How to Set Up Email Reports in Google Analytics

Setting up recurring email reports in Google Analytics used to be simple, but the process has changed significantly with Google Analytics 4. If you're wondering where the old "schedule email" button went, you're not alone. This guide will walk you through the current state of GA4 reports and show you how to set up automated emails using a powerful, free workaround.

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The Big Shift: What Happened to Scheduled Reports in GA4?

In Universal Analytics (the old version), nearly any report had a "Share" button that allowed you to schedule it to be emailed to you and your team on a recurring basis. It was a handy, straightforward feature.

With Google Analytics 4, that built-in email scheduling feature is no longer available on standard, free accounts. It's now an exclusive feature for paid GA360 (enterprise) users. This change means that marketers and business owners who rely on these automated updates need a new strategy.

The good news is that you don't need to pay for GA360 to get automated reports. You just need to use a different Google tool that was designed for this exact purpose: Looker Studio.

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One-time Snapshots: How to Manually Export and Email a GA4 Report

Before we dive into automation, let's cover the most direct way to share a report in GA4. If you just need a one-off snapshot to send to a colleague or client, you can still export any report manually. It's not automated, but it's quick and works for ad-hoc requests.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Navigate to Your Report: Log in to your Google Analytics 4 property. In the left-hand navigation, go to Reports. For this example, let's open the Traffic Acquisition report (Acquisition > Traffic acquisition).
2. Customize Your View: Adjust the date range in the top-right corner to reflect the period you want to report on. You can also use the "Add comparison" feature to segment your data (e.g., comparing mobile vs. desktop traffic).
3. Share and Download: In the top-right corner of the report, you'll see a Share icon (a box with an arrow pointing out). Click on it.
4. Download the File: From the dropdown menu, select Download File. You'll be given the choice to download the report as a PDF or a CSV file.

A PDF gives you a visual snapshot of the charts and tables as they appear on your screen, which is great for quick overviews. A CSV gives you the raw data in a spreadsheet-friendly format, perfect for more in-depth analysis in Excel or Google Sheets.

While this manual process is helpful for occasional updates, doing it every Monday morning is a repetitive chore. For consistent, hands-off reporting, you’ll want to set up automation.

The Best Automation Method: How to Schedule GA4 Email Reports with Looker Studio

Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) is Google's free data visualization tool. It integrates seamlessly with GA4 and has a robust email scheduling feature built right in. Setting it up takes about 10 minutes, and once it's done, your reports will run on autopilot.

Follow these steps to create your first automated dashboard and email schedule.

Step 1: Connect GA4 to Looker Studio

First, you need to grant Looker Studio access to your Google Analytics data. It's a simple, one-time setup.

• Go to lookerstudio.google.com
• In the top left, click the Create button and select Report from the dropdown menu.
• You'll be asked to connect a data source. In the list of Google Connectors, find and select Google Analytics.
• If prompted, click Authorize to allow Looker Studio to access your Google Analytics accounts.
• You'll now see two columns. In the first column, find the GA4 account you want to use. In the second, choose the specific Property (e.g., "My Awesome Website - GA4").
• Click the Add button in the bottom right corner. A final confirmation pop-up will appear, click Add to Report.

That's it! Your GA4 data is now connected, and you're ready to build a report.

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Step 2: Build a Simple Performance Report

Looker Studio will drop you onto a blank canvas with your GA4 data fields available on the right-hand panel. You don't need to create anything complicated. The goal is to build a simple, readable dashboard that you can send via email.

Let's create a basic one-page report showing key traffic metrics.

• Add a Title: Use the Text tool from the menu to add a title like "Weekly Website Performance Report."
• Add Key Metrics: Go to Insert > Scorecard in the top menu. A scorecard will appear. By default, it might show an unhelpful metric. With the scorecard selected, use the Metric picker in the right-hand panel to find and select Sessions. Repeat this process to create two more scorecards for Total Users and Conversions.
• Add a Channel Performance Table: Go to Insert > Table. This will add a data table. On the right-hand panel under the Dimension section, add Session default channel group. Under the Metric section, add Sessions, Total users, and Conversions. Now you have a clear table showing where your traffic is coming from.

Step 3: Schedule Your Report for Email Delivery

Now for the most important part: automating the email delivery.

• In the top right, find the dropdown arrow next to the Share button. Click it and select Schedule delivery.
• A configuration window will appear. Fill out the details:
• Click the Schedule button.

Your automated email report is now active! Every week (or whatever schedule you set), your recipients will receive a PDF of your beautiful Looker Studio report right in their inbox, with no manual effort required from you.

Tips for Better Marketing Reports

Now that you know how to build and automate reports, make sure the reports you send are actually useful. A report is only valuable if it helps someone make a better decision.

1. Define Your Audience

Who is this report for? The metrics your CEO cares about are different from what your social media manager needs.

• For Executives: Focus on high-level outcomes. Show KPIs like total conversions, revenue, cost per acquisition, and year-over-year growth. Keep it brief and visual.
• For Marketing Teams: Go deeper. Include channel-specific performance, campaign ROI, traffic sources, and conversion rates by channel. They need the details to optimize tactics.

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2. Focus on Actionable Metrics

Avoid "vanity metrics" like raw pageviews or impressions. Instead, report on metrics that directly reflect business goals. If your goal is to generate leads, report on form_submission conversions. If you run an e-commerce site, report on add_to_cart events and overall purchase revenue.

3. Keep It Simple

Don’t cram 20 different charts onto a single page. It’s better to send a clean, simple report with 3-5 key visualizations than a cluttered one nobody can understand. Use clear titles for your charts and ensure the data tells a story.

Final Thoughts

While Google Analytics 4 removed the built-in email scheduling for standard accounts, setting up a free, automated workaround with Looker Studio is easy and even more powerful. This method not only brings back automated reporting but also gives you more control over the look and feel of your dashboards.

The time you spend connecting sources, building reports, and setting up workflows is exactly why we built Graphed. We wanted to eliminate the busy work of reporting and get straight to the insights. You can connect sources like Google Analytics, Shopify, and Facebook Ads in seconds, and then simply ask in plain English for the dashboard you need: "Show me my top traffic channels by conversions for this month." We build a real-time, shareable dashboard for you instantly, freeing you up to focus on strategy instead of struggling with report builders. Take a look and see how easy it can be with Graphed.