5 GA4 Custom Reports That Actually Matter (Plus Templates You Can Steal)

Let me guess—you've been staring at GA4's interface wondering where the hell your old reports went. You're not alone. Google decided to "improve" everything by making it completely different. Thanks, Google.

But here's the thing: once you get past the initial frustration (and the urge to go back to Universal Analytics, which is now dead), GA4 actually offers some powerful reporting capabilities. The catch? You have to build them yourself.

I've spent the last two years helping marketing teams migrate from UA to GA4, and I've seen the same pattern repeatedly. Teams get overwhelmed by the new interface, stick with the default reports, and miss out on insights that could actually drive decisions.

So let's fix that. Here are five custom reports every marketer should build in GA4—complete with templates you can copy and actual use cases from real campaigns.

Why Default GA4 Reports Miss the Mark

GA4's default reports are designed for... well, I'm not entirely sure who they're designed for. They show you that people visited your website. Groundbreaking stuff.

The problem isn't that the data isn't there—it's that the default views don't connect the dots between traffic and business outcomes. You need reports that answer questions like:

• Which traffic sources actually convert?
• What content drives the most valuable users?
• Where are people dropping off in my funnel?
• Which campaigns justify their budget?

Default reports tell you what happened. Custom reports tell you why it matters.

Report #1: Revenue Attribution by Source/Medium

What it does: Shows which traffic sources generate actual revenue, not just sessions.

Why you need it: Because "organic traffic is up 20%" means nothing if those visitors bounce immediately. This report connects traffic sources to business outcomes.

Template Setup:

Dimensions:

• Session source/medium
• Session campaign name
• Device category

Metrics:

• Sessions
• Purchase revenue
• Conversions
• Revenue per session

Filters:

• Event name = purchase (to focus on actual transactions)

I built this for an e-commerce client who was convinced Facebook ads weren't working. Turns out Facebook was driving 30% more revenue per session than Google Ads—they just had lower session volume. Without this report, they would have killed their best-performing channel.

Pro tip: Add "First user source/medium" as a secondary dimension to see the full attribution story. Sometimes your email campaigns get credit, but Google Ads did the heavy lifting weeks earlier.

Report #2: Content Performance by User Type

What it does: Breaks down page performance by new vs. returning users, showing which content attracts vs. retains audiences.

Why you need it: Not all page views are created equal. A blog post that attracts new users serves a different purpose than a product page that converts returning visitors.

Template Setup:

Dimensions:

• Page title and screen class
• New vs. returning
• Traffic source

Metrics:

• Views
• Engaged sessions
• Average engagement time
• Conversion rate

Filters:

• Exclude internal traffic (unless you enjoy seeing your own test sessions)

This report revealed something fascinating for a SaaS client: their "Ultimate Guide" content was fantastic at attracting new users but terrible at engaging existing customers. Meanwhile, their case studies had the opposite pattern. This insight helped them restructure their content strategy and email campaigns.

One caveat: GA4's "engaged session" metric is more reliable than bounce rate, but it's still not perfect. Use it directionally, not as gospel.

Report #3: Funnel Drop-off Analysis

What it does: Shows exactly where users exit your conversion process, with demographic and traffic source breakdowns.

Why you need it: "Our conversion rate is low" isn't actionable. "Mobile users from Facebook drop off at the payment page" is something you can fix.

Template Setup:

Technique: Use GA4's funnel exploration tool, not standard reporting.

Steps (customize for your business):

1. Landing page view
2. Product page view
3. Add to cart
4. Begin checkout
5. Purchase

Breakdown dimensions:

• Device category
• Traffic source
• Geographic location
• User type (new/returning)

For an online course platform, this report showed that users from LinkedIn had a 40% higher conversion rate than other social platforms, but only on desktop. Mobile LinkedIn traffic converted terribly. The fix? Different landing pages for mobile LinkedIn traffic with simplified checkout flow.

Result: 23% increase in mobile conversion rate within six weeks.

Reality check: Funnel analysis works best when you have decent traffic volume. If you're getting 50 visitors per month, focus on driving more traffic before optimizing conversion paths.

Report #4: Campaign Performance Dashboard

What it does: Combines GA4 data with campaign spend (you'll need to import this) to show true ROI by campaign.

Why you need it: GA4 shows you conversions. Your ad platforms show you spend. This report shows you profit.

Template Setup:

Dimensions:

• Campaign name
• Source/medium
• Date (for trend analysis)

Metrics:

• Sessions
• Revenue
• Conversions
• Cost per acquisition (imported)
• Return on ad spend

Data import needed: You'll need to upload campaign cost data monthly (GA4 doesn't automatically pull spend from most platforms).

This is where things get interesting. I worked with an agency managing campaigns across Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn for a B2B client. The Google Ads dashboard showed great performance. Facebook looked mediocre. LinkedIn seemed expensive.

But when we combined everything in this GA4 report, LinkedIn was actually delivering the highest-value leads—they just took longer to convert and had higher upfront costs. The agency shifted 30% more budget to LinkedIn and saw a 45% increase in qualified leads.

Technical note: Setting up cost data import is a bit tedious, but it's worth it. Alternatively, you can use Google Ads integration for automatic cost import, but you'll still need manual uploads for other platforms.

Report #5: Audience Behavior Comparison

What it does: Compares how different audience segments behave on your site—demographics, interests, technology, and custom audiences.

Why you need it: Treating all visitors the same is like using the same sales pitch for teenagers and retirees. This report shows you who's actually engaging.

Template Setup:

Dimensions:

• Age group
• Gender
• Geographic location
• Device/browser
• Custom audiences (if configured)

Metrics:

• Engagement rate
• Pages per session
• Average session duration
• Goal completions
• Revenue per user

For a fitness equipment company, this report revealed that their 45-54 age group had 3x higher revenue per user than their primary target demographic (25-34). They were spending 80% of their ad budget targeting the wrong age group.

The insight led to a complete campaign restructure. Instead of generic "fitness transformation" messaging for millennials, they created "home gym efficiency" content for busy professionals. Revenue increased 67% with the same ad spend.

Privacy note: Demographic data in GA4 is sampled and not always accurate. Use it for directional insights, not precise targeting decisions.

Setting Up Your Reports: The Reality

Here's what nobody tells you about GA4 custom reports: they take time to set up properly, and you'll probably mess up the first few attempts. That's normal.

Start with one report. Get it working. Use it for actual decisions. Then build the next one.

Also, GA4's interface changes regularly (because apparently we needed more confusion). Screenshots from six months ago might not match what you see today. Focus on the underlying logic, not the exact button locations.

What These Reports Actually Tell You

The real value isn't in the reports themselves—it's in the decisions they enable.

Revenue attribution helps you allocate budget correctly. Content performance guides your editorial calendar. Funnel analysis identifies quick conversion wins. Campaign dashboards prevent you from optimizing for vanity metrics. Audience behavior informs your messaging strategy.

But here's the catch: data without action is just expensive entertainment. Build these reports, but more importantly, schedule monthly reviews where you actually change something based on what you find.

Getting Started This Week

Pick one report from this list. The revenue attribution report is usually the best starting point because it immediately shows whether your traffic sources justify their costs.

Set it up, even if it's messy. Run it for two weeks. Make one decision based on the data. Then come back and build the next report.

GA4 isn't going anywhere (until Google decides to "improve" it again in a few years). You might as well make it work for you.

And if you're still missing Universal Analytics? Yeah, me too. But this is what we've got now, and these reports actually make it useful.