Understanding Google Analytics 4 Regex (Regular Expressions)

Do you know? You can use Google Analytics Regex to improve data analysis.

Regular expressions for Google Analytics, or Regex, are potent ways used to find patterns in text. In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Regex helps you filter data, create custom reports, and analyze specific user behaviors.

Instead of searching for one exact word or phrase, Regex allows you to search for flexible patterns. For example, you can find all pages with URLs starting with “/blog/” or filter out traffic from unwanted sources.

In this guide, we’ll explain what Google Analytics Regex is, how it works in GA4, and how you can use it to improve your data analysis. Whether you’re new to Regex or just learning its application in GA4, this guide will cover everything step by step.

What is Regex in Google Analytics?

Regex, short for regular expressions, is a way to define patterns for matching text. It’s a helpful tool for finding and organizing data without needing exact matches. Instead of searching for specific words or phrases, you can use patterns to capture a wide range of possibilities.

GA4 Regex examples:

• Exact Match: Search for “blue shoes.”
• Regex Match: Use a pattern like blue.*shoes to find variations like “blue running shoes” or “blue suede shoes.”

In Google Analytics, Regex is primarily used to create flexible filters and conditions for data analysis. It allows you to define patterns to include or exclude data, segment audiences, and refine reports with precision. For instance, you can use Regex to match multiple URLs, filter out internal traffic, or group similar events based on naming conventions. This makes Regex an indispensable tool for customizing your GA4 implementation.

What Does Regex Do in GA4?

In Google Analytics 4, Regex is used to filter, segment, or group data based on patterns. This makes it easier to analyze user behavior, traffic sources, or any specific actions on your website or app. For example:

• You can filter out internal traffic by matching IP address patterns.
• Group similar pages together, such as all URLs starting with /products.
• Exclude spam or unwanted referrals using specific keywords.

Examples of Regex in GA4

Here are a few practical examples of how Regex works:

1. Filter Pages by URL: Use ^/blog/ to match all URLs that start with “/blog.”
2. Match Multiple Keywords: Use apples|bananas|oranges to match any of these three words.
3. Exclude Specific Traffic: Use ^(?!.*admin).*$ to exclude URLs containing “admin.”

Regex saves time and makes it easier to manage large sets of data. Using patterns, you can customize your analytics and focus on what matters most.

Basic Syntax and Patterns of Regular Expressions

Understanding basic Regex syntax is the first step in using it effectively in Google Analytics 4. Regex might seem complex at first, but with a few rules and examples, you can master it for your data needs.

Common Regex Symbols and Their Meanings

Here are the most commonly used Regex symbols:

Symbol	Meaning	Example
^	Matches the start of a string	^/blog matches strings starting with “/blog”.
$	Matches the end of a string	/about$ matches strings ending with “/about”.
.	Matches any single character	b.t matches “bat”, “bet”, or “bit”.
*	Matches zero or more of the previous character	do* matches “do”, “doo”, or “d”.
+	Matches one or more of the previous character	do+ matches “do” or “doo”, but not “d”.
`	`	Means “or”
[]	Matches any one character in brackets	[abc] matches “a”, “b”, or “c”.
()	Groups characters	`(red
\	Escapes special characters	\. matches a literal period “.”.

Practical Patterns for Beginners

Here are some beginner-friendly Regex patterns:

1. Match Multiple Pages:
   • Pattern: /products|/services
   • Explanation: This matches URLs containing either “products” or “services.”
2. Exclude Specific Terms:
   • Pattern: ^(?!.*spam).*
   • Explanation: This excludes any strings containing the word “spam.”
3. Match Specific File Types:
   • Pattern: \.(jpg|png|gif)$
   • Explanation: This matches file names ending with “.jpg”, “.png”, or “.gif”.
4. Find Numbers in a String:
   • Pattern: \d+
   • Explanation: This matches any number (e.g., 123 or 4567).

Key Tips for Implementing Regex in GA4

• Always test your Regex patterns in the GA4 interface before applying them.
• Start with simple patterns and gradually use more advanced combinations.
• Double-check your syntax, as a small mistake can lead to incorrect results.

How to Use Regex in Google Analytics 4 

Regex can be applied in various parts of Google Analytics 4 to improve your analysis.

In this section, we’ll explore the key areas where you can use Regex with clear steps and examples.

1. Standard Reports

You can filter a standard report in two ways:

1. Using the “Add filter” button.
2. Customizing the report.

Let’s do it using the add filter option!

Using the “Add filter” Button

1. Go to the Reports tab and open the report you want to filter.
2. Click the Add filter button.

3. Select the dimension you want to filter by (e.g., “Country”).
4. Choose one of the following conditions:
   • Matches regex
   • Partially matches regex
   • Does not match regex
   • Does not partially match regex

5. Enter your Regex pattern.

Example:
To include only visitors from Canada or the USA, select “Country” as the dimension, choose “Matches regex”, and enter the pattern:
Canada|USA

It will filter your report to show data for visitors from these countries only.

2. Exploration Reports

In GA4 Explorations, you can filter your data using dimensions and metrics. When filtering by a dimension, you can use a Regex pattern for more flexibility. The filter uses the “Matches regex” condition, so your pattern must be precise to return the intended results.

How to Apply Filters in Explorations

1. In your Exploration, locate the Filters element at the bottom of the Settings tab.

2. You can either:
   • Click on the filter element and select a dimension or
   • Drag a dimension directly into the filter area

3. Ensure the dimension you want to filter is already included in your report.

Example: Excluding Auto-Tracked Events

Google Analytics 4 automatically tracks several events, such as page_view, scroll, and session_start. If you only want to analyze your custom events, you can exclude auto-tracked events using a “Does not match regex” condition.

Steps:

1. Add the dimension “Event Name” to your Exploration.
2. In the filter, choose “Does not match regex” and enter the pattern:
   Page_view|scroll|user_engagement|session_start|click

3. This will Regex for Google Analytics by excluding these auto-tracked events. It’ll leave only your custom events in the report.

Example: Mimicking Partial Matches with Regex

If GA4 doesn’t support a “Partially matches regex” condition, you can mimic it using .* in your pattern.

Example:
To filter for pages containing the word “children,” use the following pattern with the “Matches regex” condition:
.*children.*

This pattern captures any string where “children” appears, regardless of its position.

3. Segments and Audiences

Segments and audiences allow you to break your data into smaller groups for analysis.

• Segments let you retroactively slice your data and use it in GA4 Explorations.
• Audiences also divide your data, but they are not retroactive. You can use audiences in standard reports for comparisons but not in Explorations.

Both segments and audiences can be defined using multiple conditions, including regular expressions.

Segments

To create a segment in GA4:

1. Go to Explore and open or create a new Exploration report.
2. In the Exploration interface, click the plus sign (+) next to “Segments.”

3. Select User segment (used in the examples below).

Here are some example segments using Regex:

• Exclude users from specific countries:
  • Condition: “Country ID” does not match regex
  • Pattern: US|CA
• Users who visited blog pages:
  • Condition: “Page location” matches regex
  • Pattern: .*/(blog|article|posts|news)/.*
• Users who visited specific product pages:
  • Condition: “Page location” matches regex
  • Pattern: .*/product/[A-Za-z0-9-]+$

These examples are a starting point. Adjust them based on your business needs.

Audiences

To create an audience:

1. Go to Admin >> Audiences under Data Settings.
2. Click “Create a custom audience.”
3. Use conditions to define your audience. You can apply the same examples as above to guide you in capturing the right subsets.

Audiences can help with specific targeting and reporting in GA4 but are not retroactive. For more insights, check out Google’s documentation on GA4 Audiences.

4. Custom Channel Groups

Custom channel groups allow you to organize traffic sources into categories you define. You can create custom channel names and set rules to determine how traffic sources are grouped.

Example: Grouping Social Media Channels
To group all social media traffic, list the platforms you want to include, separated by the pipe symbol |. To make the pattern case-insensitive, add (?i) at the beginning.

Regex Pattern:
(?i)(facebook|instagram|linkedin)

When setting up conditions for custom channel groups, you’ll see options like “Partially matches regex” or “Does not partially match regex”. These options simplify the process, as you don’t need to use .* for partial matches.

5. Internal Traffic Filtering

To avoid tracking your own visits to your site, you can use internal traffic filtering.

Steps to Set Up Internal Traffic Filtering:

1. Go to Admin >> Data Collection and Modifications >> Data Streams.
2. Select the data stream you want to modify.
3. Scroll down to Configure Tag Settings >> Show More >> Define Internal Traffic.
4. Enter the IP addresses you want to exclude.

If you have multiple IP addresses, you can use a Regex pattern to define them. For example, to exclude a range of IP addresses, use a pattern like:
^192\.0\.

This will exclude all traffic from IPs starting with 192.0.

6. Define Unwanted Referrals

In GA4, referral traffic refers to visitors who arrive at your site from another website without using a search engine. If certain domains shouldn’t count as referral traffic (e.g., payment processors), you can label them as direct traffic instead.

Steps to Define Unwanted Referrals:

1. Go to Admin >> Data Collection and Modifications >> Data Streams.
2. Select the data stream you want to modify.
3. Scroll down to Configure Tag Settings >> Show More >> List Unwanted Referrals.
4. Add the domains you want to mark as direct traffic.

Example:
To exclude subdomains like PayPal or specific sites, use this Regex pattern:
.*(paypal|example)\.com

This ensures traffic from these domains appears as Direct instead of Referral in your GA4 reports.

7. Creating Custom Events

Google Analytics Regex allows you to match event parameters or names for custom events.

Steps:

1. Go to Admin >> Events.
2. Create a custom event.
3. Use Regex in the “Matching Conditions” section.

Example: You can create an event to track whenever a user views a specific page, such as a thank-you page. Since URLs vary across websites, adjust your Regex pattern to fit your site’s structure. For example, to capture visits to pages like “success” or “thank-you,” you can use the following pattern:

https://.*(success|thank-you).*

Google Analytics 4 Regex Filter Options

Regex filters in GA4 provide flexible ways to include or exclude data based on patterns. These filters can be applied to different dimensions, events, or traffic sources for precise control over your data.

Types of Regex Filters in GA4

1. Include Filters
   Use Regex only to include specific data in your reports or analysis.
   Example:
   • To include pages starting with “/products/”, use the pattern ^/products/.
2. Exclude Filters
   Use Regex to filter out unwanted data, such as internal traffic or spam referrals.
   Example:
   • To exclude pages with “admin” in the URL, use ^(?!.*admin).*.
3. Case Sensitivity in Filters
   Regex filters in GA4 are case-sensitive by default. If you want to match patterns regardless of case, you need to adjust your Regex pattern.
   Example:
   • Use (?i)facebook to match both “Facebook” and “facebook.”

Where to Use Regex Filters in GA4

1. Page Path Filtering
   Apply filters to the “Page Path” dimension to narrow down your analysis to specific pages.
   Example:
   • To include all blog posts, use the pattern ^/blog/.
2. Event Filtering
   Use Regex to filter events like purchases, sign-ups, or downloads.
   Example:
   • To include all purchase-related events, use purchase|checkout.
3. Traffic Source Filtering
   Filter traffic sources by applying Regex to the “Source/Medium” dimension.
   Example:
   • To exclude bot traffic, use bot|crawler.
4. Referral Exclusion
   Prevent unwanted referrals from skewing your data by adding Regex patterns in the referral exclusion settings.
   Example:
   • Use spamdomain\.com to exclude traffic from “spamdomain.com.”

Key Tips for Regex Filters in GA4

• Test Your Patterns: Always test Regex filters in GA4 to ensure they work as expected. Incorrect patterns can lead to inaccurate data.
• Be Specific: Avoid overly broad patterns, as they might capture unintended data.
• Use Logical Operators: Combine patterns with | (or) to simplify complex filters.

Google Analytics Regex filters are powerful ways to refine data and gain better insights. Proper use can ensure that your analytics data is clean, accurate, and meaningful.

Advanced Regex Patterns for GA4

For users familiar with basic Regex, advanced patterns can offer even more flexibility:

• Negative Lookahead:
  Exclude specific patterns from results.
  Example: Use ^(?!.*admin).* to exclude any string containing “admin.”
• Wildcards for Partial Matches:
  Match any text between two specific words.
  Example: Use start.*end to match anything starting with “start” and ending with “end.”
• Combining Multiple Conditions:
  Match a variety of patterns in a single filter.
  Example: Use (facebook|instagram)|^(?!.*bot).* to include social media traffic while excluding bots.

Troubleshooting Common Regex Issues in GA4

Google Analytics Regex mistakes can lead to inaccurate or incomplete data. Here are some common pitfalls and how to fix them:

• Case Sensitivity:
  Regex in GA4 is case-sensitive. Add (?i) at the start of your pattern for case-insensitive matches.
• Misplaced Special Characters:
  Ensure special characters like. or * are used correctly. For example, . matches any character, so use \. for literal dots.
• Overly Broad Patterns:
  Broad patterns like .* might match unintended data. Be specific to avoid skewing your analysis.

Real-Life Use Cases

• E-Commerce:
  Use Regex to analyze product categories by matching page paths like /category/.*.
• Content Marketing:
  Group blog topics by matching titles or URLs with patterns like ^/blog/(seo|analytics)/.
• Spam Filtering:
  Remove spam referrals using patterns like spam|fake|bot.

Regex Tools for Beginners

If you’re new to Regex, testing patterns can help you avoid errors. Here are some free tools to practice Regex:

• Regex101: A user-friendly Regex tester.
• RegExr: An interactive tool with built-in tutorials.

Analytify For WordPress Users to Simplify Google Analytics

Analytify simplifies tracking and reporting for WordPress users, and it can complement Google Analytics 4’s Regex capabilities. While Regex offers advanced filtering and customization, Analytify provides a user-friendly interface to access GA4 data without needing technical expertise.

How Analytify Can Help with Regex in GA4

1. Seamless Data Integration:
   Analytify automatically pulls your GA4 data into your WordPress dashboard. While Regex configurations must be set up in GA4, Analytify displays the filtered data clearly for easy review.
2. Custom Reports for Regex-Filtered Data:
   Any filters or Regex patterns you apply in GA4 will reflect in the reports viewed through Analytify. This allows you to quickly analyze specific user segments, traffic sources, or content groups directly in WordPress.
3. Enhanced Tracking for WordPress Sites:
   Use GA4 Regex to track specific WordPress pages or categories, and Analytify ensures this data is presented in an accessible format. For example, if you use Regex to analyze traffic to pages starting with /products, Analytify will organize the data for you.
4. User-Friendly Dashboards:
   Analytify’s dashboards simplify complex GA4 data. Even if you’ve applied Regex-based filters or patterns, you can view the results without navigating through the GA4 interface repeatedly.

Example: Combining GA4 Regex and Analytify

Suppose you’ve set up a Regex pattern in GA4 to filter out spam referrals like spamdomain\.com. 

Using Analytify, you can view clean traffic reports in your WordPress dashboard without worrying about spam data skewing your metrics.

Why Use Analytify with GA4?

• Streamlines the reporting process for WordPress users.
• Reduces reliance on GA4’s complex interface.
• Provides actionable insights without requiring technical expertise.

By combining the flexibility of GA4 Regex with Analytify’s simplicity, you get powerful analytics tailored to your needs. 

GA4 Regex FAQs

Final Thoughts: Google Analytics 4 Regex

Regex in Google Analytics 4 is a handy way to take control of your data. It lets you filter, group, or exclude information to focus on what’s truly important. Whether it’s cleaning up spam traffic, identifying user behavior, or customizing reports, Regex gives you the flexibility to analyze data the way you need.

If you’re new to Regex, start small. Test simple patterns, make adjustments, and build your confidence as you go. You don’t have to master it all at once; just learn what’s useful for your goals. Over time, you’ll find it’s not as complicated as it seems.

For WordPress users,  Analytify makes the process of analyzing web data even easier by bringing GA4 data directly to your site’s dashboard. It’s a great way to simplify things while getting the insights you need.

We hope this guide helped you understand Google Analytics 4 Regex and how to use them.

Give it a try; you might be surprised how much it can improve your analytics.

You may also like to read:

• Custom Reports in Google Analytics Made Easy with Analytify

What’s the biggest challenge you face when working with Regex in GA4? Let us know in the comments or reach out we’d love to help!