Google Analytics 4 (GA4), as of December 2025, collects both website and app data to provide a unified view of customer journeys, moving beyond the session-based model of its predecessor, Universal Analytics. This is achieved through a data stream model, where data is sent from your website or app to GA4 properties.
Currently, GA4 collects event-based data, meaning every user interaction is recorded as an ‘event’. This includes automatically collected events like page_view, scroll, outbound_click, and file_download, alongside custom events you define. Enhanced Measurement, now standard in GA4, automatically tracks events like video engagement and site search without code changes. GA4 also integrates with Google Signals, providing aggregated and anonymised demographic and interest data, subject to user consent and Google’s privacy policies, which are compliant with Australian privacy legislation. In 2026, GA4’s data modelling capabilities will further refine data accuracy, particularly in light of increasing privacy restrictions and cookie limitations impacting data collection across Australia. GA4 360, the enterprise version, offers sub-property filtering and un-sampled reports, but is priced accordingly for larger businesses.
Ultimately, GA4 functions by capturing user interactions as events, processing them through its data model, and presenting insights within its interface, providing a comprehensive understanding of user behaviour across your digital platforms.
