Google Analytics 4 Daily & Streaming Export
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers the flexibility to export your data using both daily and streaming methods. In this section, we’ll explore the nuances of enabling daily, streaming, or a combination of both data export methods in GA4. Understanding these options is crucial for making informed decisions about how you collect and process your GA4 data.
Enabling Only Daily Export for GA4
If you choose to enable only daily export, you’ll receive daily batches of your GA4 data. Here’s what you need to know:
Data Availability: You’ll get a comprehensive snapshot of your website or app’s performance for the previous day. This data will be available for analysis within
events_YYYYMMDDtables.Data Reprocessing: Keep in mind that Google can reprocess data up to 72 hours later. This means you may need to continuously reprocess the last three days’ worth of data to catch any reprocessed information.
Export Limit: Standard GA4 properties have a BigQuery Export limit of 1 million events for Daily (batch) exports.
Enabling Only Streaming Export for GA4
When opting for streaming export exclusively, there are some key considerations:
Data Availability: With streaming export, you’ll populate
events_intraday_YYYYMMDDtables with real-time data. This allows you to access near-immediate insights into user behavior.Data Reprocessing: Google will not reprocess data.
Export Limit:
- While Google suggests that
traffic_sourcefields aren’t exported in streaming, some users have reported seeing this data. It’s essential to validate this with your specific setup. - In general, Google’s spam filtering is robust and happens either in the browser or as data arrives. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that some spam data might make its way through, necessitating occasional manual filtering.
- While Google suggests that
Enabling Daily and Streaming Exports for GA4
For the best of both worlds, you can enable both daily and streaming exports for GA4. Here’s what to expect:
Data Availability: Within 72 hours, the data streamed to the
events_intraday_YYYYMMDDtables will be moved to theevents_YYYYMMDDtables. This provides you with a comprehensive dataset combining real-time and daily insights.Data Reprocessing: Reprocessing is necessary with daily batch data, as Google can reprocess up to 72 hours later. For mobile streams, it’s crucial to reprocess two or three days of data due to potential delays in data transmission.
Export Limit: There is no limit on the number of events for Streaming export. If your data exceeds 1 million events, it will remain in the
events_intraday_YYYYMMDDtables, resulting in a mix of data in both tables (events_YYYYMMDDandevents_intraday_YYYYMMDD).
More about 1 million events limit for GA4 Daily Export
According to GA4 BQ Export Docs, standard GA4 properties have a BigQuery Export limit of 1 million events for Daily (batch) exports. It’s important to note that Google Analytics will notify you if your data export exceeds this 1 million event limit.
However, it’s worth mentioning that even with this limit, you can still receive more than 1 million rows of data using the daily export method. Notice that in the email, there’s this sentence:
If daily export volume is not brought below export limits within 5 days, daily BigQuery exports will be put on hold.
We once exceeded the GA4 export limit for several days in a row, but the data could still be saved into the events_YYYYMMDD table. There was even one day that almost reached 2 million events.
| table_date | events |
|---|---|
| 2023-01-31 | 272,547 |
| 2023-01-30 | 490,130 |
| 2023-01-29 | 915,704 |
| 2023-01-28 | 1,055,586 |
| 2023-01-27 | 1,010,492 |
| 2023-01-26 | 844,033 |
| 2023-01-25 | 736,046 |
| 2023-01-24 | 796,803 |
| 2023-01-23 | 1,110,239 |
| 2023-01-22 | 1,875,648 |
| 2023-01-21 | 1,579,602 |
| 2023-01-20 | 1,124,141 |
| 2023-01-19 | 691,833 |
| 2023-01-18 | 423,436 |
| 2023-01-17 | 374,403 |
| 2023-01-16 | 470,777 |
| 2023-01-15 | 757,256 |
| 2023-01-14 | 818,266 |
| 2023-01-13 | 558,190 |
| 2023-01-12 | 650,896 |
| 2023-01-11 | 707,720 |
| 2023-01-10 | 885,270 |
| 2023-01-09 | 884,180 |
| 2023-01-08 | 1,047,891 |
| 2023-01-07 | 877,158 |
| 2023-01-06 | 642,474 |
| 2023-01-05 | 358,257 |
| 2023-01-04 | 268,955 |
| 2023-01-03 | 394,787 |
| 2023-01-02 | 156,106 |
| 2023-01-01 | 151,491 |
Summary
| GA4 BQ Export | Daily | Streaming | Daily + Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Availability | Previous day’s data populated in events_YYYYMMDD tables. | Real-time data in events_intraday_YYYYMMDD tables, allowing near-immediate insights. | Real-time and daily data. Within 72 hours, streamed data moves to events_YYYYMMDD tables. |
| Data Reprocessing | Google can reprocess data up to 72 hours later. | Google will not reprocess data. | May require data reprocessing for daily batch data to get the traffic_source data and late-arriving events from mobile streams. |
| Limitation | 1 million events export limit for Daily batch exports. | Uncertainty regarding the export of traffic_source fields in streaming. Possible occasional spam data requiring manual filtering. | No event limit for Streaming export. Data exceeding 1 million events remains in events_intraday_YYYYMMDD tables. |
The choice between daily, streaming, or a combination of both data export methods in GA4 hinges on your specific analytical needs and resources. Whether you prioritize real-time insights, historical data accuracy, or a balance of both, GA4 provides the tools to cater to your requirements.
Remember to continually monitor and adapt your data processing strategy as your website or app evolves, ensuring that you’re always equipped to extract meaningful insights from your GA4 data.
Stay tuned for more insights and advanced analytics tips in our Google Analytics 4 SQL Course as we continue to explore the world of data analysis with GA4!