13-05-2024
The attribution reports in the GA4 interface use Last Non-Direct Click and Data-Driven Attribution models to show which channels users come from, which marketing activities are more effective, and at which touchpoints conversions occur. However, issues such as incorrect values like "not set" or "channel misattribution" in these reports make it difficult to access accurate data. In this article, we will discuss the causes of these errors, how they should be resolved, and what solutions the Google (Google Analytics) team is planning for these issues in the coming periods. GA4 Attribution Issues and Solutions
The "not set" error in reports is among the priority issues for the Google Analytics team, and they are working on new solutions. The "not set" issue in GA4 typically stems from several causes: These include disabled Auto-Tagging in Ads platforms linked to GA4, Manual-Tagging (UTM usage) errors, traffic from Ads accounts not linked to the GA4 property, or incorrectly integrated consent mode. Let's examine these causes and their solutions in detail:
1.Event Sequence Implementation Problem
In measurements made with Google Tag Manager, events sent before the "config" command runs in Google Tags or GTag codes added directly to the page source split sessions when the Google Tag or "config" command runs. Consequently, while an event (for example: session start) sent to GA4 before the Google Tag or "config" command runs maintains the user's original source, events sent to GA4 after the Google Tag or "config" command runs may start a new session, restarting the user's session in GA4 and attributing all actions performed by the user in this session to the session that started as "not set". This situation can occur due to signals being sent to GA4 in the wrong sequence as explained above, or due to incorrectly integrated Consent Mode.
To solve this issue, Google has released "Automatic Events" and "Tag Diagnostics" tools in Google Tag Manager, GA4, and Google Ads interfaces. Using these tools, you can identify which pages have Google Tags running in the wrong order from the GTM interface, or the "config" command from GA4 and Google Ads interfaces, and take necessary action on relevant pages. The solution for the "not set" problem caused by incorrect Consent Mode implementation will be discussed in more detail in later sections.
Additionally, the Google team prevented Enhanced Measurement events (page views, scroll, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement, file downloads, and form interactions) that can be automatically tracked by GA4 from running before the "config" command in GTM's Google Tag or GTag implementation. Thus, the session splitting caused by these automatically collected events was prevented. The Google team plans to implement the same improvement for custom events beyond automatically collected events in a development planned for Q4 2024. This will ensure signals sent to GA4 run in the correct sequence, preventing "not set" values from appearing in reports due to this problem.
2.Excess Credit Attribution to Direct Channel Problem
Another significant issue is that in accounts using multiple marketing channels with GA4 property linked to platforms like Google Ads, DV360, and Merchant Center, processing which events should be attributed to which channels takes too long. During this data processing, events not yet attributed to a channel are written to the Direct channel. The data processing required for correct channel attribution of events selected as conversions takes particularly long.
As a solution, the Google team implemented a 3-hour delay across all GA4 properties as of May 22 to reduce traffic appearing attributed to the Direct channel due to data processing delays. This allowed more time for events to be reported more accurately in GA4 interface and API, particularly for attributing conversions to correct channels. Additionally, a "Data Freshness Indicator" module was added to the GA4 interface indicating whether reports are updated daily or intraday. If you're viewing a report for the same day, this indicator shows the data is updated intraday. If viewing data from a day or earlier, it indicates the data is updated daily.
Furthermore, Google will introduce a new channel grouping for unattributed conversions in Q4 2024. This channel is expected to be named "Data not available". This will allow event, user, and session data that hasn't completed the data processing to be reported grouped under this channel.
3.DCLID/GCLID Misattribution Problem
In measurements using only Auto-Tagging, cross-channel conversions based on clicks from YouTube campaigns launched from DV360 or CM360 platforms were being attributed to the wrong channel. In other words, campaigns with DCLID/GCLID in the URL that should be attributed to DV360 or CM360 channels were being attributed to Google Ads.
This problem has been resolved by the GA team for the DV platform. Thus, YouTube campaigns launched from the DV platform using Auto-Tagging are now reported under correct DV dimensions rather than under Google Ads in GA4 reports. The same improvement for the CM platform is planned to go live towards the end of October 2024. This will ensure YouTube campaigns launched from the CM platform using Auto-Tagging are reported under correct CM dimensions rather than under Google Ads or Direct channels in GA4 reports.
4.Missing SA360 Dimension Problem
There were data discrepancies between GA4 reports and SA360 performance reports. As a solution, the Google team has reduced this data discrepancy by adding SA dimensions to GA4, enabling the generation of accurate reports. Additionally, work continues on enabling conversion export from GA4 to the SA360 platform in the future.
5.Single Page Applications (SPA) & Organic Attribution Problem
In websites serving as Single Page Applications, traffic that should be attributed to Paid channels was being attributed to the Organic channel. As a solution, the Google team has resolved this misattribution problem in Single Page Applications by taking the referrer information from the page's first event.
6.Google Ads Click and GA4 Session Discrepancies Problem
There are discrepancies between Google Ads click numbers for a campaign and the GA4 session numbers attributed to that campaign. The Google team is currently working to solve this data discrepancy problem and will share updates when there are developments on this issue.
7.Incorrectly Integrated Server Side GTM Problem
When transitioning to Server Side GTM measurement, some tags running through Client Side GTM might be sending data directly to GA servers while others send data through your server-side endpoint. To solve this issue, when transitioning to Server Side GTM measurement, you need to ensure all tags running through Client Side GTM have their endpoint set to your Server Side GTM-defined endpoint. If some tags are being sent directly to GA servers instead of the server-side endpoint, you need to review your setup and take actions to prevent this situation.
8.Consent Mode Problem
This problem occurs when users don't give permission for personalized ad experience (aduserdata) in the explicit consent area for cookie usage, or for collecting personal information for online advertising in Google account settings (Google Linked Services). When a user comes to the website from an Ads platform campaign tracked with Auto-Tagging and doesn't allow the use of these cookies, the source/medium value of this user's session in GA4 reports becomes google/organic, the campaign value becomes (not set) or organic, and the default channel group value becomes Organic Search or Empty.
The Google team is reassigning source/medium and channel grouping values in these sessions that are reported in the wrong channel due to lack of consent using the "Product Adaptations" solution. Through this solution, for example, it reassigns the source values of session, event data, and user-based metrics for users who come from a Google Ads campaign tracked only with Auto-Tagging and haven't allowed the use of relevant cookies.
There are two prerequisites for GA4 to take this action: First, GA4 and Google Ads accounts must be linked. Second, the Auto-Tagging feature must be active in the Ads account. This allows GA4 to see the GCLID parameter on the first page where the user arrives from the campaign link. Through the presence of this parameter, the source/medium value is overwritten to google/cpc, and the default channel grouping value to Paid Search. However, due to the user not allowing certain cookies, GA4 cannot read this GCLID and cannot make any changes in the campaign dimension. This results in rows in reports where the source/medium value is google/cpc, but the campaign value is organic or "not set".
The Google team is trying to both respect the user's cookie usage preference and report correct source/medium, campaign, and default channel grouping values to GA4 users. Therefore, currently there is only one solution to this problem: UTM parameters must be used along with Auto-Tagging.
9.Incorrectly Integrated Advanced Consent Mode Problem
Incorrect integration of Advanced Consent Mode, which allows us to track data from users who don't allow cookies through modeling, causes confusion when modeled data is reflected in attribution reports.
Particularly, when users proceed to other pages without making any cookie permission decisions on their first page visit, advertising parameters in the first page's URL need to be carried over during page transitions using the url_passthrough feature. Additionally, Advanced Consent Mode needs to be set up as specified by Google teams and the setup needs to be maintained properly.
In this article, we examined GA4 Attribution issues and developed and developing solutions. Particularly, improvements on issues like "not set", excess credit attribution to direct channel, and auto-tagging will make reporting more accurate and reliable. We can expect these types of issues to be resolved more quickly with GA4's future updates.
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