gh-henkisdabro-wookstar-claude-code-plugins-ga-suite/skills/ga4-setup/references/property-creation-guide.md

GA4 Property Creation Guide

Complete step-by-step guide for creating Google Analytics 4 accounts, properties, and data streams.

Account Hierarchy

GA4 uses a three-level hierarchy:

Google Account (Login credentials)
└── Analytics Account (Container for properties)
    └── GA4 Property (Analytics container for website/app)
        └── Data Stream (Platform-specific: Web, iOS, Android)
            └── Events & Parameters

Understanding the Hierarchy

Level 1: Google Account

• Your Gmail/Google Workspace login
• Required to access Google Analytics
• Can own multiple Analytics accounts
• No configuration needed (use existing account)

Level 2: Analytics Account

• Container for organizing properties
• Typically one per business or organization
• Limit: Up to 2,000 properties per account
• Shared settings: data sharing, account-level users, change history

Level 3: GA4 Property

• Container for a specific website, app, or business unit
• Can have multiple data streams
• Property-specific settings: timezone, currency, industry, objectives
• Limit: 2,000 properties per account

Level 4: Data Stream

• Tracks specific platform (web, iOS, or Android)
• Each stream has unique Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX)
• Limit: Up to 1,000 data streams per property

Creating an Analytics Account

When to Create a New Account

Create a new Analytics account when:

• Starting analytics for a new organization
• Separating client work (agencies)
• Requiring distinct permission boundaries
• Organizationally separating business units

Account Creation Steps

1. Navigate to https://analytics.google.com
2. Click "Start measuring" or Admin → Create Account
3. Enter account name (e.g., "Acme Corporation")
4. Configure account data sharing settings:
   • Google products & services (recommended: enabled)
   • Benchmarking (recommended: enabled)
   • Technical support (recommended: enabled)
   • Account specialists (optional)
5. Click "Next" to proceed to property creation

Account Data Sharing Settings

Google Products & Services:

• Shares data to improve Google products
• Enables product recommendations

Benchmarking:

• Allows comparison with industry peers
• Anonymously shares data for aggregate reports

Technical Support:

• Google support can access account for troubleshooting
• Recommended for faster issue resolution

Account Specialists:

• Share with Google account managers
• Only relevant if you have dedicated account rep

Creating a GA4 Property

Property Details

Step 1: Property Name

Enter a descriptive property name:

• Use clear naming: "Main Website", "Mobile App", "E-commerce Site"
• Include environment if applicable: "Production Website" vs "Test Website"
• Keep under 100 characters

Step 2: Reporting Time Zone

Select your primary business timezone:

• Used for day boundaries in reports
• Example: "United States - Pacific Time"
• Critical: Cannot be changed retroactively affects historical data
• Choose carefully based on where business operates

Step 3: Currency

Select reporting currency:

• Used for revenue and monetary value reporting
• Example: "US Dollar (USD)" or "Euro (EUR)"
• All monetary values converted to this currency
• Can be changed later without affecting historical data

Advanced Settings

Step 4: Industry Category (Optional)

Select relevant industry:

• Automotive
• Business & Industrial Markets
• Finance
• Healthcare
• Technology
• Travel
• Real Estate
• And more...

Purpose: Influences default reports and recommendations

Step 5: Business Size (Optional)

Select company size:

• Small (1-100 employees)
• Medium (100-500 employees)
• Large (500+ employees)

Business Objectives

Step 6: Select Objectives

Choose objectives that match business goals:

Option 1: Get baseline reports

• Default reports for all businesses
• Choose if unsure or want standard setup
• Recommended for first-time GA4 users

Option 2: Examine user behavior

• User engagement and retention reports
• Path exploration tools

Option 3: Measure customer actions

• Conversion tracking emphasis
• Ecommerce-focused reports

Option 4: Get insights on customers

• Demographics and interests
• Requires Google Signals

Option 5: Improve marketing ROI

• Advertising and attribution reports
• Google Ads integration

Note: Can select multiple objectives; influences default reporting UI

Accepting Terms

Step 7: Review and Accept

• Google Analytics Terms of Service
• Data Processing Amendment (GDPR)
• Country-specific terms if applicable

Read and check acceptance boxes, then click "Create"

Property Settings Configuration

After property creation, configure additional settings:

Navigate to Property Settings

1. Admin → Property → Property Settings
2. Review and adjust:
   • Property name (can change later)
   • Industry category
   • Time zone (CRITICAL - choose correctly first time)
   • Currency (can change)
   • Property ID (read-only, format: properties/XXXXXXXXXX)

Enable Google Signals (Optional)

Location: Admin → Data Settings → Data Collection

Purpose:

• Collect demographics (age, gender)
• Enable cross-device tracking
• Requires users signed into Google accounts

Requirements:

• User consent for ad personalization
• Compliance with privacy regulations

Enable Steps:

1. Admin → Data Settings → Data Collection
2. Click "Get Started" under Google Signals
3. Review requirements
4. Click "Activate"

Impact:

• Demographics & interests reports available
• Cross-device user tracking
• Enhanced audience building

Configure Data Retention

Location: Admin → Data Settings → Data Retention

Options:

• 2 months (default)
• 14 months (recommended for most)
• 26 months (GA4 360 only)
• 38 months (GA4 360 only)
• 50 months (GA4 360 only)

What's Affected:

• User-level data in Explorations
• Event-level data in Explorations
• User Explorer report

Not Affected:

• Standard reports (aggregated data retained indefinitely)
• Conversion data
• Audience data

Recommendation: Set to 14 months for year-over-year analysis

Reset User Data on New Activity

Toggle Option: ON or OFF

ON (Default):

• Retention timer resets with each new event from user
• User data persists as long as user remains active

OFF:

• Data deleted after retention period regardless of activity
• Use for stricter privacy compliance

Property Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Use consistent, descriptive names:

Good Examples:

• "Acme Corp - Production Website"
• "Acme Corp - iOS App"
• "Acme Corp - Test Environment"

Bad Examples:

• "Website 1"
• "Test"
• "Property123"

Environment Separation

Create Separate Properties For:

• Production website/app
• Staging/test environment
• Development environment

Why: Prevents test data from polluting production analytics

Property Organization

Single Business:

• One property per major digital property (website, app)
• Multiple data streams within property for subdomains

Multiple Businesses/Clients:

• Separate Analytics accounts for each
• Or separate properties within agency account

Documentation

Document for Each Property:

• Property ID and name
• Measurement IDs for all data streams
• Timezone and currency selections
• Business objectives chosen
• Setup date and responsible person
• Installation method used

Common Property Creation Issues

Issue: Cannot Create Property

Causes:

• Reached 2,000 property limit
• Insufficient permissions
• Account suspended

Solutions:

• Delete unused properties
• Request Admin access from account owner
• Contact Google support for suspension issues

Issue: Wrong Timezone Selected

Problem: Cannot change timezone after creation

Solutions:

• Delete and recreate property (if just created)
• Export data and create new property (if has historical data)
• Accept timezone and use data studio for reporting in different timezone

Issue: Don't Know Which Industry Category

Solution: Choose "Other" or most relevant category

• Not critical for functionality
• Can be changed later
• Only affects suggested reports

Issue: Multiple Properties vs Multiple Data Streams

Decision Framework:

Use Multiple Data Streams (Same Property) when:

• Same business entity
• Want combined reporting
• Example: main site + blog subdomain

Use Multiple Properties when:

• Different business entities
• Different permission requirements
• Test vs production
• Example: separate brands, client sites

Next Steps After Property Creation

1. Create Data Stream (see data-streams-configuration.md)
2. Install Tracking Code (see installation-methods.md)
3. Verify Installation (see verification-checklist.md)
4. Configure Enhanced Measurement
5. Set up Internal Traffic Filters
6. Create First Custom Events

Additional Resources

• Official Google: GA4 Property Setup
• Official Google: Account Structure Best Practices
• Official Google: Data Retention Settings