How to Implement Content Group in Google Analytics 4

Content Groups allow you to create sections of the website, grouping contents in a convenient way for your analysis.

Let’s give some examples: I can create a specific group that shows me the most viewed Brands on my website or I can create Product categories to analyze, at a higher level, the interactions of users with the website.

In Universal Analytics it is possible to create up to 5 Content Groups, by going directly to the View settings.

Now the question arises: can we create Content Groups in Google Analytics 4?

The answer is: yes, but with some limitations.

Let’s start!

Content Groups in GA4

First, here’s where you can find the new Content Groups feature in Google Analytics 4: Reports> Engagement> Pages and screens, then by clicking on the “Content group” field, we can access the values:

At first, without any implementation, what we will see is the value (not set):

Let’s see, below, how to implement the solution to collect qualitative information.

How to implement the Content Group in GA4

The best solution is to go to Google Tag Manager.

You will need to use the configuration tag within the tag list (if you want to know how to set a Property in GA4 and where to retrieve the Measurement ID, read this post):

Once selected, we will have to insert a parameter, inside the tag, to start creating the tracks to send the correct information within the Google Analytics 4 Report.

The parameter to be inserted is the following: ‘content_group‘ and must be inserted under Fields to Set :

Now, we need to type the value that needs to be collected under the content_group field.

In the example I propose to you, I want to collect the value of a variable, which I called {{DLV – productType}}:

After setting up the trigger rules, let’s save the tag.

Save ‘content_group’ as a custom dimension

Now that, through GTM, we have set up the track to collect the information, we need to go to the Google Analytics 4 UI and save the content_group parameter as a custom dimension.

This step is mandatory if we want to see our value within GA4 Reports.

To do this, just click on Configure> Custom definitions> Create custom dimensions

You will need to enter the following information:

• dimension name: content_group. This value must be the same one typed in the GTM tag (beware of misspelling!)
• Scope: Event
• Description: is an optional value, which you can enter or leave blank
• Event parameter: content_group

Save the configuration.

Test the Implementation

Once you have entered the different configurations, go to Configure> Debug View and check, by browsing, that the values are correctly passed to Google Analytics 4.

In the screenshot you see below, I clicked on the ‘page_view‘ event and, among the parameters set, I also find the content_group key which collects the ‘usato‘ value:

The test was successful.

Now, I can publish all the implementations, by submitting the Container in GTM

Once this is done, it will be necessary to wait around 24 hours for the Content group dimension to be correctly populated in the dedicated report.

But, if everything is done right, I will see my information in GA4:

Limits of the Content group in Google Analytics 4

At the time of this writing, GA4 allows you to collect only one type of Content Group.

It is not yet possible to have multiple types of Content Groups as is the case in Universal Analytics (up to 5, as written at the beginning).

Even doing several tests, the thing doesn’t work: inserting the ‘content_group‘ parameter twice, inside the Fields to Set, would result in the collection of the last value inserted in the Configuration tag:

Even trying to put an extra value like ‘content_group2‘ inside the tag, nothing would happen.

In fact, the parameter can be inserted in the Fields to Set in GTM, as you can see in the image below:

Once added, you can also find it as a parameter in GA4 Debug:

However, even trying to create the dedicated Custom dimension, the Google Analytics 4 Report will always show only one Grouping of Contents and not different as in the Universal Analytics version:

Conclusions

Content Grouping is definitely a useful feature in Google Analytics.

Today it is not yet possible, in GA4, to have more Content groups as in Universal Analytics.

However, if we consider that, until a few months ago, the Content Group was not even present in GA4, while today it is, we can be confident that soon there will be a new release that will allow us to have different Content Groups.

As you have seen, implementing a new Content Grouping in GA4 is really very simple using GTM, so now you just have to try the solution on your website!

Good analysis!

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