Google Analytics 4, step by step

Check the built-in AI channel first

Chapter 11

Since May 2026, GA4's default channels include AI Assistant, which groups visits from assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot. Clicks from Google's own AI Overviews and AI Mode still count as Organic Search.

1. Open Reports, then Acquisition, then Traffic acquisition.
2. Look for AI Assistant in the channel column. That is your AI-referred traffic, already separated from Referral.
3. Test it: from a private window, click a link to your site inside a ChatGPT answer, then check Reports, Realtime.

Direct link: thesourceframework.com/how/ai-channel

Build your own AI Referral channel (optional)

Chapter 11

Worth doing if you want every AI source in one channel you control, or the built-in channel misses a source you care about. The current domain list lives on the measurement page.

1. Go to Admin (the cog, bottom left), then under Data display choose Channel groups, then Create new channel group. It starts as a copy of the default group.
2. Name the group, choose Add new channel, name it AI Referral, then + Add condition group and set Source matches regex with the domain list. At the time of checking:

chatgpt\.com|chat\.openai\.com|perplexity\.ai|claude\.ai|gemini\.google\.com|copilot\.microsoft\.com|you\.com|meta\.ai

1. Choose Save channel, then Reorder, drag AI Referral above Referral, choose Apply, then Save group. GA4 checks channels top to bottom, so below Referral it would never catch anything.
2. Switch the channel dropdown in Traffic acquisition to your new group. It applies to past data too.

Standard GA4 properties allow two custom channel groups. Don't copy Google's example regex: patterns like .*gpt.* catch sites that have nothing to do with AI.

Direct link: thesourceframework.com/how/ai-channel

Mark your key events

Chapter 11

Google renamed conversions key events in 2024. They are the actions that matter to the business: a form sent, a qualified lead, a purchase, a sign-up. Page views are not key events.

1. Go to Admin, then under Data display choose Events.
2. In the Recent events tab, click the star beside the event (for example generate_lead or purchase). It moves to the Key events tab.
3. Allow up to 24 hours before it shows in reports. It counts from now on, not backwards.
4. Give each key event a value: have it sent with the event, or use an estimate of your average deal value multiplied by your lead-to-close rate.

Standard properties allow up to 30 key events.

Direct link: thesourceframework.com/how/key-events

Revenue and key events by landing page

Chapter 11

1. Open Reports, then Engagement, then Landing page.
2. Key events and Total revenue are there by default. If someone has removed them, an editor can add them back with the pencil (Customize report).
3. Once a quarter, look for two kinds of page: traffic with no key events (a leak), and key events with little traffic (a page worth feeding).

Direct link: thesourceframework.com/how/landing-page-revenue

Spot AI traffic hiding in Direct

Chapter 11

1. In the Landing page report, add a filter for Session default channel group exactly Direct.
2. Real bookmark-and-typed visits land mostly on your homepage. Direct visits landing deep on a blog post or comparison page are very likely AI answers that lost their referrer on the way.