How to Find Google Analytics 4 Measurement ID

Your GA4 Measurement ID is the key to connecting your website to Google Analytics, allowing you to track user activity, measure campaign performance, and understand how visitors interact with your site. Finding this critical piece of information can seem tricky in the new GA4 interface, but it's just a few clicks away. This guide will walk you through exactly where to find your Measurement ID and how to use it.

What is a GA4 Measurement ID?

A Google Analytics 4 Measurement ID is a unique identifier for a specific web data stream. Think of it as a mailing address for your data. When you add this ID to your website, it tells the Google tracking tag exactly which GA4 property to send all the analytics information, like page views, clicks, and scrolls.

The ID always follows the same format: it starts with a "G-" followed by a unique combination of letters and numbers (for example, G-12ABCDEF34). This is a departure from the predecessor to GA4 — called "Universal Analytics" — whose ID always started with "UA-". If you see an ID starting with "UA-," it's for an older, now-deprecated version of Google Analytics, and you should be using a "G-" ID instead for all new tracking.

Each website or app you want to track needs its own data stream and therefore, its own unique Measurement ID. This ensures that data from your blog doesn't get mixed up with data from your e-commerce store unless you intentionally set it up that way.

Why You Need Your Measurement ID

Finding your Measurement ID isn't just an administrative task, it’s the foundational step for activating your analytics. Here are the most common reasons you'll need it:

• Setting up Google Analytics on a New Website: When you first install the Google tag (gtag.js) on your site, you need the Measurement ID to complete the setup. This is true whether you're adding the code directly, using Google Tag Manager, or using a website builder plugin.
• Using Website Builder Integrations: Platforms like WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and Webflow have built-in integrations or plugins for Google Analytics. These tools typically just ask for your "Google Tag ID" or "Measurement ID" — you simply copy and paste it into a settings field to enable tracking.
• Configuring Google Tag Manager (GTM): The recommended way to manage tracking on your site is with GTM. The "Google Tag" in GTM requires your Measurement ID to properly configure and send data to your GA4 property.
• Connecting Third-Party Tools: Some external marketing and analytics tools may ask for your Measurement ID to integrate their data with your Google Analytics reports.

In short, without this ID, your website and Google Analytics account can't communicate. No ID means no data, and no data means you’re flying blind.

How to Find Your GA4 Measurement ID: A Step-by-Step Guide

Finding your ID is straightforward once you know where to look. Follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Log in to Google Analytics

Go to the Google Analytics website and sign in with the Google account associated with your property.

Step 2: Navigate to the Admin Panel

Once you're logged in, look for the Admin section. You can find this by clicking the gear icon (⚙️) located in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Step 3: Select the Correct Account and Property

In the Admin panel, you'll see two columns: "Account" and "Property." If you manage multiple websites, make sure you've selected the correct ones from the dropdown menus at the top of these columns. The Measurement ID is specific to a Property, so this step is important.

Step 4: Click on "Data Streams"

Within the "Property" column (the second column), look for an option called Data Streams. It's usually about halfway down the list. Click on it.

Step 5: Choose Your Web Data Stream

The "Data Streams" page will show you any streams you've set up — they could be for a website, an iOS app, or an Android app. Click on the web data stream for the website you're working on. Most businesses will only have one listed here.

Step 6: Copy Your Measurement ID

After clicking into your web stream, you'll see a summary page with all its details. Your Measurement ID (the one starting with "G-") will be prominently displayed in the top-right corner. You can click the copy icon next to it to add it to your clipboard, ready to be pasted wherever you need it.

What if I Don't Have a Data Stream Yet?

If you navigate to the "Data Streams" section and find it empty, it usually means your GA4 property is brand new and hasn't been configured yet. Don't worry, creating one takes less than a minute. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to Admin > Data Streams just as described above.
2. Click the blue "Add stream" button.
3. From the dropdown list, select "Web".
4. In the "Set up your web stream" panel, enter your website’s URL (e.g., www.mycoolwebsite.com) and give your stream a memorable name (e.g., "Main Website Stream").
5. Ensure "Enhanced measurement" is turned on — it's enabled by default and automatically collects important events for you.
6. Click the "Create stream" button.

As soon as you create the stream, GA4 will take you to the web stream details page — the same screen from Step 6 in the previous section — where you can find and copy your new Measurement ID.

Common Questions & Troubleshooting

Navigating GA4's terminology can be confusing. Here are a few common points of confusion cleared up.

Is a Measurement ID the same as a Property ID?

No, they are different identifiers for different things.

• Your Measurement ID (G-...) is used to send data to a specific web data stream. This is the ID you need for on-site tracking tags.
• Your Property ID is a string of numbers that serves as a unique identifier for your entire GA4 property. You can find it under Admin > Property Settings. It’s used mostly for internal organization and API connections, not for on-site tracking.

For almost all standard tracking setups, you will need the Measurement ID, in which case you can ignore your Property ID altogether.

What do I do after I find my Measurement ID?

Once you've copied your ID, your next task is to make sure it's installed on your website so it can start collecting data. Some people do this by embedding tracking code directly into the header of every page of their website, but this can pose challenges if it is installed improperly. Alternatively, you can just paste the ID into your CMS tracking settings (like Squarespace, Wix, or Shopify). Or better yet, just add your ID into your 'Google Tag' setting within Google Tag Manager.

Why isn't my GA4 real-time report showing data?

Often users set up Google Analytics on a new website, check the real-time report, and don't see their test traffic appearing. So here's a couple of tips to keep in mind in case that happens:

After adding your GA4 measurement ID to your website or Google Tag Manager, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours — and sometimes even up to 48 hours — for new data to start appearing in your reports. If you've just installed it, visit your website from a device that is not your primary web browser, and then give it a little time to register — then come back and check that 'Realtime' report again, and you'll most certainly see test data streaming into your Google Analytics Property just fine.

Also, don't worry if you are running into this on either A) a work network B) a cellular/VPN network. Just open some tabs on another Wi-Fi network other than your main office network. Now, we won't get too technical from here, but keep in mind that a good rule of thumb is 'never test on your business Wi-Fi that you work out of' because these networks tend to run on multiple VPNs and firewalls — and those in themselves usually exclude marketing pixels so they do not conflict with the tracking pixels deployed from other sites every day. So your IT team may be (and most likely is) preventing your business IP address from showing traffic in the GA 'Realtime report'. Don't sweat it — the tag is probably working just fine! Your network, however, is being smart by running defense on itself from its marketing properties so that when anyone does test reporting, they don't confuse client properties versus internal employees' engagement.

Final Thoughts

Your GA4 Measurement ID is the bridge between your website and your analytics data. By following the steps above — navigating to Admin, selecting your Data Stream, and copying the "G-" code — you can quickly get the identifier you need to configure your tracking and start gathering actionable insights about your audience and marketing efforts.

Once your GA4 tracking is up and running, the next challenge is turning that mountain of data into clear, actionable insights. Instead of spending hours navigating complex reports in Google Analytics, we built Graphed to do the heavy lifting for you. Simply connect your GA4 account (along with platforms like Google Ads, Shopify, and Salesforce), and you can ask questions in plain English — like "Which traffic sources drive the most conversions?" — to get instant answers and build real-time dashboards in under a minute.