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Zhongwei Li
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skills/ga4-user-tracking/SKILL.md
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skills/ga4-user-tracking/SKILL.md
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---
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name: ga4-user-tracking
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description: Complete guide to User ID implementation, user properties, and cross-device tracking in GA4. Use when implementing User ID for authenticated users, setting user properties, enabling cross-device tracking, configuring Reporting Identity, or tracking user attributes. Covers gtag('set') for user properties, User ID setup, cross-domain tracking, and user data management.
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---
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# GA4 User ID and Cross-Device Tracking
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## Overview
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User ID enables cross-device tracking for authenticated users and user properties allow tracking custom user attributes across all events.
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## When to Use This Skill
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Invoke this skill when:
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- Implementing User ID for logged-in users
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- Setting up cross-device tracking
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- Configuring user properties for custom attributes
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- Setting Reporting Identity options
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- Tracking user lifecycle across devices
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- Implementing authentication-based analytics
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- Setting user-scoped custom dimensions
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- Working with gtag.js user property commands
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- Debugging user identification issues
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- Implementing cross-domain tracking with User ID
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- Analyzing user journeys across multiple devices
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## Core Capabilities
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### User ID Implementation
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**What is User ID:**
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- Persistent identifier for authenticated users
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- Enables cross-device tracking
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- Requires explicit user opt-in
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- Must not contain PII (hash if needed)
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**Implementation Methods:**
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**Method 1: gtag.js**
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```javascript
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// Set User ID when user logs in
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gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX', {
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'user_id': 'USER_12345'
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});
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// Or use gtag('set')
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gtag('set', 'user_id', 'USER_12345');
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```
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**Method 2: GTM (Data Layer)**
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```javascript
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// Push User ID to dataLayer
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dataLayer.push({
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'user_id': 'USER_12345'
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});
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```
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**In GTM:**
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1. Create Data Layer Variable: `user_id`
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2. In GA4 Configuration tag, add parameter:
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- Parameter: `user_id`
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- Value: `{{DL - User ID}}`
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**Method 3: Measurement Protocol**
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```json
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{
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"client_id": "client_123",
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"user_id": "USER_12345",
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"events": [...]
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}
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```
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**Best Practices:**
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- Set when user logs in
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- Clear when user logs out: `gtag('set', 'user_id', null)`
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- Use internal IDs (not emails)
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- Hash sensitive IDs
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- Document User ID policy
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### Reporting Identity
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**Path:** Admin → Data Settings → Data Collection → Reporting Identity
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**Options:**
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1. **Blended (Recommended)**
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- Uses User ID when available
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- Falls back to device ID + Google signals
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- Most complete user view
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2. **Observed**
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- Uses User ID and device ID only
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- No Google signals
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- More privacy-focused
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3. **Device-based**
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- Uses only device ID (client_id)
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- No cross-device tracking
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- Most restrictive
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**Recommendation:** Use "Blended" for most comprehensive tracking
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### User Properties
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**What are User Properties:**
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- Custom attributes set at user level
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- Persist across all events
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- Max 25 properties per property
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- Property names ≤24 characters
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- Values ≤36 characters
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**Setting User Properties:**
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**gtag.js:**
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```javascript
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gtag('set', 'user_properties', {
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'user_tier': 'premium',
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'account_age_days': 365,
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'preferred_category': 'electronics'
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});
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```
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**GTM (Data Layer):**
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```javascript
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dataLayer.push({
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'user_properties': {
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'user_tier': 'premium',
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'account_age_days': 365
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}
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});
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```
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**Measurement Protocol:**
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```json
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{
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"client_id": "client_123",
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"user_properties": {
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"user_tier": {
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"value": "premium"
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},
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"account_age_days": {
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"value": 365
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}
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},
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"events": [...]
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}
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```
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**Common User Properties:**
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- `user_tier`: "free", "premium", "enterprise"
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- `signup_date`: "2024-01-15"
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- `subscription_status`: "active", "trial", "cancelled"
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- `customer_ltv`: Lifetime value bucket
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- `industry`: User's industry
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- `company_size`: Employee count range
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- `interests`: Comma-separated interests
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**Avoid PII:**
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- ❌ `email`, `name`, `phone_number`, `address`
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- ✅ `email_domain`, `first_name_initial`, `user_segment`
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### Custom Dimensions for Users
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**Creating User-Scoped Custom Dimension:**
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1. **Admin → Custom Definitions → Custom Dimensions**
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2. Click **Create custom dimension**
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3. **Dimension name:** User Tier
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4. **Scope:** User
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5. **User property:** `user_tier`
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6. Save
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**Using in Reports:**
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- Add as dimension in Explorations
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- Filter/segment by custom dimension
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- Analyze user cohorts
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### Cross-Device Tracking
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**Requirements:**
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- User ID implemented
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- Google signals enabled (for Blended identity)
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- Users opt in to personalization
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**How it Works:**
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1. User visits on mobile (logged in) → `user_id` set
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2. User visits on desktop (logged in) → same `user_id`
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3. GA4 stitches sessions together
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4. Reports show unified user journey
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**Verifying Cross-Device:**
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1. Enable DebugView
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2. Log in on Device 1 with `debug_mode=true`
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3. Note `user_id` parameter in events
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4. Log in on Device 2 with same account
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5. Verify same `user_id` in events
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6. Check reports for unified sessions
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### Cross-Domain Tracking
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**Setup for User ID Across Domains:**
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**gtag.js Configuration:**
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```javascript
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gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX', {
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'linker': {
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'domains': ['example.com', 'shop.example.com', 'blog.example.com']
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}
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});
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```
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**What This Does:**
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- Passes client_id between domains via URL parameter
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- Preserves user_id if set
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- Maintains session continuity
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**GTM Setup:**
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1. In GA4 Configuration tag
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2. Expand **Configuration Settings**
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3. Add parameter:
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- `linker`: `{"domains": ["example.com", "shop.example.com"]}`
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**Testing:**
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1. Visit domain1.com
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2. Click link to domain2.com
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3. Verify `_gl` parameter in URL
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4. Check session continues in GA4
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### User Data Deletion
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**Deleting User Data by User ID:**
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**Path:** Admin → Data Deletion Requests
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**Process:**
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1. Click **Create deletion request**
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2. Select parameter: User ID
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3. Enter User ID to delete
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4. Choose deletion scope (all data or date range)
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5. Submit request
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**Processing:**
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- Takes ~72 hours to complete
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- Deletes all events for that User ID
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- Cannot be undone
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**Use Cases:**
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- GDPR/CCPA compliance requests
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- User account deletion
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- Data cleanup
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### Testing User ID
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**Workflow:**
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1. **Implement User ID** (gtag or GTM)
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2. **Enable DebugView**
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3. **Test Login:**
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- Before login: Check events have only `client_id`
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- After login: Verify `user_id` appears in event details
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4. **Test Logout:**
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- After logout: Verify `user_id` cleared/null
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5. **Test Cross-Device:**
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- Login on Device 1
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- Login on Device 2 with same account
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- Verify same `user_id`
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**DebugView Verification:**
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- Click any event
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- Expand event details
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- Check "User ID" field populated
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**Reports Verification:**
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- Wait 24-48 hours
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- Admin → DebugView or Realtime
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- Check user count vs sessions
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- Lower user count = User ID working (same user, multiple sessions)
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## Integration with Other Skills
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- **ga4-setup** - Initial property setup for User ID
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- **ga4-gtag-implementation** - Implementing User ID via gtag.js
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- **ga4-gtm-integration** - Implementing User ID via GTM
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- **ga4-custom-dimensions** - Creating user-scoped dimensions
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- **ga4-audiences** - Building audiences based on User ID
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- **ga4-privacy-compliance** - User data deletion and compliance
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- **ga4-debugview** - Testing User ID implementation
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## References
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- **references/user-id-implementation.md** - Complete User ID setup guide
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- **references/user-properties-guide.md** - User properties reference and examples
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- **references/cross-device-tracking.md** - Cross-device implementation and testing
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- **references/reporting-identity.md** - Reporting identity options explained
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## Quick Reference
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**Set User ID (gtag.js):**
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```javascript
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gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX', {'user_id': 'USER_123'});
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```
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**Set User Properties (gtag.js):**
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```javascript
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gtag('set', 'user_properties', {
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'user_tier': 'premium'
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});
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```
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**Clear User ID (gtag.js):**
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```javascript
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gtag('set', 'user_id', null);
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```
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**Limits:**
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- 25 user properties per property
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- User property name ≤24 characters
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- User property value ≤36 characters
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- User ID must not contain PII
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