Add a Google Analytics 4 property (to a site that already has Analytics)

Set up a Google Analytics 4 property alongside your existing Universal Analytics property
This article is for website owners who are using Universal Analytics and want to try out a Google Analytics 4 property. What’s a Google Analytics 4 property?

Click GA4 Setup Assistant (instructions below) to create a Google Analytics 4 property that collects data alongside your existing Universal Analytics property. Your Universal Analytics property is left unchanged and continues to collect data -- you can always access it via the property selector or Admin screen.

If you use a website builder or CMS-hosted website (for example, WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc),  use your website builder's/CMS's custom HTML feature to tag your site. Follow these instructions. Do not simply paste your "G-" or "UA-" ID into the field that your CMS provides.
The GA4 Setup Assistant wizard does not backfill your new GA4 property with historical data. Your GA4 property only collects data going forward. To see historical data, use the reports in your Universal Analytics property.

GA4 Setup Assistant wizard

Follow the instructions below to create your Google Analytics 4 property. The instructions are the same regardless of whether your website pages have the Analytics tag or whether you use Google Tag Manager.

  1. In Google Analytics, click Admin.
  2. In the Account column, make sure that your desired account is selected. (If you only have one Google Analytics account, it will already be selected.)
  3. In the Property column, select the Universal Analytics property that currently collects data for your website.
  4. In the Property column, click GA4 Setup Assistant. It is the first option in the Property column (directly above "Property Settings", which is second.)
  5. Click Get started under "I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property".
  6. If your site uses the gtag.js, tag, you have the option to Enable data collection using your existing tags.  However, if you use a website builder/CMS (e.g. Wix, etc), Google Tag Manager, or your website is tagged with analytics.js, the wizard can't reuse your existing tagging and you'll need to add the tag yourself (instructions).
    Note for advanced users: If you've implemented any custom tags for your Universal Analytics property, Enable data collection using your existing tags won’t replicate the functionality for your Google Analytics 4 property. Learn more.
  7. Click Create Property.

Once you click Create Property, the setup wizard:

Once this process is complete, you will see "You have successfully connected your properties" at the top of your Google Analytics 4 Property Setup Assistant page. Click See your GA4 property to be taken to Setup Assistant in your new Google Analytics 4 property.

If the GA4 Setup Assistant wizard provided the option to "Enable data collection using your existing tagging" (and you left this option selected), your new Google Analytics 4 property should now be collecting data.

Note: It can take up to 30 minutes for data to begin appearing in your new Google Analytics 4 property.

To verify that data is being collected, select Realtime from the report navigation. Browse your website. You should see activity in the Realtime report.

Make a note of your Google Analytics 4 property's name so you can find it later. If your Universal Analytics property name is "Example property (UA-1234567)", your GA4 property name will be "Example property (87654321)", where 87654321 is a property number.
If you have an existing Firebase project, you can link this Google Analytics 4 property to it. However, you have to do this from Firebase. Learn how.
Add a GA4 property Add a GA4 property (using Google Tag Manager)
Updates not yet reflected in these videos: The Upgrade to GA4 button referenced in these videos is now called GA4 Setup Assistant. Also, once the process is complete, you are no longer taken to your new GA4 property. Instead, you will see "You have successfully connected your properties" at the top of your Google Analytics 4 Property Setup  Assistant page. Click See your GA4 property to be taken to Setup Assistant in your new Google Analytics 4 property.

If the setup wizard did not use your existing tagging

If you use a website builder/CMS (e.g. Wix, etc) or your website is tagged with analytics.js (instead of gtag.js), the GA4 Setup Assistant wizard could not reuse your existing tagging.  So, you'll need to add the Analytics tag yourself to begin seeing data in your new Google Analytics 4 property.

Add your tag to a website builder or CMS-hosted website (for example, WordPress, Shopify, etc.)
Don't see a Data Streams option in the Property column? You are in a Universal Analytics property instead of your upgraded GA4 property. Use the property selector or Admin to navigate to your new GA4 property.
  1. Click Admin.
  2. In the Property column, check that you have your new Google Analytics 4 property selected, then click Data Streams, then Web. Click the data stream.
  3. Under Tagging Instructions, click Add new on-page tag and look for "Global Site Tag (gtag.js)". Your Analytics page tag is the entire section of code that appears, beginning with:
    <!-- Global Site Tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
    and ending with
    </script>

Copy and paste your entire Google Analytics page tag to your website using your CMS's custom HTML feature. Follow your CMS's instructions on how to do this below:

You can then use the Realtime report to verify that you're receiving data.

Add your tag directly to your web pages

You'll need access to your web pages HTML. Ask your web developer to perform these steps if you're unable to do this yourself.

  1. Click Admin.
  2. In the Property column, check that you have your new Google Analytics 4 property selected, then click Data Streams, then Web. Click the data stream.
  3. Under Tagging Instructions, click Add new on-page tag and look for "Global Site Tag (gtag.js)". Your Analytics page tag is the entire section of code that appears, beginning with:
    <!-- Global Site Tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
    and ending with
    </script>
  4. Copy and paste your entire Analytics page tag immediately after the <head> on each page of your website. (Don't remove the old analytics.js tag; it will continue to collect data for your Universal Analytics property. The gtag.js tag that you're adding will collect data for your new Google Analytics 4 property.)

You can then use the Realtime report to verify that you're receiving data. 

Don't see a Data Streams option in the Property column? You are in a Universal Analytics property instead of your upgraded GA4 property. Use the property selector or Admin to navigate to your new GA4 property.
Add your tag using Google Tag Manager

In Google Tag Manager, create a Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration tag:

  1. Click Tags and then New.
  2. Click Tag Configuration.
  3. Select Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
  4. Enter your Measurement ID.
  5. Optional: Add any parameters you'd like to configure in Fields to Set. Use recommended event parameter names for best results.
  6. Optional: Add any custom user properties that you'd like to configure in User Properties. Note: Analytics automatically logs some user properties. You can set up to 25 additional user properties per Google Analytics 4 property.
  7. Optional: Use Advanced Settings to set a Tag Firing Priority or use Tag Sequencing to help ensure that the Configuration tag fires before any other event tags that require it.
  8. Click Triggering and select appropriate triggers that would cause the tag to fire, e.g. "All Pages", so that the configuration tag fires on all pages of your website.
  9. Save the tag configuration and publish your container.
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