Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s analytics platform. It offers a number of new features and improvements over its predecessor, Universal Analytics (UA). One of the most significant changes in GA4 is the removal of views.

In UA, views were used to create different versions of your data. For example, you could create a view to exclude internal traffic or to focus on a specific subset of your users. In GA4, there is no need for views. Instead, you use data filters to customize your data. Data filters are similar to views in UA, but they are applied at the property level instead of the view level. This means that they affect all of the data in your property, not just a single view.

To create a data filter, go to the Admin tab and click on Data streams. Then, click on the name of the data stream that you want to filter and click on the Filters tab. To create a new filter, click on the + button and select the type of filter that you want to create. There are a number of different types of filters available, including filters for traffic sources, user demographics, and device types. Once you have created your filter, click on the Save button. Your filter will then be applied to all of the data in your property.

The removal of views in GA4 can be a bit of a challenge for users who are used to working with UA. However, data filters provide a powerful way to customize your data and create different versions of your reports.

Benefits of No Views in GA4

There are a number of benefits to having no views in GA4. Here are a few of the most important ones:

• Simplicity: GA4 is designed to be simpler and easier to use than UA. The removal of views contributes to this simplicity by reducing the number of concepts that users need to understand.
• Flexibility: Data filters give users more flexibility in how they can customize their data. This can be helpful for users who need to create different versions of their reports for different purposes.
• Scalability: GA4 is designed to scale to larger datasets than UA. The removal of views helps to improve scalability by reducing the amount of data that needs to be processed.

Conclusion

The removal of views in GA4 is a significant change, but it can also be a positive one. By reducing the number of concepts that users need to understand, GA4 can be simpler and easier to use. Data filters also give users more flexibility in how they can customize their data. This can be helpful for users who need to create different versions of their reports for different purposes.