What is Request URI in Google Analytics?

When you're digging into your Google Analytics data, you’ve likely seen a few similar-sounding page dimensions like "Page path," "Page location," and "Request URI." While they might seem interchangeable, one of them holds the key to unlocking much deeper insights about your traffic and user behavior. This article will show you exactly what the Request URI is, how it differs from other dimensions, and how you can use it to get a truer picture of your marketing performance.

What is the Request URI?

The Request URI is the part of a URL that comes after the domain name. It includes the page path (like /blog/GZQD5) as well as any query parameters (the text that follows a question mark, like ?source=email). Essentially, it's everything in the web browser's address bar except for the protocol (https://) and the domain name (www.yourwebsite.com).

Think of it this way: if a user visits the following URL:

The Request URI captured by Google Analytics would be:

As you can see, it captures not only the page they are on (the running shoes) but also the specific contextual information passed in the URL (that they came from the "summer_sale" campaign and were looking at the "blue" style).

Request URI vs. Page Path vs. Page Location: What's the Difference?

This is where most of the confusion happens. Understanding the distinction between these three dimensions is vital for accurate reporting. Let’s break them down using our example URL from above:

URL Example: https://www.yourstore.com/products/running-shoes?utm_campaign=summer_sale

• Page Location: This is the full, complete URL. It includes the protocol, the domain name, the path, and any query parameters. It is the most comprehensive dimension and shows exactly what was in the user's address bar.Example: https://www.yourstore.com/products/running-shoes?utm_campaign=summer_sale

• Request URI: As we defined, this is the part after the domain. It includes the page path AND the query parameters.Example: /products/running-shoes?utm_campaign=summer_sale

• Page Path and Screen Class: This is the dimension most commonly used in built-in GA4 reports. It shows only the path of the URL, completely ignoring any query parameters after the question mark.Example: /products/running-shoes

The key takeaway is that the default "Page path" dimension strips away valuable context like UTM tags, search queries, or internal tracking codes. The "Request URI" preserves this crucial information, making it the superior choice for more granular analysis.

Why Request URI Matters: Practical Use Cases

Alright, so we know what it is. But why should you care? Reporting on Request URI instead of Page Path can solve some very common marketing analysis problems.

1. Truly Understanding Campaign Performance

This is the most important use case. Most marketers use UTM parameters to track the effectiveness of their campaigns (e.g., email, social media, paid ads). These parameters are added to the end of a URL like so:

If you use the standard "Page path" dimension in GA4, all traffic to this link is simply grouped under /landing. You lose all visibility into which campaign drove the traffic. By using the Request URI dimension, you can see the full string (/landing?utm_source=facebook...) and are able to filter and segment your reports by a specific campaign, source, or medium directly from the page report.

2. Analyzing On-Site Search Results

If your website has a search function, the term a user searches for is often added to the URL as a query parameter. For example, a search for "google sheet templates" might generate a URL like this:

The "Page path" report would just show you a lot of traffic to the /search page, which isn't very helpful. With the Request URI dimension, you can see exactly what users are searching for. This is a goldmine of data that can inform your content strategy, SEO efforts, and product development by showing you what your users are explicitly interested in but might be struggling to find.

3. Differentiating Traffic on Dynamic Pages

For e-commerce sites or platforms with filtering capabilities, user selections are often handled with query parameters. A user browsing a category page might apply filters that change the URL:

Using the Request URI allows you to see which filters are used most often. Are more people looking for "medium" or "large" sizes? Is "red" more popular than "blue"? This provides valuable insights into user behavior and product demand that you'd miss if you only looked at traffic to the base /womens-tops page path.

4. Troubleshooting Redirects and Technical Issues

Sometimes, extra parameters get added to URLs for technical reasons (like session IDs from older systems or click IDs from advertising networks). If you're seeing strange entries in your page reports, switching to the Request URI can help you identify exactly what's being prepended to your URLs. This can help you diagnose issues with ad platform integrations, misconfigured redirects, or duplicate content problems caused by multiple URL variations pointing to the same page.

How to Find and Use Request URI in Google Analytics 4

Unlike its predecessor Universal Analytics, GA4 does not feature the Request URI in its standard, out-of-the-box reports. But don't worry, it's easy to access it in just a few clicks.

Finding Request URI in Standard Reports

The quickest way to see the Request URI is by adding it as a secondary dimension to an existing report.

1. Navigate to a page-based report, like Reports > Engagement > Pages and screens.

2. By default, you will see the "Page path and screen class" as the primary dimension.

3. To add the Request URI, click the small blue plus icon (+) next to the primary dimension column heading.

4. In the search box that appears, type "Request URI" and select it. Simple as that!

The report will now be updated to show you the full Request URI for each corresponding page path, allowing you to see all that granular data we talked about.

Using Request URI in GA4 Explorations

For more flexible and custom analysis, you'll want to use the "Explore" section of GA4. This is where you can build your own reports from scratch with the dimensions and metrics you care about.

Here’s how to build a simple Pages report using Request URI:

1. From the left-hand menu, go to Explore and select Blank exploration.

2. In the Variables column on the left, next to "Dimensions," click the plus icon (+).

3. Search for "Request URI" and check the box to import it. It's listed under the "Page / screen" category. You'll also want to import metrics like "Views," "Sessions," and "Conversions."

4. Once imported, drag the "Request URI" dimension over to the Rows box in the "Tab Settings" column.

5. Then, drag your desired metrics (like "Views" and "Sessions") over to the Values box.

You have now created a custom, clean report that shows your site's performance broken down by the full Request URI. You can now filter this report, change the date range, and apply segments to dive even deeper into the data without the limitations of the default "Page path" dimension.

Final Thoughts

Getting comfortable with the Request URI unlocks a deeper, more accurate layer of analysis within Google Analytics. It takes you beyond simple page views, showing you the context of how and why users arrived on a particular page by preserving crucial information hidden in query strings. This helps you better track campaigns, understand user intent, and make smarter marketing decisions.

Building these detailed reports manually in GA4 is great, but it’s often just one piece of a much larger reporting puzzle. Stitching GA4 data together with performance metrics from your ad platforms, CRM, and e-commerce store is where things get tedious. At Graphed, we created our AI data analyst to eliminate this friction entirely. You can connect all your data sources in seconds, and then simply ask in plain English - "Show me my top landing pages by conversion rate from our Q3_promo campaign" - and get a real-time dashboard instantly, saving you from navigating the complexities of traditional reporting tools.