GA4 Search
The Google Analytics 4 (GA4) search box, located at the top of Analytics, helps you quickly find configurations, help content, answers, reports, Admin pages, and insights. This guide explains how to use the search box effectively and how your search history is used to personalize results.
Overview of GA4 Search Box Capabilities
The GA4 search bar enables you to:
Search for account or property configurations
Access help content
Find immediate answers about your data
Locate reports, Admin pages, or insights
Search functionality is available in all languages supported by Google Analytics 4 properties.
How the Search Box Behaves
When you click in the GA4 search box, you will see:
Recent searches
A list of reports you have previously opened
As you type in the search field:
Analytics makes recommendations to help you find information
Relevant matching text is bolded in suggestions
You can move through suggestions with the up and down arrow keys
You can accept a highlighted suggestion by pressing Enter
For example, when you start typing “user”, you will see recommendations related to user metrics, reports, and settings.
How to Search for Account and Property Configurations
Use the search box to retrieve information about your existing property or account and to navigate to other GA4 properties that you can access.
Discover Data Stream Details
Step 1: Click in the GA4 search box at the top of the interface.
Step 2: Type one of the following to access details of a web or app data stream in the current property:
An app stream ID (for example, “XXXXXXX”)
A web stream measurement ID (for example, “G-XXXXXXX”)
The term Tracking
Step 3: Select the relevant search result to open the data stream details.
Locate Property Settings
Step 1: Click the search box.
Step 2: Type one of the following:
The current property name
The current property ID
The term Property
Step 3: Click the search result that opens the property’s settings.
Locate Account Settings
Step 1: Click the search box.
Step 2: Type one of the following:
The term Account
The name of the active account
The ID of the active account
Step 3: Select the search result that opens the account settings.
How to Access Help Content from the Search Box
Use the search box to open relevant help articles and documentation when you need assistance with Analytics.
Step 1: Click in the GA4 search box.
Step 2: Enter a description of your question or task, such as “adding a web stream”.
Step 3: In the help results section, select your help query to open a page with relevant search results.
Step 4: Click a specific result to view the corresponding help content.
For better help results, start your search queries with words such as:
add
configure
create / creation
delete
edit
how can
how to
modification / modify
remove
update / upgrade
set up / setup
How to Find Immediate Answers About Your Data
You can ask plain English questions about your Analytics data and receive instant answers directly from the search box.
Step 1: Click the GA4 search box to open the Search panel.
Step 2: Type a specific question that includes the metric, dimension, and timeframe. For example: “conversions last week from the United States”.
Step 3: Review the immediate answer displayed in the Search or Insights panel.
Step 4: Click the search result in the Insights panel to view more detail.
How to Locate Reports, Admin Pages, and Insights
The search box helps you quickly open specific reports, Admin pages, and relevant automated insights.
Locate Reports
Step 1: Click in the search box.
Step 2: Enter the report’s title or a related term. For example, if you start typing “conversion”, conversion-related reports will appear.
Step 3: Optionally specify dimensions or metrics you want to see to receive a list of reports that include them.
You can also perform more targeted searches, such as:
Mobile users in the past week
United States users in the last 30 days
Using these types of queries, you will receive a list of reports that include the specified dimension, metric, and date range, for example: United States, Users, October 20, 2019 – November 18, 2019.
You can also ask about relative date ranges. For example, if you request:
“new users in the previous month versus the corresponding month last year”
Analytics generates reports that include the New Users metric for the previous month (for example, June 1–30) compared to the same month one year earlier.
To open the detailed report with the specified date filters, click the relevant search result.
View Insights Related to Your Query
Analytics displays insights related to your search query within the search results. These can highlight notable changes or trends in your data.
For example, you might see an insight such as:
“Users exceeded 500 yesterday.”
Open Admin Pages via Search
Step 1: Click the search box at the top of Analytics.
Step 2: Type the Admin function you want to access. For example, typing “link ads” will show results including the Admin page for linking your Google Ads and Analytics accounts.
Step 3: Click the search result to open the corresponding Admin page directly.
How Analytics Intelligence Search Is Personalized
Analytics Intelligence retains your search history to personalize search results and make it easier to return to items you use frequently.
What Is Personalized
The Recently Viewed section in search provides quick access to:
Recently viewed custom reports
Recently viewed explorations
Admin pages you have opened
Advertising hub
Configure options
How to View and Manage Search History
Step 1: In GA4, go to Admin.
Step 2: Under Property settings, select Analytics Intelligence search history.
Step 3: Review the saved search activity for your account.
Step 4: If you have the Editor role, delete any or all prior search activities associated with the property as needed.