If Google Analytics 4's default channel reporting isn't telling you what you want to know about how visitors find you website, keep reading. In GA4, "Channels" are the broadest type of traffic source. For example, channels include sources like Direct, Organic Search, Paid Search, Paid Social, and more.

In this post, you'll learn:

These are good standard options. But if you want reporting that is more specific to your business—for example, visitors from certain links, email segments, or campaign types—then you'll need to create a custom channel group.

Prerequisite for Custom Channel Groups

Custom channel groups are created from rule-based definitions in the GA4 Admin interface. The most accessible options for defining custom channel groups are through a visitor's source, medium, and campaign. In most cases, the easiest way to ensure these fields fit your needs for a custom channel group is to tag any links to your website from external sources with UTM parameters. For example, yourwebsite.com/product?utm_source=ad&utm_campaign=sale. Just as important as ensuring your links have UTM tags is to ensure that your UTM naming conventions are consistent. Consistent naming conventions are your foundation for reliable custom channel group data.