The Best Way to Export Google Analytics Data | Coupler.io Blog (2024)

Can you still export data from Google Analytics Universal?

Unfortunately, you can’t. July 1, 2024, was the last day you had access to Universal Analytics data in the interface, API, and through the advertiser, publisher, or other product integrations. So, if you haven’t downloaded your data before this deadline, you’ve lost it.

Google Analytics Universal stopped processing new data. The new king, Google Analytics 4, has ascended to the throne.

How to export data from GA4

The purposes for exporting Google Analytics 4 data can be different. Some want to report the results, others need to have a backup of historical data, and so on. Basically, there are two approaches to Google Analytics data export: manual and automated.

The manual export means that you need to navigate to the required report in the GA4 interface and click the button to download it. It’s a nice option for instant data sharing. However, you’ll need to repeat this operation every time you want to refresh the information. So, it’s a no-go for smart reporting or automated data backup.

With the automated data export, you can access the fresh GA4 data outside of the native interface.

• The built-in option you can consider is the BigQuery export. It exports all of your raw events from Google Analytics 4 properties to BigQuery once a day. The method is suited mostly for backup purposes. However, it can also be used for advanced analytics since you can query the data using SQL syntax.

• If your GA data export goal is related to reporting, then you should consider Coupler.io. It’s a reporting automation platform to turn raw data into meaningful reports. It allows you to export GA4 data on a schedule to spreadsheets (Google Sheets, Excel), data warehouses (BigQuery, Redshift), or BI tools (Looker Studio, Power BI). For example, you can create a custom web analytics dashboard in Looker Studio that will update automatically. Share it with stakeholders and they will always have access to the most recent data from Google Analytics. Let’s explore how it works.

How to automate data export from Google Analytics with Coupler.io

To automate exports of GA4 data, select the needed destination in the form below and click Proceed. You’ll be offered to create a Coupler.io account for free.

After that, you only need to complete 3 simple steps:

1. Collect data

• Connect your Google account, and select one of your analytics accounts and property. As for the data selection, you have to choose up to 9 dimensions and up to 10 metrics for your report.

2. Organize data

• Preview and transform your data before exporting it to the selected destination. You can filter and sort data, hide unnecessary columns, and even make calculations.In addition to that, Coupler.io allows you to aggregate data from multiple GA4 properties, different applications, and sources.

3. Load data and schedule refresh

• The final step is to connect your destination account and specify where to load data. In the case of Google Sheets or Excel, you need to select a spreadsheet and a sheet. For BigQuery, you need to specify/create a dataset and table. For Looker Studio, the process is different since you’re creating a data source there. Follow the in-app instructions to complete this step.
• Your Google Analytics 4 integration for automated data export is ready. Click the Save and Run button to kick it off. Of course, do not forget to enable Automatic data refresh and set a schedule to automate exports of Google Analytics data.

Where you can export data from Google Analytics with Coupler.io

Spreadsheet apps

Exporting data to spreadsheet apps is a good option to quickly share insights from GA4 with your teammates or other stakeholders. Coupler.io supports Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel as destinations. You won’t need to download or upload the files. Just select the desired files on GDrive or OneDrive and automate data refresh with a few clicks.

BI tools

With Coupler.io, you can connect GA4 to a few data visualization tools including Looker Studio, Power BI, Tableau, and Qlik. This option works well for advanced data reporting since you can create interactive dashboards based on GA4 data. Moreover, Coupler.io provides white-label dashboard templates, some of which we’ll share with you in the next section.

Data warehouses

The supported data warehouses include BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, and PostgreSQL. You can automate exports of Google Analytics data to any of these destinations without coding.

Miscellaneous

Coupler.io also allows you to export your GA4 data as a cloud-based JSON file. This way, you can share your information in JSON format, which can be used for other apps.

The last available destination option is Monday.com. Connect your GA4 account to it if you want to automate data exports to this project management platform.

Benefit from the ready-to-use dashboard templates based on GA4

One of the best things about Coupler.io is that it not only lets you automate GA4 data export but also provides ready-to-use reports or dashboards in the form of templates. These templates are designed in different apps including Google Sheets, Looker Studio, Power BI, etc. You can use them for free and avoid the need to build a dashboard from scratch. The only thing to be done is to connect your data source using the built-in connector by Coupler.io. Check out the dashboard templates designed for Google Analytics data.

Web analytics dashboard template

This dashboard is designed to uncover insights into your website’s performance. It collects GA4 data and transforms it into actionable visualization, so you can understand how your traffic performs.

With the web analytics dashboard by Coupler.io, you can analyze traffic sources, identify top acquisition channels, and monitor user demographics. As a result, you’ll be able to measure the effectiveness of your marketing investments and pinpoint areas for improvement.

The dashboard template is available for Looker Studio and Power BI. Choose the version that fits your reporting needs and try it right away for free!

Google Analytics dashboard for multiple properties

Above we mentioned that you can collect data from multiple GA4 properties with Coupler.io. Well, this dashboard template is designed right for such kinds of analytics. It collects information from your properties and lets you check their performance in one place.

You can easily monitor sessions, new users, conversions, and other traffic-related metrics by property. To start using the dashboard, just connect your GA4 account and select the needed properties following the enclosed instructions. In a few moments, you’ll get a fully functional report that will refresh automatically.

Landing page performance dashboard

This dashboard template is not only GA4-based. It collects data from two sources: Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4. As a result, you can get an overview of your landing pages’ performance for the last 30 days.

The dashboard lets you monitor how much traffic your landing pages receive and how this results in purchases. Since the data is coming from two sources, you have two sets of performance metrics:

The dashboard template is designed in Looker Studio. Simply connect your Google account that you use for Google Analytics 4 and Search Console, and the dashboard will be populated with your data.

We’ve covered the part about exporting Google Analytics 4 with Coupler.io. The automation is an advanced approach but we understand that it’s not always what you need. So, it’s time to export the native approach to Google Analytics data export.

How to export Google Analytics data manually from UI

Google Analytics 4 provides multiple reports for acquisition, engagement, monetization, and so on. To export reports, you need to find the Share this report button.

It will expand two options:

• Share Link – you can share the report with the users that have access to your property.
• Download File – you can export the report in different formats, such as PDF, CSV, or Google Sheets.

So, click Download File and pick the desired file format. For CSV and PDF, your file will be downloaded to your computer. For Google Sheets, it will open in a new tab.

Export exploration reports in GA4

For most of the reports that are not an overview, you will see the Export this report to analysis button next to the one for sharing it.

If you click it, your report won’t be downloaded or exported outside of Google Analytics. Instead, this will create a new exploration report that you can customize by adding metrics, dimensions, visualizations, etc.

This report can later be exported. You need to click the Export data button and select the desired file format.

Keep in mind that exploration reports may contain several tabs, and you need to export each tab separately. Except for the case when you select PDF (all tabs).

What standard reports you can export from Google Analytics

Let’s briefly check out what premade reports you can export manually from GA4.

Reports snapshot

It’s a high-level overview of your website’s key performance metrics related to user activity, traffic sources, conversions, and engagement. The reports snapshot serves as a dashboard that highlights trends, anomalies, and areas that may require further investigation.

Lifecycle кeports

It is a set of reports offering an overview of the customer journey, from acquisition to retention. They let you understand how users discover your site, interact with your content, convert, and return.

Acquisition reports

Acquisition reports focus on how users find your website, breaking down the effectiveness of different marketing channels. You can use and export the following reports:

• Acquisition overview – to get a high-level summary of all user acquisition efforts.
• User acquisition – to drill down the specifics of how new users arrive at your site.

• Traffic acquisition – to analyze the performance of traffic sources that drive visits to your site.
• User acquisition cohorts – to analyze the behavior and retention of specific user segments over time.

Engagement reports

Engagement reports focus on how users interact with your website once they arrive. These insights allow you to understand what content resonates most with your audience. You can use and export the following reports:

• Engagement overview – to get a quick assessment of how well your site content is performing and where improvements can be made.
• Events – to track specific actions users take on your site and assess the effectiveness of your calls to action.

• Pages and screens – to identify your most valuable content and understand user behavior patterns.
• Landing page – to understand which landing pages are most effective at attracting and engaging visitors and detect those that may need optimization.

Monetization reports

With the monetization reports, you can get insights into your most profitable products, services, or content. This data will help you identify opportunities to increase revenue. You can use and export the following reports:

• Monetization overview – to get a quick snapshot of your overall monetization performance and understand where your revenue is coming from.
• Ecommerce purchases – to get detailed insights into your customer purchasing behavior, including product performance, revenue, and average order value.
• In-app purchases – to identify which in-app products are most popular and where there may be opportunities to enhance your offerings.

• Purchase journey – to track the entire purchasing process and understand the steps users from the first interaction to the final conversion.
• Checkout journey – to identify where users may encounter friction, abandon their carts, or drop off before completing a purchase.

Retention reports

Retention reports allow you to analyze how well your site retains users over time. With these insights, you can understand the long-term value of your customers. As a result, it’s easy to identify strategies to improve user loyalty and reduce churn.

Search Console reports

Search Console reports provide insights into how your website performs in Google Search. You get detailed data on search queries, click-through rates, impressions, and average rankings. These reports allow you to identify opportunities to optimize your content for better visibility, improve your search rankings, and attract more organic traffic.

User reports

User reports provide detailed insights into the characteristics and behavior of your website’s users. With these reports, you can better understand your audience and apply this to more personalized marketing strategies.

User attributes reports

This set of reports is meant to provide a deeper understanding of who your users are. With insights into user attributes, you can segment your audience more effectively, identify key user groups, and create more personalized content. You can use and export the following reports:

• Overview – to get a summary of key user characteristics and understand your audience demographics.
• Demographic details – to get insights into the age, gender, and location of your users.
• Audiences – to track how user segments interact with your site or app and measure the effectiveness of your targeted marketing efforts.

Tech reports

Tech reports focus on the devices, browsers, and operating systems your users are using to access your site. This information allows you to optimize your website for the most common user configurations. You can use and export the following reports:

• Overview – to get a high-level summary of the technology used by your visitors, such as device categories and operating systems.
• Tech details – to understand the specific devices, browsers, and operating systems your users are using and troubleshoot technical issues.

Can Google Analytics export all data?

If you use Coupler.io for data export, you need to select metrics and dimensions to include in your custom report. The manual export from GA4 only allows you to export reports. And is it possible to export all the data from Google Analytics? Yes, if your data destination is BigQuery.

GA4 provides a direct connection to this data warehouse – BigQuery links also known as BigQuery Export. You can find it under the Product links section of the Admin panel.

To use it, you need a BigQuery project with the BigQuery API enabled. You can learn more about this and the steps to complete the connection in our article about data export from Google Analytics to BigQuery.

Is it worth using Google Analytics API for exporting data?

Let me be honest. Yes, Google Analytics provides the API for exporting data. If you’re a seasoned data analyst or software engineer, you’d probably have no issues with creating and maintaining a custom GA4 integration. On the other hand, were you one of these persons, you’d unlikely read my words here now 🙂

If you have the resources to create an integration that will load data from Google Analytics to your destination, I’m happy for you.

If you don’t, I can only advise try Coupler.io. It rests on the Google Analytics API but no coding is involved. You only need to connect your account, select the metrics & dimensions, and specify where to export data from GA4. It supports multiple destinations and lets you connect Google Analytics 4 with Looker Studio, Power BI, Google Sheets, and more.

And that’s not all. Having this reporting automation tool means that you can create cross-app reports. For instance, export data from Google Search Console and join it with information from GA4 to create a self-updating SEO performance report. Put your doubts aside and get started with Coupler.io for free.

Denys Velykozhon

Marketing Lead at Railsware, with a decade of expertise in B2B SaaS projects. I have expertise in content strategies, SEO, and marketing analytics. By leveraging a blend of technical skill and innovation, I aim to consistently drive growth and maximize ROI for Railsware products.