In Universal Analytics you can click on any page in the data table to view a report for that individual URL. But in GA4 the pages in the data table aren’t clickable. So how can you drill down to track a specific page?
This article covers four different ways to see page views and other reporting metrics for a specific URL in GA4:
- Search by page path
- Add a page path filter
- Customize & save a detail report
- Create an Exploration
Keep reading to learn how, along with the pros and cons of each approach. (We also have a guide to content drilldown in GA4, for drilling down into directories and subdirectories.)
Search by Page Path
You can search for a specific URL in the Pages and screens report and the Landing pages report. We’ll use the Pages and screens report as the example. In this report, the default dimension view is Page title and screen name, so our first step is changing that.
<div class="post-action">Start in the Pages and screens report. Click the dimension dropdown arrow and select Page path and screen class:</div>
<div class="post-action">Click in the Search field above the dimension dropdown. Type in the page path for the URL you wish to analyze. Hit Enter on your keyboard.</div>
Page path is a better dimension than Page title in this case, because page titles can be updated. Depending on the report’s date range, it could list multiple page titles for the same URL.
Pros:
- Quick & easy
- You can also use the search tool to filter for all page paths that include a specific word
Cons:
- Only filters the data table, not the report chart(s) above
- Not helpful if you want to single out subfolder pages, because it will include all the pages starting with the same page path. Example: Typing in “/team” includes all the pages with /team in the page path, so you can't see just the main team page on its own:
Add a Filter
You can also apply a report filter to view a single URL in the Pages and screens report and the Landing pages report. We’ll use the Pages and screens report as the example.
<div class="post-action">As illustrated above, click the dimension dropdown arrow and select Page path and screen class:</div>
We want to look at page paths, not page titles, because they’re less likely to change over time.
<div class="post-action">Click the Add filter button:</div>
In the “Build filter” panel on the right:
- Select Page path and screen class as the dimension
- Select an individual page path from the Dimension values dropdown menu, then click OK
- Click Apply in the bottom right corner when finished
Pros:
- Filters both the data table & the report charts for an individual page path
Cons:
- You have to create a filter every time you want to drill down to a specific page
Create a Custom Report
If there’s a specific page you want to track in Google Analytics 4 over time, you can make a custom report for it.
<div class="post-note">You need to have Editor or Administrator level permissions to customize detail reports in GA4.</div>
There are two ways to customize a built-in GA4 report and save it as a new report.
Option one:
Library > Reports
<div class="post-action">Click on the three dots on the right-hand side of the report you want to customize. Click Make a copy.</div>
Give your new report a name (description optional) and click Save.
<div class="post-action">Open the report you just made, and click the pencil icon <span class="material-symbols-outlined">edit</span>in the upper right.</div>
<div class="post-action">Click Add filter inside the Customize report panel. Follow the steps described in the previous section to filter for the page you want to analyze.</div>
<div class="post-action">Click Save and select ‘Save changes to current report’</div>
Now you have a GA4 report that can track a specific URL, ready to go. You can access this new report under Reports > Library.
You can also add it to the side navigation by clicking ‘Edit collection’ under one of your published report collections. Then drag your custom report into the collection where you want it to live.
Pros:
- One-time setup for fast access to specific page metrics going forward
Cons:
- Only available for users with Editor or Administrator level access
- Only you can see custom reports you make. If you want other GA4 users to see them, you have to share them first. (Open the report and click the ‘share’ icon in the top right - shown below.)
Create an Exploration
You can create a GA4 Exploration to analyze a single page (among many other possibilities). In Explorations you start from scratch, so it’s a little more work than customizing one of the built-in reports. But it’s less work than searching by page path or creating a filter every time you want to track a specific page.
<div class="post-action">Click Explore in the left-hand navigation, then click Blank to start a new exploration:</div>
<div class="post-action">Click the plus sign next to Dimensions. Select ‘Page path + screen class’ from the dimensions menu. Click Import.</div>
<div class="post-action">Click the plus sign next to Metrics. Select the metrics you want to track. Click Import.</div>
Next, you need to choose a Visualization format for your Exploration (default is table). The format you choose will change the options below. If you’re not sure which one to choose, just stick with table for starters. You can always change it later.
<div class="post-action">After choosing a Visualization, drag your dimension into the dimension spot, and drag your metrics into the metrics spots.</div>
Next, we need to add a filter for a specific page path.
<div class="post-action">In the Tab Settings column, scroll down to Filters. Drag and drop your Page path and screen class dimension into the filter:</div>
<div class="post-action">Select exactly matches from the filter menu. In the ‘Enter expression’ field, enter the page path you want to analyze (once you start typing it will give you options to pick from). Click Apply.</div>
Your Exploration report on the right should now only display data for the specific URL you entered.
Give your Exploration a name. There’s no Save button because it saves automatically.
Now you can find the Exploration you just created under Explore. To share, duplicate, rename or delete an Exploration, click the three dots on the right.
Pros:
- One-time setup gives you quick access to specific page metrics going forward
- More visualization & technique options compared to modifying an existing report
Cons:
- Takes more time compared to customizing a built-in report
- Only you can see the Explorations you create. If you want users with other Google Analytics logins to be able to see them, you’ll have to share them first.
Summary
GA4 is continually evolving, so someday maybe we’ll be able to click on page paths in the built-in reports. That would definitely make things easier!
You can also adapt these techniques to track a GA4 content group, or track multiple URLs that aren’t part of a content group.
<div class="post-note-cute">If you need help with GA4 implementation, reporting audits, dashboard configuration, or if you have questions about anything analytics related, don't hesitate to reach out: info@momenticmarketing.com</div>
Resources used to create this article:
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12931766?hl=en
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12926732?hl=en
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9305587?hl=en
