Your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property might show zero users despite website traffic because data collection isn’t automatically active; GA4 requires explicit configuration to send data from your website to Google’s servers. This differs from Universal Analytics, which had some default data collection even without full setup.

As of December 2025, GA4 relies on the Google tag (gtag.js) or Google Tag Manager (GTM) to track website activity. The tag must be correctly installed on *every* page you want to track. Data streams within GA4 define where your data originates – a website, an Android app, or an iOS app. Currently, GA4 data processing includes filtering of bot and spam traffic, which can sometimes be aggressive, but this wouldn’t typically result in *zero* users if the tag is firing. Australia-specific data residency options are available within GA4, impacting where your data is stored, but don’t affect data collection itself. The GA4 Data API, now including more granular reporting options, won’t show data if no data is being received. In 2026, Google is expected to further refine its machine learning models for data anomaly detection, potentially impacting how data is presented, but not the underlying collection process.

Essentially, GA4 only reports on data it actively receives through correctly implemented tracking tags and configured data streams.