GA4 reports can now be further customized with Match Types

Google Analytics 4 reports now have additional customization capabilities through Match Types.

Report Filters now support the Match Types ‘begins with’, ‘exactly matches’ and ‘regrex’, giving marketers more control over their reporting.

Why we care. Filters help eliminate background noise and ensure that reports only show the data you actually care about. Clearer, more concise reports results in easier-to-understand data and makes it simpler to identify trends, reducing decision-making complexities. It can also potentially help save time as you’re only presented with the information you need rather than unnecessary distractions.

Adding report filters. Filters can be created to select dimension values using exact matches, partial match phrases, or regular expressions (regex). The option to add a filter to a report is displayed above the charts. Once you add a filter to a report, both the chart and table in the selected report will be updated.

However, filters can only be applied to Detail Reports.

What has Google said? Google explained the advantages of implementing filters into reports via a statement on the Analytics Help Center. A spokesperson said:

• “Report filters allow you to control what data is shown in your detail reports.”
• “They can help you understand your data, find trends, and drill into the details you care about.”
• “For example, you can use a report filter to look at specific regions, app versions, and ad units. You can add multiple filters to further refine your analysis.”

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Deep dive. read Google’s Reports guide for more information on how to apply filters.