When custom reports are missing in Google Analytics GA4 like in Universal Analytics, it is a common complaint. GA4 has introduced a completely new reporting system. Therefore, you need to adapt to the new exploration reports. In this post about missing GA4 reports, we show how to create custom reports. We compare the old UA reports with the new GA4 capabilities.

Why Are Custom Reports Missing in GA4?

Universal Analytics offered a simple report editor with custom reports. GA4, however, uses two separate systems: customizable standard reports and free exploration reports. The exploration reports offer significantly more flexibility than the old UA reports. This means you can create funnel analyses, path analyses, and segment comparisons directly. Also check the new metrics in GA4 available in custom reports.

How to Create Custom Reports in GA4

In GA4 there are two paths to custom reports. First, you can customize standard reports by adding or removing columns. Second, exploration reports under ‘Explore’ offer full freedom with dimensions and metrics. Furthermore, you can save exploration reports as templates and share them with your team. The GA4 documentation on explorations shows all available report types.

Our Recommendation

Invest time in GA4 exploration reports as they offer far more possibilities than the old UA reports. Create templates for your most important reports and share them with your team. Additionally, customize the standard reports and prominently place the metrics most important to you. You can also use Looker Studio for complex dashboards that display GA4 data in real time.

Conclusion

Custom reports are not really missing in GA4, they just have a different name and offer more features. Exploration reports replace and significantly extend the old UA reports. Our Google Ads agency sets up tailored GA4 reports for you. Also read why GA4 counts different sessions than Universal Analytics.