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The Gist
- Google Analytics updates features. Redesigned admin page enhances workflow efficiency.
- Scheduled report updates. New email scheduler for regular analytic updates.
- Analytics evolution showcased. Features reflect Google Analytics’ significant progress.
Google announced two new features in Google Analytics updates that aid how users manage the administration of reports. It issued a redesign of the administration page and an email scheduler update. Both features enhance how analytics should be managed.
Google Analytics Updates New Administration Page
The redesigned admin page is geared toward streamlining administrative tasks as panels that appear on page. The original arrangement required the users to navigate right to see each channel offering to be selected. The new arrangement creates a quicker and more efficient workflow for marketers.
Google provided a screenshot of the transformed Admin page in its Google Analytics help section. Here is what it looks like:
The previous administration page essentially displayed three channels, one for account, one for property, and then one for data stream. The new layout regroups the sections into subpanels, so there is one for account settings, and property settings.
A section dedicated to data streams is still present, but it has been renamed “Data Collection and Modification,” serving as a dedicated panel for managing data inflow into the GA account. The remaining responsibilities for data control are now under “Data Display,” one of the two new sections, which governs the presentation of data in reports.
The other new section is “Product Links,” which manages settings and connections to other Google services, including Google Ads, Search Console and Floodlight.
This setup aims to simplify locating and adjusting settings by categorizing them as users would typically encounter in a GA4 account. The design is appropriately tailored for ease of use. The previous layout aligned sections with account access, yet it partly reflected the navigation style of legacy GA versions. With most users accessing their accounts on tablets and laptops, having well-organized panels places pertinent information at the forefront.
Related Article: 8 Google Analytics 4 Features That Leave Universal Analytics in the Dust
Google Analytics Updates the Email Scheduler
Meanwhile, the new email scheduler lets GA account administrators schedule analytic reports to be emailed to team members who have access to a GA4 account on a regular basis. This enables team members to receive reports reflecting periodic changes of the metrics they are meant to monitor.
To use it, analysts must verify their Google Analytics access level: Only administrators can schedule reports.
Once their access status is confirmed, analysts should navigate to the report they wish to send. It’s important to note that the scheduler is available for all reports, except the Realtime and Advertising reports. After selecting the desired report, the analyst clicks on “Share This Report” at the top right of the report page.
The emailed report includes data with any filters or comparisons applied to the report when the email was first scheduled. This includes the specified date range in the report, allowing analysts to establish the appropriate reporting period for the recipient.
Related Article: It’s a New Era of Google Analytics Reporting. Are You Ready?
User Interfaces and Reporting Opt-In Evolve
The Google Analytics updates of both the revised arrangement on the admin page and the scheduler represent how far along Google Analytics and analytics practitioners have come.
The revision of the administration page marks a departure from the original layout, dating back to the earliest days of Google Analytics. Back then, the analytics layout was simpler, and the administration design mirrored different levels of account access.
As Google evolved its analytics tools into the current GA4, it introduced new features, expanded integrations, and overhauled the tagging schema from page-based to event-based arrangements. The solution menu itself underwent a redesign some time ago, making a revamped administration page to better accommodate these advancements inevitable. While Google implemented several listing changes, the original admin page layout, effective in the simpler days of GA, made it somewhat less intuitive to locate these features when needed.
Like the admin page, email scheduling had been a feature in Google Analytics previously. The latest email scheduler demonstrates a greater focus on opt-in behaviors for emails, emphasizing the need for features that maintain privacy in access and data. Analysts and managers can now determine if users are actively subscribing to ongoing reports, which is crucial for tracking team changes, such as when members leave.
The feature also offers a chance to manage reporting sprawl effectively. Through careful planning, analysts can choose optimal report timings, ensuring that the relevant individuals receive the necessary data to respond to specific metrics appropriately.
Related Article: New Google Analytics Reports Unveil Customer Retail Experience
What These Modifications Mean to Your Analytics Team
Considering the significant number of report revisions due to the UA to GA4 transition, managers should view discussions about these two specific changes as an opportunity to initiate a status conversation with their team. Such a conversation should aim to assess team performance, identify emerging practices that could become best practices, and address any challenges that have arisen.
Engaging in such discussions can boost data literacy within the team and ensure that Google Analytics usage is current. Aligning teams with these Google Analytics updates fosters a productive, data-driven environment, making features like the admin page update and email scheduler more effective and valuable.
