The percentage of unassigned is too high in Google Analytics
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a valuable tool for tracking and analyzing user behavior on websites. Every click, page view, and conversion forms a piece of the puzzle that helps make better decisions and adjust strategies. However, one persistent challenge that even experienced GA4 experts face is the “unassigned” category in GA4 reports.
Google Analytics 4 categorizes traffic sources into broader groups, giving users an overview of which types of channels perform best. For example, visitors from organic searches via Bing and Google are grouped under the default channel group ‘Organic Search.’ If Google cannot determine the source of a session or visitor, that session or visitor is labeled as “unassigned” and does not receive a specific channel group.
Is Your Unassigned Traffic Truly Unattributable?
First, verify if the unassigned traffic is genuinely unattributable. To do this, open the GA4 traffic acquisition report. Add the extra dimension “Session source/medium” by clicking the blue plus icon and entering “unassigned” in the search bar.
Now, you can check if some visitors arrived at the site from unrecognized sources and mediums or if all unassigned traffic is truly “(not set).” Keep in mind that GA4 has a 24-48 hour data processing period, so unassigned percentages will always be high for recent data.
If, as shown above, you see traffic from unrecognized sources/mediums, you may not be using the cor rect UTM parameters . In the example above, this is caused by an email campaign with incorrect UTM parameters.
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How Is the Cookie Banner Configured?
A significant factor contributing to a high unassigned percentage can be the configuration of the cookie banner and consent handling via Google Tag Manager. When a user visits your website, it is crucial for them to provide consent for data collection. Improper configuration or consent handling can lead to inaccurate or incomplete data in GA4.
This blog post on configuring triggers in Google Tag Manager for consent handling provides detailed instructions on setting up a cookie banner with Server-Side Tagging. Following these guidelines ensures optimal data collection and minimizes unassigned traffic.
Do the Client_ID and Session_ID Stay Consistent During a Visit?
GA4 identifies users and their sessions based on parameters like Client_ID (user ID) and Session_ID. If either of these changes mid-session, GA4 may register a new user or a new session for an existing user, which may lack a recognizable source.
To investigate, open the “Explore” section within your GA4 property.
Select “User Explorer.” After opening User Explorer, click the plus icon under “Variables” in the left column to add “Segments.”
Create a new segment. Choose “User segment” and set the condition to “Session source/medium equals (not set).” Click apply.
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How realistic is it for the first recorded session event to be the “begin_checkout” event?
How likely is it that a visitor browses one page every 15 minutes and then suddenly completes a purchase without an add_to_cart or begin_checkout event?
Additional Solutions for Unassigned Traffic
The unassigned problem in GA4 is a significant issue faced by marketers and business owners alike because it’s not easily resolved. The three main causes and solutions related to Server-Side Tagging implementation have been discussed above. If these solutions do not yield the desired results, you can explore our blog post with additional solutions to the unassigned traffic issue.
Google Analytics 4 categorizes traffic sources into broader groups, giving users an overview of which types of channels perform best. For example, visitors from organic searches via Bing and Google are grouped under the default channel group ‘Organic Search.’ If Google cannot determine the source of a session or visitor, that session or visitor is labeled as “unassigned” and does not receive a specific channel group.
Is Your Unassigned Traffic Truly Unattributable?
First, verify if the unassigned traffic is genuinely unattributable. To do this, open the GA4 traffic acquisition report. Add the extra dimension “Session source/medium” by clicking the blue plus icon and entering “unassigned” in the search bar.
Now, you can check if some visitors arrived at the site from unrecognized sources and mediums or if all unassigned traffic is truly “(not set).” Keep in mind that GA4 has a 24-48 hour data processing period, so unassigned percentages will always be high for recent data.If, as shown above, you see traffic from unrecognized sources/mediums, you may not be using the cor rect UTM parameters . In the example above, this is caused by an email campaign with incorrect UTM parameters.
---
How Is the Cookie Banner Configured?
A significant factor contributing to a high unassigned percentage can be the configuration of the cookie banner and consent handling via Google Tag Manager. When a user visits your website, it is crucial for them to provide consent for data collection. Improper configuration or consent handling can lead to inaccurate or incomplete data in GA4.
This blog post on configuring triggers in Google Tag Manager for consent handling provides detailed instructions on setting up a cookie banner with Server-Side Tagging. Following these guidelines ensures optimal data collection and minimizes unassigned traffic.
Do the Client_ID and Session_ID Stay Consistent During a Visit?
GA4 identifies users and their sessions based on parameters like Client_ID (user ID) and Session_ID. If either of these changes mid-session, GA4 may register a new user or a new session for an existing user, which may lack a recognizable source.
To investigate, open the “Explore” section within your GA4 property.
Select “User Explorer.” After opening User Explorer, click the plus icon under “Variables” in the left column to add “Segments.”
Create a new segment. Choose “User segment” and set the condition to “Session source/medium equals (not set).” Click apply.---How realistic is it for the first recorded session event to be the “begin_checkout” event?
How likely is it that a visitor browses one page every 15 minutes and then suddenly completes a purchase without an add_to_cart or begin_checkout event?
Additional Solutions for Unassigned Traffic
The unassigned problem in GA4 is a significant issue faced by marketers and business owners alike because it’s not easily resolved. The three main causes and solutions related to Server-Side Tagging implementation have been discussed above. If these solutions do not yield the desired results, you can explore our blog post with additional solutions to the unassigned traffic issue.
Updated on: 22/11/2024
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