Google Analytics 4 is Google's free service for seeing how people find and use your website: how many visitors you have, where they come from and which pages they look at. This guide shows you how to set it up and connect it to your Easy Sites website.
You don't need Google Analytics to see how your website is doing: Easy Sites shows your visitor figures on the Statistics screen. See How To Check Your Website Statistics.
Before You Begin
You will need a Google account. If you set up Google Analytics in the past with an ID that starts with "UA-", that was Universal Analytics, which Google switched off in July 2023. You will need a new Google Analytics 4 ID, called a Measurement ID, which starts with "G-".
Creating Your Google Analytics Account
- Go to Google Analytics and sign in with your Google account.
- If this is your first time, select "Start measuring". If you already use Google Analytics, select "Admin", then "Create", then "Account".
- Give the account a name, such as your business name, choose your data sharing settings and select "Next".
- Give the property a name, such as your website address. Set the reporting time zone to the United Kingdom and the currency to pounds sterling, then select "Next".
- Choose your industry and business size, then select "Next".
- Choose how you plan to use Google Analytics, then select "Create". If you are asked to, read and accept Google's terms.
Adding Your Website
- When Google asks where you want to collect data, choose "Web". If you have left that screen, select "Admin", then "Data collection and modification", then "Data streams", then "Add stream", then "Web".
- Enter your website address, for example www.yourdomain.co.uk, and a name for the stream, such as your business name.
- Leave "Enhanced measurement" switched on and select "Create stream".
- Your stream details will open. Your Measurement ID is in the first row and starts with "G-". Copy it.
Google will also show you instructions for installing the Google tag. You don't need to follow them: Easy Sites adds the tag to your website for you.
Adding Your Measurement ID To Easy Sites
- Sign in to your Easy Sites account and select "edit site".
- Click "Settings", then "Analytics Settings".
- Paste your Measurement ID into the "Google Analytics" box. If the box still holds an old ID that starts with "UA-", replace it: the screen reminds you that Google Analytics now uses IDs that start with "G-".
- Click "Save Changes".
Your website starts counting visitors after the next time a page is saved in the editor. If you're not planning any changes, open any page in the editor and click "Save".
You don't need to paste the Google tag into "Advanced Code" as well: the Analytics Settings box is the simpler way. If the same ID is already in Advanced Code, your visitors are still only counted once. A tag there with a different ID is counted separately.
Checking It Works
Once a page has been saved, open your website in another browser tab. Then, in Google Analytics, select "Reports", then "Realtime", and look for your own visit. Google's reports can take some time to fill in, so if you don't see it straight away, check again later.
Need Help?
If you run into any problems connecting Google Analytics to your website, please contact our team.