Depending on your level of access to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you have different options for viewing data, configuring reports and setting up the tool as a whole. Below we outline the different levels of access available in GA4 and the benefits they provide, as well as additional user management features to keep your data secure and the process of managing it efficient. 

Access levels and roles in Google Analytics 4

In GA4, access can be granted at two levels:

– Account: Applies to the entire Google Analytics account. Users with access at this level can manage all properties and data within the account.

– Property: Relates to a specific property within the account. Users with access at this level can only manage data and configurations for that specific property.

There are currently six roles in GA4 that determine a user’s right to view, edit or manage content and other users. These are:

1. Viewer

– Can view data, create comparisons in reports and add additional dimensions

– Cannot create, edit or delete reports

– Cannot collaborate on resources shared by others

– Cannot manage users and account settings

Benefits: Provides basic information about site and application performance to people responsible for monitoring and analysing data, without being involved in its configuration or editing.

 

2. Analyst

– Can create, edit and delete specific resources linked to a property

– Can collaborate on resources shared by others

– Cannot manage users and account settings

– Includes all permissions of the “Viewer” role

Benefits: It enables analysis of sites and applications, as well as creation of customised reports and explorations. 

3. Marketer

– Can create, edit and delete items such as audiences, conversions, attribution models, and events within an account

– Cannot manage users and account settings

– Includes all permissions of the “Analyst” role

Benefits: It provides access to a wide range of marketing data that can be used to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about marketing strategy.

4. Editor

– Full control over property settings, including the ability to create collections in the report library

– Can manage some account settings at “Editor” level

– Cannot manage users

– Includes all permissions of the “Analyst” role

Benefits: Provides the ability to change the configuration of analysis settings without the need for full administrator permissions. 

5. Administrator

– Full access to all GA4 features

– Can manage users and their permissions: add, remove, assign roles and permissions and restrict their access to data

– Includes all the permissions of the “Editor” role

Benefits: Enables management of all aspects of GA4 and provides user management.

Fig. Direct role assignment and data restriction panel of a sample user.

Keep in mind that:

• If there is any doubt about which role should be assigned to a user, the best solution is to assign a role with fewer permissions. This can always be changed later if necessary.
• Assigning a role to a user at account level will also result in the role being assigned to all subordinate properties in that particular account – inheritance direction: account -> property.
• An exception to the inheritance direction is when the user permissions assigned from the property level are higher than those assigned from the account level. In this case, the role assigned to that particular property remains unchanged. 

Restricted access to the organisation’s cost and revenue metrics

Google Analytics 4 also provides the ability to further restrict user access to the organisation’s cost and revenue metrics, effectively protecting sensitive financial information. 

1. No cost metrics: the user does not see the organisation’s cost metrics in reports, explorations, audiences, insights and alerts.

2. No revenue metrics: the user does not see the organisation’s revenue metrics in reports, explorations, audiences, insights and alerts.

Keep in mind that:

• Restricting a user’s access to the above data at account level will also result in the user not being able to access this information in any subordinate property of that particular account.
• Restricting access to the above data only at property level will result in costs and revenues not being visible to the user for the designated property only. 

Fig. Data restriction settings in Google Analytics 4.

Impact of restrictions on GA4 functions

Restricting a user’s access to data also restricts certain GA4 functions associated with that particular data.

Data in reports and explorations will be replaced for such users by zero (‘0’) or no value (‘-‘). In addition, they will not be able to use and display the number of audiences, and cost and revenue alerts will not work for them. 

How to grant/edit access in GA4

If you change your mind about the level of access granted to a user, you can change it at any time. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to grant and edit access in GA4, as well as how to request a higher level of access to data. We also show how to grant access to your account to Google Support.  

Granting access in GA4

1. Go to the “Admin” tab and select “Account access management”/ “Property access management”:

2. Click on the ‘+’ button and then select “Add users”:

3. Enter the user’s details, such as email address, assigned role and data access restrictions, and then click the “Add” button:

Editing access in GA4 

The process of editing access in GA4 is very similar to the process of granting access. Selecting ‘Account access management’ will again expand the list of users with assigned access.

1. Click on the name of the user whose access you want to edit. Then select what their direct role and data  restrictions will be. 

Under ‘Property permissions’, you can directly specify the user’s access to each property  within the account. Save your changes.

Request for increased access in GA4

If the permissions you are given are not sufficient to do your job, you can always request for a change of role and more access to data and functions. 

There is no need to send a private email to the administrator – the access change request can be sent directly in GA4: 

1. Go to the “Admin” tab and select “Account access management”

2. In the “Account permissions” panel, click on “Request access”:

3. Select the role you want to request and click “Confirm”. Then  await the final decision of the Administrator. 

Granting access to your account to Google support  

If you are experiencing problems with GA4, it’s a good idea to contact Google support, who will be able to help you resolve your issues. However, in order for support to accurately diagnose the problem, they must have proper access to your GA4 account, which is granted as follows: 

1. Go to the “Admin” tab and select “Account details”

2. Scroll down to ‘Technical support’ and allow access to Google support staff: 

Providing access to Google support will allow a quick and efficient identification of issues in GA4, as well as provide personalised advice and recommendations. 

Access management on steroids – Google Analytics Utilities

Google Analytics Utilities (GAU) is an open source tool, available on GitHub, designed to help manage GA4 accounts. The tool takes data about users’ settings in GA4 and allows them to be edited directly in Microsoft Excel, speeding up the process of granting access and assigning roles. 

:GAU’s “GA4 Users” tab provides functions such as:

1. Display a list of all users in the GA4 account [list]: this function generates a list of all users in the GA4 account with information on the permissions they have been granted, both for the account and for each subordinate property.
2. Assign access to accounts and properties to GA4 users [create]: this function allows you to quickly and easily assign to each user the role and type of access restriction (to costs and/or revenues) they will have at the account and property level.  
3. Remove access to accounts and properties for GA4 users [delete]: this function is used to remove existing access to accounts and properties for GA4 users. 
4. Update user access to GA4  accounts and properties [update]: this function allows you to update existing accesses, i.e. change the role of a user assigned to a particular level and/or whether they can view company cost and/or revenue data.  

Fig. Google Analytics Utilities spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, showing the process of assigning Administrator-level access to a new user [create]. 

For an example of how Google Analytics Utilities can improve your GA4 account management processes, click HERE. 

Access in GA4 360 subproperties

In GA4 360, access management includes all the elements of the basic GA4, but is extended to include access to so-called subproperties, which are a subset of a specific source property. 

Keep in mind that:

• If you remove a user from a source property, they will also be removed from any subproperties.
• If you remove a user from a subproperty, they will only be removed from that specific property.

Access audit

It is important to regularly review and update access permissions in Google Analytics 4. We recommend that you schedule regular reviews, which can be monthly, quarterly or every six months, depending on your organisation’s needs.

Regularly monitoring and adjusting access permissions enhances data security by enabling swift detection and removal of unauthorized access. Periodic audits also ensure that user roles and permissions are aligned with current requirements and any changes in team or project structure.

When assigning access permissions to new users, make sure you use their company domain email address, rather than a personal Gmail or other platform address. This approach helps prevent data leaks and ensures that in the case of staff changes, such as an employee’s departure, external parties won’t retain access to the company account or property.

Summary

Proper access management is fundamental to the effective use of GA4. Remember to define exactly what each user’s roles and responsibilities are before granting access, so that the level of access is tailored to their individual needs. If you are unsure which role is most appropriate for a particular user, set up a role with a lower level of access – you can always change it in the future if you find it insufficient. 

For GA4 properties upgraded to 360, ensure that Google Support has access to your data and account. This access allows support to diagnose any issues that arise and offer solutions specifically tailored to your needs.