GA4 reporting next to your ad channels
Connect Google Analytics to Grower to see web users, traffic, engagement and e-commerce in Optimize's Web & app view, next to the leaderboard for every ad channel you run. It is Grower's one analytics connection, beside 10 paid channels and your app trackers.
GA4 reporting in Grower puts your website's users, traffic, engagement and e-commerce in Optimize's Web & app view, next to the channels leaderboard for every ad platform you run. Google Analytics is Grower's one analytics connection, so you can read site behavior and ad results in one place instead of switching between GA4 and each ad manager.
What you get when you connect Google Analytics to Grower
Google Analytics is listed as Grower's analytics connection on the Streamline integrations page, alongside 10 paid channels, 2 CRM and email tools and 4 mobile app trackers.
- Web analytics next to your ads: the Web & app view covers users, traffic, engagement and e-commerce, beside a channels leaderboard that ranks connected ad channels by ROAS, conversions, cost, CPA, impressions and CTR.
- App data in the same view: connect your mobile attribution partner, for example Adjust or AppsFlyer, to bring installs and in-app revenue into the same view.
- One conversion count for ad channels: the attribution engine de-duplicates conversions from every channel and app into one unified count and credits each touchpoint with one of six models, including a custom model you build.
- AI that reads web and ads together: Grower's optimization engine reads every ad channel, web and app signal, then produces weekly recommendations with the evidence behind them for you to approve or dismiss.
- AskGrower: ask for a report in plain words, for example how traffic and conversions moved last month. The agent asks before it spends credits or touches anything live.
How GA4 reporting and attribution work
In GA4, a key event is "an event that measures an action that's particularly important to the success of your business". Google now keeps the word "conversion" for actions used to measure ad performance and bidding, as its conversions vs key events page explains.
GA4's attribution guide lists three models: data-driven attribution, paid and organic last click, and Google paid channels last click. First click, linear, time decay and position-based models have not been available since November 2023. All models exclude direct visits from credit, unless the whole path is direct.
GA4 attribution settings and lookback windows
These are the defaults in GA4's attribution settings:
| Key event type | Default lookback | Other options |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition key events (first_open, first_visit) | 30 days | 7 days |
| All other key events | 90 days | 30 or 60 days |
Changing the reporting attribution model applies to historical and future data. Changing the lookback window applies only going forward.
Why GA4 and your ad platforms report different numbers
Even with a correct setup, Google says GA4 and Google Ads will differ, and its Google Ads help page lists why:
- Different dates. Google Ads reports a conversion on the date of the click; Analytics records it on the date the action happened.
- Different cookie lifetimes. Google Ads cookies expire 90 days after a click, while Analytics uses a cookie that lasts up to 2 years.
- Import delay. Analytics conversion data can take up to 24 hours to reach Google Ads.
- Invalid clicks. Google Ads can filter out conversions tied to clicks it judges invalid.
Other platforms add their own gaps: they count view-through conversions that GA4 never sees and use their own windows. Pinterest, for example, says Google Analytics cannot see activity on Pinterest (see our Pinterest page). Grower de-duplicates conversions from every ad channel and app into one count under one model. Read why GA4, Meta and Google Ads disagree and the marketing analytics platform checklist.
Regional note: consent in the UK
Google's EU user consent policy covers end users in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland. With consent mode, GA4 can model the behavior of users who decline analytics cookies, but only if the property meets Google's thresholds: at least 1,000 events a day from users who declined, for at least 7 days, and at least 1,000 daily users who granted consent, on 7 of the previous 28 days. For UK GDPR and Saudi Arabia's PDPL, see our consent guide.
Getting connected
Your Google Analytics connection is set up with your Grower specialist during onboarding, together with your ad channels and app trackers. To see it first, book the demo: a live walkthrough tailored to your channels, where we connect a channel and show the recommendations it produces.
Frequently asked questions
Which attribution models does GA4 offer?
GA4 offers three: data-driven attribution, paid and organic last click, and Google paid channels last click. Google retired first click, linear, time decay and position-based models in November 2023. Grower's attribution engine offers six models across your ad channels: last click, first click, linear, time decay, position-based and custom.
What is the default GA4 lookback window?
For acquisition key events such as first_visit and first_open, the default is 30 days, with 7 days as the alternative. For all other key events, the default is 90 days, with 30 or 60 days as options. Lookback changes apply going forward, while a change of reporting attribution model applies to historical data too.
Why don't GA4 and Google Ads match?
Google Ads dates a conversion by the click, GA4 by the action. Their cookies last 90 days and up to 2 years respectively, imported data can lag by up to 24 hours, and Google Ads filters invalid clicks. Google says these differences are common even when everything is set up correctly.
Where does Google Analytics data appear in Grower?
In Optimize's Web & app view, which covers users, traffic, engagement and e-commerce. It sits next to the channels leaderboard for your ad channels, and a connected mobile attribution partner adds installs and in-app revenue to the same view. Your specialist sets up the connection during onboarding.
Want web analytics and every ad channel in one view? Book a demo and a specialist will walk through Grower on your own channels.