GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Conversion Paths Report in Attribution

Last Updated: February 23, 2023

What is the Conversion Paths report in GA4?

conversion paths menu

The Conversion Paths report in GA4 shows users’ paths that lead to conversions (conversion events) under a particular attribution model and in a particular time period:

particular model

The Conversion Paths report also shows the conversion credit distribution score for each touchpoint on a conversion path:

conversion credit distribution score

Prerequisites for using the Conversion Paths report

The primary requirement for using the Conversion Paths report in GA4 is ecommerce tracking setup and/or goal conversion tracking setup for your GA4 property.

Your GA4 property needs to have goal conversion and/or ecommerce conversion data before you can use and benefit from the Conversion Paths report. 

However, if you want your conversion paths analysis to be statistically significant, then make sure that your GA4 property has collected at least 30 days of historical conversion data before you start your analysis. 

If you are using Google Ads, then make sure that you link your GA4 property with your Google Ads account.

How to use the Conversion Paths report in GA4

In order to access and use the Conversion Paths report in GA4, follow the steps below:

Step-1: Navigate to your GA4 property.

Step-2: Click on the ‘Advertising’ link from the left-hand side navigation:

advertising

You should now see the Advertising Snapshot report:

advertising snapshot

Step-3: Click on the ‘Conversion Paths’ link from the left-hand side navigation:

conversion paths menu2

Step-4: Select the date range from the date picker drop-down menu:

last 30 days

I like to select at least 30 days of historical data to make my data analysis statistically significant.

Note: The Conversion Paths report includes data from June 14, 2021, onwards.

Step-5: Click on the ‘conversion events’ drop-down menu:

conversion events dropdown

Step-6: Select the conversion event(s) for which you want to see the data in your Conversion Paths report

Deselect all other conversion events and then click on the ‘Apply’ button:

apply button

You would now see the Conversion Paths report only for the selected conversion event(s) (in our case, the ‘purchase’ event):

conversion events

Note: By default, the Conversion paths report shows data for all your conversion events.

Step-7: Click on the ‘Edit Comparison’ button:

edit comparisons

You should now see an overlay on the right-hand side of your screen:

customize report

Step-8: Change the Path length of the conversion paths report (optional). 

To do that, click on the ‘All Touchpoints’ button on the overlay on the right-hand side of your screen:

path length all

Click on the ‘All Touchpoints’ drop-down menu:

path length all touchpoints

Select an operator to filter the path lengths of the conversion paths. 

Let’s select ‘> greater than’:

greater than

Enter the number of touchpoints you want to see in your conversion paths, and then click on the ‘Apply’ button:

touchpoints reply

Your overlay should now look like the one below:

customize3

Note: By default, the Conversion Paths report displays all conversion paths up to 50 touchpoints long.

Step-9: Add filters to your report (optional)

By default, the Conversion Paths report shows data for all users. 

If you want to see data for only a segment of users, then click on the ‘Add Users’ button:

filters all users

You can also click on the ‘Add filter’ button to see the conversion path data for an audience other than the ‘All Users’:

add filter

Note: The ‘Add filter’ feature works just like the GA4 Comparisons feature.

Step-10: Select the dimension you want to use for your conversion paths analysis by clicking on the dimensions drop-down menu (optional):

default channel grouping

Let’s select ‘medium’ as the dimension from the drop-down menu:

medium channel grouping
conversions by medium

Step-11: Select the attribution model you want to use for your conversion paths analysis by clicking on the attribution model drop-down menu (optional):

conversion paths
GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Conversion Paths Report in Attribution 56

Let’s select the position-based attribution model:

7JCG4Lh5J7cXs9NzKcWyDlYV1l 4o9rZZ8 DV8hw5fFTX9BWLWXGcMdYEFauiM29kEsmGHVdS2Nt948OZ e7EvtCJi3EYSCAOzYbq LmZWG32R ZzmT77Jrlc7A6wm0tDvHilKlHmjJVGDswE6Xri4g

You should now see a data visualization like the one below:

oksHm6 9Y2fHqSim bdS9WK5UWtxBZwc9iAwNMZ8 mbx Nh9k0l7TekF3ybPDCU0SCmqbuqAKaPDYVRaCj9Vg0vCS N2nTjeae9MNRmnz4dcZj bgzaEL8aRRRVhYYy3l ucvRAJ mK6haeI1gSq0

Through the data visualization, you can determine the dimension (like medium) which initiated, assisted and closed conversions. 

The data visualization is divided into the following three segments: 

  1. Early touchpoints
  2. Mid touchpoints
  3. Late touchpoints
touchpoints

Early touchpoints

Google consider the first 25% of touchpoints on a conversion path rounded to the nearest whole number as early touchpoints. 

Hover your mouse over the ‘Early touchpoints’ segment to see more details about the segment:

early touchpoints

The bar chart that you see under the ‘Early touchpoints’ segment show how much conversion credit a particular dimension receives as early touchpoints:

early touchpoint medium

Hover your mouse over a bar (let’s say ‘organic’) in the bar chart to see more details about the conversion credit distribution:

organic

Note: If a conversion path has only one touchpoint, then the ‘Early touchpoints’ segment would appear empty. 

path length

The ‘Early touchpoints’ segment would also appear empty if you select one of the following attribution models:

  1. Last click
  2. Ads-preferred last click
no data available

Mid touchpoints

Google consider the middle 50% of touchpoints on a conversion path as mid touchpoints. 

Hover your mouse over the ‘Mid touchpoints’ segment to see more details about the segment:

mid touchpoints credit

The bar chart that you see under the ‘Mid touchpoints’ segment show how much conversion credit a particular dimension receives as middle touchpoints:

mid touchpoints

Hover your mouse over a bar (let’s say ‘organic’) in the bar chart to see more details about the conversion credit distribution:

conversion credit

Note: If a conversion path has less than three touchpoints then the ‘Mid touchpoints’ segment would appear as empty. 

path length no data

The ‘Mid touchpoints’ segment would also appear empty if you select one of the following attribution models:

  1. Last click
  2. First click
  3. Ads-preferred last click
using model3

Late touchpoints

Google consider the last 25% of touchpoints on a conversion path rounded to the nearest whole number as the late touchpoints. 

Hover your mouse over the ‘Late touchpoints’ segment to see more details about the segment:

late touchpoints conversion credit

The bar chart that you see under the ‘Late touchpoints’ segment show how much conversion credit a particular dimension receives as late touchpoints:

late touchpoints medium

Hover your mouse over a bar (let’s say ‘referral’) in the bar chart to see more details about the conversion credit distribution:

referral

Note: If a conversion path has only one touchpoint then the ‘Late touchpoints’ segment gets all the credit for a conversion. 

late touchpoints

The ‘Late touchpoints’ segment would appear empty if you select the ‘First click’ attribution model:

using model

Step-12: Scroll down to the data table which appears below the data visualization:

conversion paths conversions

This data table is made up of one primary dimension and the following metrics:

  1. Conversions – The number of times your website/app users triggered a conversion event.
  2. Purchase revenue – The sum of revenue from purchases made on your website and/or mobile app.
  3. Days to conversion – The number of days it takes for users to convert.
  4. Touchpoints to conversion – The number of touchpoints it takes for users to convert.

If you want to change the primary dimension of the data table of the Conversion paths report, then click on the Primary dimension drop-down menu:

medium

Conversion paths report navigation features

The Conversion paths report provides the following features for easy navigation:

#1 Rows per page

By default, the data table of the Conversion paths report shows only ten rows per page of the report. 

rows per page2

If you want to see more than ten rows then click on the ‘Rows per page’ drop-down menu and select the desired number of rows to be displayed:

rows per page
GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Conversion Paths Report in Attribution 57

Note: You can display up to 250 rows per page of the Conversion paths report in GA4.

#2 Go to

If you want to quickly navigate to a particular row of the data table of the Conversion Paths report, then type the row number in the text box next to ‘Go to’ (you don’t need to press the enter key):

go to

#3 Pagination

The Conversion Paths report has a pagination feature built-in through which you can navigate back and forth between various pages of the report:

pagination

#4 Full view mode

If you want to see the conversion paths report in the full view mode, then click on the ‘<’ button:

arrow

#5 Sort Columns

By default, the data table of the conversion paths report is sorted by conversion paths with the highest number of conversions. 

Click the down arrow button next to one of the other metrics in the data table to sort the data table by that metric:

sort

#6 Provide feedback

If you want to provide feedback about the conversion paths report to Google, then click on the feedback button at the bottom right of the report:

feedback button

Then follow the on-screen instructions and click on the ‘Send‘ button to send your feedback:

send feedback

#1 Google Analytics 4 Intro

  1. What is GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – The Apps + Web Property?
  2. Key Benefits of Using Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  3. GA4 Migration Guide – Learn to upgrade to GA4 from GA3 via checklist
  4. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) vs Universal Analytics – What is the Difference?
  5. GA4 vs GA4 360 – Pricing, Limits, Billing and More
  6. Google Analytics 4 Training & Tutorial with FREE GA4 ebook

#2 Google Analytics 4 Property

  1. Google Analytics Account Hierarchy (Structure Explained)
  2. Understanding Google Analytics Measurement ID (GA4)
  3. Google Signals GA4 – See Demographics (Gender, Age) in Google Analytics 4
  4. Using the GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Test Property
  5. Google Analytics 4 Sub Properties Tutorial
  6. Roll up Property in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – Tutorial

#3 Google Analytics 4 Integrations

  1. How to connect GA4 (Google Analytics 4) with Google Data Studio
  2. How to link GA4 (Google Analytics 4) with Google Ads
  3. How to link Google Search Console to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  4. How to Install Google Analytics 4 on Shopify
  5. GA4 Firebase Integration – Correctly Add App Data Streams to GA4 Property

#4 Google Analytics 4 Events

  1. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Event Tracking Setup Tutorial
  2. Understanding Event Parameters in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  3. Recommended Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  4. Enhanced Measurement Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  5. Automatically Collected Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  6. How to Set Up GA4 Custom Events via Google Tag Manager
  7. Events Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  8. How to Rename Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  9. How to Use Google Analytics 4 Event Builder
  10. GA4 Form Interactions Tracking – Enhanced Measurement

#5 Google Analytics 4 Conversions

  1. Google Analytics 4 Conversion Tracking Guide – GA4 Goals
  2. How to Import Conversions from GA4 Property to Your Google Ads account
  3. GA4 Conversion Rate – How to find it and use it

#6 Google Analytics 4 Dimensions

  1. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Dimensions Tutorial
  2. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Custom Dimensions Tutorial
  3. GA4 User Properties (User Scoped Custom Dimensions) – Tutorial
  4. Event Scoped Custom Dimensions in GA4 – Tutorial

#7 Google Analytics 4 Metrics

  1. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Metrics Tutorial with Free Google Analytics 4 Ebook
  2. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Custom Metrics Tutorial
  3. What are Predictive Metrics in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

#8 Google Analytics 4 Ecommerce

  1. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Ecommerce Tracking via GTM – Tutorial

#9 Google Analytics 4 Specialized Tracking

  1. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Enhanced Measurement Tracking Tutorial
  2. Cross Domain Tracking in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Setup Guide
  3. GA4 Site Search – Tracking Site Search in Google Analytics 4
  4. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Scroll Tracking Tutorial
  5. Self-referral Google Analytics 4 – Referral exclusion GA4
  6. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Data Import Tutorial
  7. Google Analytics 4 Content Grouping – Create Content Groups in GA4
  8. How to Track Single Page Apps in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  9. utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign Parameters – GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
  10. GA4 Form Tracking via Google Tag Manager

#10 Google Analytics 4 filters

  1. GA4 filters – Understanding Data Filters in Google Analytics 4
  2. How to Create and Test Filters in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
  3. Exclude Internal Traffic in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) via IP Filter

#11 Google Analytics 4 Explorations

  1. Free Form Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – Exploration Report
  2. How to Use the User Lifetime Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  3. How to Use Path Exploration Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – Path Analysis
  4. How to Use Segment Overlap Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  5. How to Use the Funnel Exploration Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – Funnel Analysis
  6. Cohort Exploration Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  7. How to Create Landing Pages Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
  8. How to Create Google Ads report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
  9. How to Segment GA4 Data by Data Stream
  10. Organic Search Traffic Analysis in GA4 – Complete Guide
  11. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Outbound Links Tracking
  12. How to Track Email Campaigns and Traffic in GA4 
  13. How to view full page URLs in GA4?

#12 Google Analytics 4 Advanced

  1. Understanding Google Analytics 4 Sessions
  2. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Measurement Protocol Tutorial
  3. How to Build Comparisons (Advanced Segments) in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  4. Understanding Automated Insights in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  5. Understanding Channel Groupings in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  6. Understanding Data Sampling in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  7. Google Analytics 4 Regex (Regular Expressions) Tutorial
  8. Google analytics 4 GDPR compliance checklist
  9. How to Exclude URL Query Parameters in Google Analytics 4

#13 Google Analytics 4 Reports

  1. How to Create Custom Insights in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  2. How to Use Debug View Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

#14 Google Analytics 4 Attribution

  1. Guide to Attribution Models in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
  2. How to Change Attribution Models in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)?
  3. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Conversion Paths Report in Attribution
  4. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Model Comparison Report in Attribution
  5. Advertising Snapshot in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Attribution
  6. GA4 Attribution Modelling Tutorial

#15 Google Analytics 4 Audiences

  1. GA4 Audiences – Creating Custom Audience in Google Analytics 4
  2. How to Create a Remarketing Audience in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  3. Understanding Audience Triggers in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  4. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Predictive Audiences – Tutorial

#16 Google Analytics 4 BigQuery

  1. GA4 BigQuery – Connect Google Analytics 4 with BigQuery
  2. BigQuery GA4 Schema – Send Custom GA4 Data to BigQuery
  3. How to Backfill GA4 Data in BigQuery
  4. How to Connect and Export Data from GA4 to BigQuery

Register for the FREE TRAINING...

"How to use Digital Analytics to generate floods of new Sales and Customers without spending years figuring everything out on your own."



Here’s what we’re going to cover in this training…

#1 Why digital analytics is the key to online business success.

​#2 The number 1 reason why most marketers are not able to scale their advertising and maximize sales.

#3 Why Google and Facebook ads don’t work for most businesses & how to make them work.

#4 ​Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.

#5 The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.

#6 How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.

​#7 How to learn and master digital analytics and conversion optimization in record time.



   

My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization

Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.

Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.

Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and BeyondSECOND EDITION OUT NOW!
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.

Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.

About the Author

Himanshu Sharma

  • Founder, OptimizeSmart.com
  • Over 15 years of experience in digital analytics and marketing
  • Author of four best-selling books on digital analytics and conversion optimization
  • Nominated for Digital Analytics Association Awards for Excellence
  • Runs one of the most popular blogs in the world on digital analytics
  • Consultant to countless small and big businesses over the decade

Learn and Master Google Analytics 4 (GA4) - 126 pages ebook

X
error: Alert: Content is protected !!