Create and use custom metrics when you want to measure the characteristics of a dimension (whether default or custom dimension) that cannot be measured by any default metric.
For example, if you have defined the keywords which resulted in a phone call as a custom dimension in GA4 then one of the characteristics of this dimension could be ‘number of phone calls generated by each keyword’.
You can measure the number of phone calls by creating and using a custom metric (e.g. ‘phone calls’).
In the context of GA4, a custom metric is an event parameter. This parameter can be an automatically collected parameter or custom parameter.
Note: Do not send personally identifiable information (e.g. phone number, social security number, etc) to your GA4 reporting view as a value of the custom metric. This is against the Google Analytics terms of service.
Introduction to event-scoped custom metrics
A custom metric that has an event scope is called an event-scoped custom metric.
Event-scope means the value of the custom metric is calculated and sent for each event.
Note: In GA4, custom metrics can have only one scope and that is event scope.
You can create an event-scoped custom metric by registering a parameter with event scope in the GA4 user interface.
In GA4, the values of custom metrics are supplied by logged event parameters. So, before you create an event-scoped custom metric, you need a logged event parameter in your GA4 reporting view.
A logged event parameter is one that is already being tracked and reported by your GA4 reporting view.
Note: You can also create a custom metric before logging the event parameter, but that is not best practice for creating custom metrics.
Creating an event-scoped custom metric via an automatically tracked parameter
Let us suppose you want to register the automatically collected parameter ‘video_duration’ as an event-scoped custom metric.
To do that, follow the steps below:
Step-1: Navigate to your GA4 property view and then click on the ‘Configure’ link:
Step-2: Click on ‘Custom Definitions’
Step-3: Click on ‘Custom metrics’:
Step-4: Click on the ‘Create Custom metrics‘ button:
Step-5: Enter the name for your custom metric. This name will appear in your GA4 reports, so use a descriptive name:
Note: You can always change the metric name later if you want.
Step-6: Enter a description for your custom metric in the ‘Description’ field so that later on it becomes easier to understand what the metric is all about:
Note: Entering a description for your custom metric is optional.
Step-7: Select the event parameter ‘video_duration‘ from the drop-down menu:
The event parameter ‘video_duration‘ supplies the value to your custom metric.
Note: Once you have selected an event parameter, you cannot change it later.
Step-8: Select the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu and then click on the ‘Save’ button at the top right-hand side:
Note: You can always change the unit of measurement later if you want.
You should now see your new custom metric listed under the ‘Custom metrics’ section:
Step-9:Wait for a full 24 hrs and then navigate to the Engagement > Events report in your GA4 reporting view:
Step-10: Find and click on the ‘video_progress‘ event:
You should now see the report on the ‘video_progress‘ event:
Step-11: Scroll down the ‘video_progress‘ event report until you see the data card named ‘CUSTOM_VIDEO_DURATION_SECONDS‘:
You see this data card in the ‘video_progress‘ event report only because you registered the ‘video_duration‘ parameter as a custom metric. Otherwise, you won’t see this data card.
This data card will appear in every event report where you (or GA4) are passing the ‘video_duration’ parameter along with the event. This is one advantage of registering a parameter as a custom metric.
Step-12: Click on the events drop-down menu at the top:
Step-13: Find and click on the ‘video_start’ event:
You should now see the report on the ‘video_start’ event.
Step-14: Scroll down the ‘video_start’ event report until you see the data card named ‘CUSTOM_VIDEO_DURATION_SECONDS‘:
You see this data card in the ‘video_start’ event report only because you registered the ‘video_duration‘ parameter as a custom metric. Otherwise, you won’t see this data card.
Creating an event-scoped custom metric via a custom parameter
Now let us suppose you are passing the ‘discount_value’ custom parameter with the ‘discount_value’ event and this parameter is being logged (i.e. recorded).
Let us also suppose you registered the ‘discount_value’ parameter as an event-scoped custom metric:
Now follow the steps below:
Step-1: Navigate to the Engagement > Events report in your demo GA4 reporting view:
Step-2: Find and then click on the ‘discount_value’ event:
You should now see the ‘discount_value’ event report:
Step-3: Scroll down the ‘discount_value’ event report until you see the data card named ‘DISCOUNT_VALUE’:
You see this data card in the ‘discount_value’ event report only because you (technically speaking, ‘Google’ for this demo property) registered the ‘discount_value’ custom parameter as a custom metric. Otherwise, you won’t see this data card.
Applying an event-scoped custom metric to Exploration reports
Once you have registered a logged event parameter as an event-scoped custom metric, you can then apply the custom metric to the Analysis Hub report.
Let’s create a new advanced analysis via the blank report template and then apply the ‘discount_value’ event-scoped custom metric to it.
Follow the steps below:
Step-1: Navigate to the ‘Explore’ tab in your GA4 demo reporting view:
Step-2: Click on the ‘Blank’ template:
Step-3: Scroll down and then click on the ‘+’ button next to ‘METRICS’:
You should now see a search box (which is used to search for a particular metric) like the one below:
Step-4: Type ‘discount_value’ in the search box:
Step-5: Click on the ‘discount_value’ checkbox and then click on the ‘Apply’ button:
You should now see the ‘discount_value’ metric listed under the ‘METRICS’ section:
Step-6: Click on the ‘Drop or select metric‘ button:
Step-7: Click on ‘discount_value’ from the drop-down menu:
You should now see the ‘discount_value’ metric is applied to the canvas on the right:
That’s how you can apply an event-scoped custom metric to an Analysis Hub report.
Advantages of using custom metrics in GA4
The following are the two main advantages of creating and using custom metrics in GA4:
Step-1: In your event report, you see a new data card added for every logged event parameter you registered as a custom metric:
And this data card appears in every event report where you (or GA4) are passing the same event parameter along with the event. Thus, the use of custom metrics enriches your existing event reports.
Step-2: You can report on the same event parameter for as many events as you like (via the Analysis Hub reports) without passing the same parameter over and over again for each individual event.
The following are the main differences between custom metrics in Universal Analytics vs GA4:
#1 Different scopes
In Universal Analytics, a custom metric can have anyone of the following two scopes:
Hit
Product
Whereas in GA4, a custom metric can have only one scope and that is event scope.
Note: In GA4, hit scope is referred to as event scope.
#2 Different processes for creating custom metrics
In Universal Analytics, creating a custom metric involves the following two steps:
Configuring the custom metric (i.e. setting name, scope, formatting type, minimum value and maximum value) in the user interface.
Writing code to send the values of the custom metric to the reporting view.
In GA4, creating a custom metric involves the following two steps:
Sending an event parameter along with an event.
Registering the logged event parameter as a custom metric in the user interface.
#3 Different quota for the custom metrics
In Universal Analytics, you can create up to 20 custom metrics per property. However, if you are using the GA 360 then you can create up to 200 custom metrics per property.
Whereas in GA4, you can create up to 50 event-scoped custom metrics per GA4 property.
How to edit a custom metric
Follow the steps below to edit a custom metric:
Step-1: Navigate to the ‘Configure‘ link in your GA4 reporting view:
Step-2: Click on the ‘Custom Definitions’:
Step-3: Click on the ‘Custom metrics’ tab:
Step-4: Click on the three dots menu next to the custom metric you want to edit:
Step-5: Click on the ‘Edit’ option:
Step-6: You can now change the name, description and unit of measurement of your custom metric. Then click on the ‘Save’ button:
Quota information for custom metrics
In GA4, you can create up to 50 event-scoped custom metrics per property. That’s the custom metrics quota allocated to you.
Now if you want to know the total number of event-scoped custom metrics you have already created and the number of custom metrics you are still allowed to create then you can get this information through the ‘Quota information’ feature of GA4.
Follow the steps below to find the quota information:
Step-1: Navigate to the ‘Configure‘ link in your GA4 reporting view:
Step-2: Click on the ‘Custom Definitions’:
Step-3: Click on the ‘Quota information’ button on the top right-hand side of your screen:
You should now be able to see the total number of event-scoped custom metrics you have already created and the number of custom metrics you are still allowed to create:
From the screenshot above we can conclude that I have created six event-scoped custom metrics out of 50.
Therefore, 44 (50 minus 6) event-scoped custom metrics are still available to me.
How to delete a custom metric
In GA4, you can create up to 50 event-scoped custom metrics per property.
However, once you have reached your custom metrics quota, you can then no longer create any new custom metric.
In that case, if you still want to create new custom metrics, then you would need to delete the ones you are no longer using.
Follow the steps below to delete a custom metric:
Step-1: Navigate to the ‘Configure‘ link in your GA4 reporting view:
Step-2: Click on the ‘Custom Definitions’:
Step-3: Click on the ‘Custom metrics’ tab:
Step-4: Click on the three dots menu next to the custom metric you want to delete:
Step-5: Click on the ‘Archive’ option:
Step-6: Click on the ‘Archive’ button:
Note: Archiving a custom metric is permanent. It cannot be undone and the corresponding data cannot be restored. Any segment or funnel using this custom metric in Analysis would stop working.
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