analytics 4 Plugin?

The Google Analytics 4 Plugin is supported by:

  • Waterfall Widget

  • Nightfall Widget

  • Story Widget

  • Direct Uploaded Widget (Content only)

  • Grid Widget

  • Masonry Widget

  • Slider Widget

  • Quadrant Widget

  • Email Campaigns

The Google Analytics 4 Plugin is not supported by:

  • Blank Canvas Widget

  • Event Screens

  • Direct Uploader Forms

Custom Dimensions

The Google Analytics 4 Plugin relies on a list of custom dimensions that are automatically created in your account when the tracking starts. Please ensure you have enough quota available.

The Google Analytics 4 Plugin relies on a list of custom dimensions that are automatically created in your Google Analytics account when you start tracking. You can find those Custom Dimensions by:

  • Going to Google Analytics

  • Select the Account you connected with Visual UGC

  • Click Admin

  • Select the Property you connected with Visual UGC

  • Click on Custom Definitions

Visual UGC automatically creates 6 Custom Event Properties and 7 Custom User Properties. Please ensure you have enough quota available.

Measurement Protocol API Secret

For Email Tracking, the Google Analytics 4 Plugin relies on a Measurement Protocol API secret that is automatically created in your Google Analytics account when you start tracking. You can find that secret by:

  • Going to Google Analytics

  • Select the Account you connected with Visual UGC

  • Click Admin

  • Select the Property & Data Stream you connected with Visual UGC

  • Click on Measurement Protocol API secrets

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