How to Create a Segment in Google Analytics

Looking at your overall website traffic is useful, but the real insights come from zooming in on specific groups of users. Segments in Google Analytics let you do exactly that - isolate and analyze subsets of your data to understand how different visitors behave. This guide will walk you through how to create and use segments, both in the classic Universal Analytics and the newer Google Analytics 4, so you can start uncovering deeper truths about your audience.

What Are Segments in Google Analytics?

Think of segments as powerful filters for your analytics data. Instead of looking at every visitor, you can create a segment to focus only on a specific group that shares common traits. This allows you to slice your audience into meaningful pieces to see what makes them tick.

For example, you could create segments for:

• Visitors from a specific country, like Canada or the United Kingdom.
• Users browsing on a mobile device versus a desktop computer.
• Traffic that arrived from a specific marketing campaign, like a Facebook ad or an email newsletter.
• Users who have made a purchase or completed another key action.
• New visitors versus returning visitors.

By isolating these groups, you can move beyond generic metrics and answer specific business questions. Comparing segments side-by-side helps you spot trends, validate assumptions, and uncover opportunities you would have otherwise missed. For instance, you could compare "Visitors from Facebook Ads" to "Visitors from Organic Search" to see which group has a higher e-commerce conversion rate.

Understanding Segments in GA4 vs. Universal Analytics

Google has shifted from its traditional Universal Analytics (UA) to the newer Google Analytics 4, and the way segmentation works has changed slightly. It's important to understand the differences, especially if you're used to the old interface.

• In Universal Analytics (UA): You apply "Segments" across nearly all of your reports. You can create custom segments from scratch and temporarily apply them to compare up to four groups at once. These are great for on-the-fly analysis but disappear when you leave the report unless you save them.
• In Google Analytics 4: The concept has evolved.

We'll cover how to create segments in both platforms, starting with the now legacy Universal Analytics, since many marketers still refer to historical UA data.

How to Create Segments in Universal Analytics

Although Google Analytics 4 is the current standard, you might still need to analyze historical data in your Universal Analytics property. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating and applying segments in UA.

Step 1: Open Any Standard Report

First, navigate to the report you want to analyze. For this example, let's use the Audience > Overview report. At the top of the report, you'll see a default segment called "All Users," which represents 100% of your traffic.

Step 2: Add a New Segment

Click on the "+ Add Segment" box. A list of available segments will appear. You'll see a mix of pre-configured "System" segments (like Mobile Traffic, New Users, Organic Traffic) and any "Custom" segments you may have created before. You can select one of these existing segments, or create your own.

Step 3: Create a Custom Segment

To build your own, click the red "+ NEW SEGMENT" button. This opens the segment builder interface. On the left, you'll see several filter categories to choose from:

• Demographics: Age, Gender, Language, Location.
• Technology: Browser, Operating System, Device Category.
• Behavior: Sessions, Transactions, Session Duration.
• Traffic Sources: Campaign, Medium, Source, Keyword.
• Advanced: Conditions and Sequences to build highly specific filters.

Example: Creating a Segment for Mobile Traffic from the USA

Let's build a practical segment to isolate users who visited your site on a mobile device from the United States.

1. Name your segment at the top. Let's call it "USA - Mobile Traffic."
2. In the left menu, go to Demographics. Set the Location > Country to "exactly matches" and type "United States" in the field.
3. Next, go to Technology in the left menu. Set the Device Category to "exactly matches" mobile.

As you add these conditions, the summary circle on the right will update to show you what percentage of your users and sessions fall into this new segment. Once you're done, click the blue "Save" button.

Step 4: Apply and Compare Your Segments

After saving, you’ll be returned to your report. You will now see your new "USA - Mobile Traffic" segment applied alongside the default "All Users" segment. Every chart and table in the report will now show a side-by-side comparison, allowing you to instantly see how their behavior (like bounce rate, pages per session, and goal completions) differs from your overall average.

Using "Comparisons" in Google Analytics 4 Standard Reports

In GA4, the quickest way to segment your data in standard reports is by using "Comparisons." This is ideal for agile, on-the-fly analysis.

Step 1: Navigate to a GA4 Report

Go to any of your standard reports, such as Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition.

Step 2: Add a Comparison

At the top of the report interface, click on "+ Add comparison". This will open a "Build new comparison" panel on the right side of your screen.

Step 3: Define Your Conditions

Each comparison is built using a simple logic: "Include/Exclude" + "Dimension" + "Match Type" + "Value(s)". You simply select a dimension you want to filter by, and then specify its value.

Example: Comparing Traffic from USA vs. Canada

Let's use comparisons to see how traffic from these two countries stacks up.

1. In the "Build new comparison" panel, set your first condition:
2. Click "Apply." Your report will now update to show a column for "All Users" and a separate column for your "United States" comparison.
3. Now, click "+ Add comparison" again to create the second one.
4. Set the next condition:
5. Click "Apply."

Your report will now display data for "All Users," "United States," and "Canada" in parallel columns, making it incredibly easy to compare metrics like Users, Sessions, Engaged sessions, and Conversion events for each group. You can apply up to four comparisons at once.

Advanced Segmentation in GA4 "Explore" Reports

For more permanent, powerful, and nuanced segmentation, you’ll want to use the segment builder within GA4's "Explore" section. Here, you can define segments based on user properties, session behavior, or specific events.

First, it’s important to understand the three types of segments you can build:

• User Segment: Includes all data from users who meet your criteria. For example, you could create a segment of all users who have ever made a purchase. The segment would include all sessions and events from those users, not just the purchase event itself.
• Session Segment: Includes all data from specific sessions that meet a set of criteria. For instance, you could segment for all sessions that originated from a specific ad campaign.
• Event Segment: A more granular segment that includes only the specific events that meet your criteria. For example, you could segment only the add_to_cart events that occurred on a mobile device.

How to Build a Segment in an Exploration

1. From the left navigation, click on Explore and choose a template like "Free form exploration" or create a new blank one.
2. In the "Variables" column on the left, you'll see a section called "SEGMENTS." Click the plus icon (+) to open the segment builder.
3. You'll be prompted to choose what kind of segment you want to build: User, Session, or Event. Click "Create a custom segment."
4. Let's build a practical example: a User Segment of High-Value Customers.
5. At the top right, review the summary to see how many of your users match. When you're happy with it, click "Save and apply."

Your new segment will now appear in the "Variables" column. To use it, simply drag it from the "Segments" section over to the "Segment Comparisons" box in the "Tab Settings" column. Your free-form table or visualization will automatically update to reflect only the data from your "High-Value Shoppers." You can then drag in dimensions like "Page path" or "Traffic source" to analyze exactly what these valuable users are doing on your site.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're using simple comparisons in GA4 reports or building complex sequences in Universal Analytics, segments are your tool for transforming generic traffic data into meaningful business intelligence. By mastering them, you can better understand user journeys, optimize marketing campaigns, and make smarter, data-driven decisions that push your business forward.

Of course, becoming proficient with Google Analytics takes time, and even once you're comfortable, building custom reports and dashboards to answer specific questions can feel like a chore. At Graphed, we've designed a way to get these answers without the manual work. Instead of navigating menus to build your segments, you can just ask questions in plain English, like "Compare conversion rates for users from Facebook ads vs. organic search last month." We instantly build a real-time dashboard that pulls the right data and visualizes the answer for you, letting you focus on the insights, not the setup.