The single most useful thing you can do with a Google Analytics 4 property is send its data to BigQuery. The standard GA4 interface only shows you so much, and it samples your data once you push it. BigQuery hands you every raw event, with no sampling, ready to query however you like.
The good news is that the export is free and built into GA4, so it is far easier to turn on than it was in the Universal Analytics days.
So read on for step-by-step instructions on how to get started!
The short version
- Linking GA4 to BigQuery is free and built into GA4, and it hands you every raw event with no sampling.
- You need Account-level Edit access in GA4 and Project Owner rights in BigQuery to create the link.
- Turn it on under Admin, BigQuery links, pick daily or streaming export, then wait two to three days for data to flow.
- Report on it with Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio), Google's free tool, which reads GA4 or BigQuery directly.
- The real payoff is BigQuery and Looker Studio together: query your full unsampled data in SQL, then visualise exactly what you need.
How do you link GA4 to BigQuery?
You link BigQuery to Google Analytics 4 from the GA4 Admin panel. Here is the setup, step by step.
Follow these steps for configuring BigQuery into GA4:
#1 You need a Google Cloud Platform Account to create a project where the BigQuery API is enabled.
#2 Head over to Google Analytics to complete the setup.
Two essential things before you proceed:
- In GA, you must have Account Level EDIT access
- In BQ, you must have Project OWNER rights
Only these access permissions let you connect Google Analytics 4 and BigQuery.
#3 In GA4, do the following:
Go to the Admin section and select BigQuery links.
Create a new link by clicking on the Link button.
#4 The next thing you're going to do is select your project and click Confirm.
#5 Next, Choose a data storage location.
#6 And select the frequency of your BigQuery data imports to be Daily
and/or Streaming (continuous).
Wait two to three days after creating the link, then check that the BigQuery export is running as expected.
One thing to check first: you need basic tracking set up in GA4, or there will be no data to export.
For more in-depth details, check how to set up BigQuery Export here.
How do you report on GA4 with Looker Studio?
Data Studio, now called Looker Studio, is Google's free reporting and visualization tool. We use the name Data Studio below because that is what the screenshots show, but it is the same product.
It pulls data straight from GA4 and turns it into reports that are far easier to read than the GA4 interface itself.
The tool is entirely free, and it allows you to connect multiple data sources for a greater understanding of operations and business goals.
Data Studio lets you share files with your team members who can work collaboratively in real-time.
You can build interactive, fully customizable reports and dashboards. The features that earn it a place in the stack are:
- Dynamic updates. These are number one for us. If the dashboards in Data Studio are linked to your source data, everything will be updated automatically by pulling data from the GA4 database. So, if you're getting ready for a call or presentation, Data Studio will show the last available data in the reports.
- Another important aspect of GDS is Broad data visualization options that make data more accessible and easy to manage than the GA4 interface.
- Multiple sources let you link different data sources, combine metrics and dimensions and visualize them.
- Not to forget Easy to share access that lets visualized data to be shared without granting access to your sources.
Connecting GA4 to Data Studio
Before creating visualizations in Google Data Studio, you must first connect it to a GA4 property. BTW, if you haven't still set up your GA4 properly, head over to our quick but broad guide.
You must have Read & Analyze permission for the property you want to connect it to.
#1 Log in to Data Studio.
#2 Click on the Create and select Data Source.
#3 Pick the Google Analytics connector
#4 Give Data Studio access to your account by clicking on Authorize.
#5 Select an account and then the property.
#6 Click on Connect
You'll see the data source fields panel, and this is how you know it's connected to your data set.
The data set is all your underlying data, i.e., Google Analytics 4 property. To create a data source, you must use one of Data Studio's available connectors, i.e., Google Analytics for a GA4 property, to relate it to that data set (GA4 property).
In the data source fields panel, you can configure options and fields provided by this connector. No data is ever compromised by any changes you make in Data Studio.
Credentials let you sort out viewers who need access to the underlying data and reports.
Owner's Credentials let you share a report with anyone even if they don't have access to the data set, e.g., the GA4 property to which your data source is connected.
Change credentials by clicking on Data credentials above the data source fields panel.
Creating a New Report from the Data Source
Now that you've got your data source set up, it's time to create a report.
#1 In Data Studio, click on the Create and then Report.
You will see a report editor.
#2 You can now add data to the new report by clicking Add To Report from the selected data source.
Keep in mind. GA4 is still updating, and new additions are being made. There were certain tweaks regarding Google Data Studio with GA4. For example, now event- and user-scoped custom dimensions and metrics are available, but some important fields were excluded before this. See how to set up and track events in GA4 here.
For the latest info on these changes, always refer to the official Google Analytics Data API (GA4).
Your First Report in Data Studio
A few principles to keep in mind before you build your first report:
Make sense of visualizations and make them a priority
Substance comes before looks. A report can be beautiful, but if the numbers inside it do not answer a real question, no one cares about the chart. Decide what the report is supposed to tell someone, then design around that.
Have a colleague review it before you share it. A second set of eyes catches the inconsistencies and the metric combinations that do not quite hold up.
Don't data-bomb the reader (no info overload)
Everything should be readable without zooming out. Use a table instead of a wall of text where you can, and split one crowded page into two rather than cramming it all in. A reader should be able to grab the key points at a glance.
Don't overload. Keep it short and straightforward.
Visualizations should be appealing
Used well, Data Studio directs the reader's attention exactly where you want it. Layout, colour, and chart choice are not decoration; they are how you guide someone through the story the data is telling.
Use charts to emphasise the points that matter, colour to draw the eye, and bold type for titles and headings. Just keep it consistent across the report.
Only 100% correct data is valuable data
A report is only as good as the data behind it. If the numbers are wrong, every decision made from them is wrong too. Cross-check your Data Studio figures against the GA4 interface. Some metrics line up easily, like sessions and users; others need a custom report to reconcile, so take the time to get them right.
How do BigQuery and Looker Studio work together?
The real payoff comes from using BigQuery and Data Studio together: query your full, unsampled data in BigQuery, then report on it in Data Studio.
BigQuery can process millions of rows in seconds, which is what makes it worth the setup once your data gets large.
Why the three fit together
The three fit together because you finally get your full data with no sampling. The free GA4 export has daily limits on how many events it sends to BigQuery, so very high-traffic properties can hit a cap, but most accounts have plenty of headroom.
In BigQuery you can run any analysis you can write SQL for, then shape the results into the view that actually answers your question.
You also own the raw data outright. That means you can join your GA4 clickstream with other sources, like CRM records or offline sales, and run the kind of user-level analysis the GA4 interface cannot.
From there, you write custom SQL queries in BigQuery and let Data Studio read the results, so the report shows exactly what you need instead of whatever the default connector hands you.
Connecting BigQuery to Data Studio
Connecting BigQuery to Data Studio follows the same steps as connecting GA4. The only difference is that you pick BigQuery as the connector.
Once you've authorized Data Studio to connect with your BigQuery projects, select the project that will provide underlying data for this new source.
If you only have a raw table to work from, choose Custom Query and build your data source from SQL query results instead.
Now BigQuery and Data Studio are connected. The temptation is to just recreate your GA4 reports, but it is worth going further and building the deeper reports that only raw data makes possible.
Data Studio gives you plenty of options to present the data the way your business needs it. You can also pull in sources beyond GA4, which lets you combine dimensions and see performance across systems in one place.
Ready for the BigQuery Integration?
Sending GA4 to BigQuery is the move that turns Google Analytics from a dashboard into a real data source. In this guide we connected GA4 to BigQuery, then reported on it through Data Studio.
If you are still getting GA4 itself in order, start with our GA4 setup checklist. And if you would rather have the whole measurement stack set up and maintained for you, that is what our web analytics service is for.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GA4 BigQuery export free? Yes. The export is free and built into GA4, which makes it far easier to turn on than it was in Universal Analytics. The free tier has a daily limit on how many events it sends, so very high-traffic properties can hit a cap, but most accounts have plenty of headroom.
What access do I need to link GA4 to BigQuery? Two things: Account-level Edit access in Google Analytics, and Project Owner rights in the BigQuery project. Without both, GA4 will not let you create the link.
How long does the GA4 BigQuery export take to start? Create the link under Admin, BigQuery links, then wait two to three days and check the export is running as expected. You also need basic tracking live in GA4 first, or there is no data to export.
Should I choose daily or streaming export? You can pick daily batch exports, streaming (continuous), or both when you create the link. Daily suits most reporting, and you add streaming when you need near real-time data.
Why send GA4 to BigQuery instead of using the interface? BigQuery gives you every raw event with no sampling, and you own the data outright. That lets you join your GA4 clickstream with other sources like CRM records or offline sales and run user-level analysis the GA4 interface cannot.
