In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you can include or exclude certain event data via a feature called ‘Data Filters’:
The GA4 filters are configured at the property level. These filters are applied to the event data from the creation date and do not work retroactively. Since the data filters do not work retroactively, once you apply the filter, the effect on your event data is permanent and cannot be reversed.
Unlike Universal Analytics, there is no concept of views in GA4. So unlike Universal Analytics, you can not create a raw data view (unfiltered view) in GA4. This makes testing your filters in GA4 much more important than in GA3.
Note: You can create up to 10 filters per GA4 property.
Internal traffic is the traffic coming to your website from your own employees, suppliers, and other service providers.
These people are not your target market, and therefore the traffic they generate should be excluded from being recorded in your GA4 reports. Otherwise, such traffic can easily skew your analytics data and reports.
By default, GA4 defines internal traffic as the event data with the parameter name ‘traffic_type‘ and parameter value ‘internal’
You cannot change the parameter name, but you can change the parameter value if you want to create a different version of the internal traffic filter:
You would need to create a different version of the internal traffic filter in case you need to apply multiple internal traffic filters to your GA4 property:
The filter that includes or excludes internal traffic in GA4 property is called the ‘Internal Traffic filter‘.
Developer traffic
Developer traffic is generated from your own device while debugging the analytics implementation.
GA4 defines developer traffic as the event data with the parameter name ‘debug_mode‘ or ‘debug_event’ and parameter value ‘1’
The filter that includes or excludes developer traffic in GA4 property is called the ‘Developer Traffic filter‘.
If you exclude developer traffic using filters, you won’t be able to see that data in real-time reporting since it is excluded.
But you can still see the excluded developers’ traffic data in the DebugView report, and you can still validate your implementation using the Google Analytics Debugger Chrome extension.
Data Filter operations in GA4
Data filters in GA4 can be further classified into include and exclude filters depending upon the filter operation being used:
In GA4, you can carry out two types of operations with data filters:
#1 Exclude: When you use the ‘Exclude’ option, GA4 will not process any event data that matches the filter attribute (in our case ‘traffic_type = internal‘):
#2 Include only: When you use the ‘Include only’ option, GA4 will process only that event data that matches the filter attribute (in our case ‘, traffic_type = internal‘):
Note(1): If you apply both include and exclude filters to your GA4 property, the include filters will be evaluated first before the exclude filter.
Note(2): If you apply multiple include filters to your GA4 property, all the include filters will be evaluated as a single group.
Note(3): If you apply multiple exclude filters to your GA4 property, each exclude filter will be evaluated one at a time.
Every GA4 Data filter has one of the three states (modes):
Testing
Active
Inactive
Testing state
Use this option if you want to first test your filter before making it active (i.e. live). When a data filter is in the testing state, it is evaluated by GA4, but it does not make any permanent changes to your analytics data.
However, you can see the filtered data by adding a comparison to your GA4 report that uses the dimension named ‘Test data filter name‘:
Active State
Use this option if you want to make your data filter live. Once your data filter is active, it permanently changes your analytics data.
Inactive State
Use this option if you want to disable your data filter. Once your data filter is inactive, it is no longer evaluated by GA4 and no longer makes permanent changes to your analytics data.
Other articles related to GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
Data filters include or exclude event data (traffic) from your reports based on the event parameters value. Using filters, you can exclude traffic coming to your website from your developers or internal employees. You can also use data filters to include only traffic from specific event parameter values. These filters are configured at the property level and are applied to every data stream.
What filters are supported in Google Analytics 4?
Currently, GA4 supports two types of filters:
1. Developer Traffic: Developer traffic is generated from your own device while debugging the analytics implementation. GA4 defines developer traffic as the event data with the parameter name ‘debug_mode’ or ‘debug_event’ and parameter value ‘1’.
2. Internal Traffic: Internal traffic is the traffic coming to your website from your own employees, suppliers, and other service providers.
How many filters can I apply in Google Analytics 4?
Currently, You can create up to ten filters per Google Analytics 4 property.
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
error: Alert: Content is protected !!
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Allow Cookies”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
