GA4 BigQuery Integration: Everything You Need to Know

GA4 BigQuery integration is one of the best enhancements that Google Analytics has done. In this post, I will explore the various questions that you might have about this integration and how to make the most of this.

Is GA4 BigQuery Free?

Yes. GA4 and BigQuery integration is free. GA4 setup requires you to have a Google Cloud account and a BigQuery project. Both of them are free though they have certain limitations for most of the small to medium websites/apps, it is free.

What is the Cost of GA4 and BigQuery Integration?

As I mentioned above the integration is free. However, if you do send a lot of data and do large queries then you will need to start paying for Google Cloud and BigQuery usage.

The actual cost will depend on your data and the queries. Google Cloud does have a way for you to be alerted if you hit certain limits.  You can get more information about the pricing at https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/pricing

 

How do I link Google Analytics 4 to BigQuery?

Top-level steps involve

  1. Creating a BigQuery Project to store the data
  2. Setting up the integration in GA4 Admin Panel. The link is available under the property
  3.  Enabling APIs to transfer the data from GA4 to BiGQuery

Here is a video that will help you:

How is the GA4 Schema in BigQuery?

Each GA4 Event is stored in a unique row in BigQuery.  This row contains all the information you need about that event including all the event parameters and user properties of the user involved in that event.

How is GA4 BigQuery SQL different from SQL and where can I learn?

BigQuery SQL is similar to standard SQL. If you have written SQL in another environment then it should not be difficult for you to learn BigQuery SQL.  GA4 data in BigQuery is stored in one large table. The table is date partitioned so each day of data is essentially in its own table.  One of the major differences in other SQL v/s BigQuery SQL for GA4 is that event parameters and user properties are stored in a nested column.  In order for you to use event parameters and user properties in SQL you will have to flatten the structure using Unnest SQL command.

What is GA4 BigQuery Streaming?

GA4 allows two types of exports to BigQuery, Daily, and Streaming.   If you want to build a real-time dashboard or have a need to check the data immediately then use the streaming functionality. Streaming allows you to send GA4 data to BigQuery in real-time.

Is there any GA4 and BigQuery example I can look at?

Yes, you can check out the video above that will show you an example of GA4 data in BigQuery.  Additionally, you can reach out to us at support@optizent.com and we will be happy to show you the integration and the GA4 data in BigQuery.

Can I backfill BigQuery with GA4 data?

Yes, you can though I won't rush into it.  You should develop your use case to figure out what data you need and then go through this process. We are happy to help you evaluate if this is the right step for you.

What about GA4 BigQuery Threshold?

Like many other things, the free version of GA4 has a limit.  You can only send 1 Million events (everything in GA4 is an event) to BigQuery in a day.  To overcome this limit you have two options

  1. Upgrade to GA 360, the paid version of Google Analytics
  2. Only send the events that matter to your business.  You are likely not going to need every single event that you collect in GA4 in BigQuery, so send only the ones that you will need.  This can be easily setup when setting up GA4 export into BigQuery.  Which events you need to send will depend on your business needs.

Our team is happy to help you with this process. Email us at support@optizent.com

Need help with GA4 and/or BigQuery?

Reach out to us at support@optizent.com or fill out the form below and we will be in touch. We can not only help you get the most out of your Analytics tools but also train your team.

 

Other posts you might be interested in

GA4 BigQuery Export  Why and How

GA4 BigQuery Export  How to setup, step by step

7 Essential SQL Commands with GA4 and BigQuery

 

 

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