analytics-insights

Analytics Insights

Operator skill for the Google measurement stack — GA4, GTM, Search Console, and BigQuery — driven directly from chat. Build a tracking plan, run reports, mark conversions, audit existing setup, and query the warehouse without leaving the conversation.

Out of scope — defer to other skills

Request	Send them to
Keyword research, AI-search visibility, full SEO audit	seo-research (HyperSEO toolkit — broader and richer than GSC for keyword work)
Google Ads campaign performance	google-ads (campaign-level) — but GA4-side conversion attribution lives here
Meta / Facebook ads metrics	meta-ads
Email program metrics	email-lifecycle (provider-side)

GSC and HyperSEO overlap on search-performance data. Rule of thumb: use GSC here for the user's own site's impression / click / position data. Use HyperSEO (in seo-research) for keyword research, competitor data, AI-search visibility.

Requirements

• Hyper MCP installed and connected. https://app.hyperfx.ai/mcp
• At least one of these connected at https://app.hyperfx.ai/integrations:
  • Google Analytics — GA4 reports, custom metrics / dimensions, key-event (conversion) management.
  • Google Tag Manager — tag / trigger / variable / workspace / version management.
  • Google Search Console — search-performance data, sitemaps, URL inspection.
  • BigQuery — SQL queries against the GA4 export (or any other dataset).

If google_analytics_run_ga4_report, gtm_tag, google_search_console_get_performance_data, and bigquery_execute_query are all missing from the agent's tool list, stop and tell the user to enable the Hyper MCP and connect at least one of these integrations.

Tool surface

Group	Tools
GA4 — reporting	google_analytics_run_ga4_report, google_analytics_list_accounts, google_analytics_list_properties, google_analytics_get_property
GA4 — properties & data streams	google_analytics_create_ga4_property, google_analytics_update_property, google_analytics_delete_property, google_analytics_create_data_stream, google_analytics_list_data_streams, google_analytics_get_data_stream, google_analytics_update_data_stream, google_analytics_delete_data_stream, google_analytics_get_data_retention_settings (read-only — no update variant in MCP), google_analytics_acknowledge_user_data_collection
GA4 — key events (conversions)	google_analytics_create_key_event, google_analytics_list_key_events, google_analytics_get_key_event, google_analytics_update_key_event, google_analytics_delete_key_event
GA4 — custom metrics / dimensions	google_analytics_create_custom_metric, google_analytics_list_custom_metrics, google_analytics_get_custom_metric, google_analytics_update_custom_metric, google_analytics_archive_custom_metric, google_analytics_create_custom_dimension, google_analytics_list_custom_dimensions, google_analytics_get_custom_dimension, google_analytics_update_custom_dimension, google_analytics_archive_custom_dimension
GTM (note: prefixed gtm_*, not google_tag_manager_*)	gtm_account, gtm_container, gtm_workspace, gtm_tag, gtm_trigger, gtm_variable, gtm_built_in_variable, gtm_folder, gtm_environment, gtm_version, gtm_version_header, gtm_user_permission, gtm_client, gtm_template, gtm_transformation, gtm_zone, gtm_destination
Google Search Console	google_search_console_get_performance_data, google_search_console_list_sites, google_search_console_list_sitemaps, google_search_console_get_sitemap, google_search_console_submit_sitemap, google_search_console_delete_sitemap, google_search_console_submit_url
BigQuery	bigquery_execute_query, bigquery_insert_rows

Critical rules

1. GA4 property IDs — arg name differs by tool. Three patterns: (a) Reporting tools (run_ga4_report, get_property) take property_id="properties/123456789". (b) Create and list tools (create_key_event, list_key_events, create_custom_dimension, list_custom_dimensions, etc.) take parent="properties/123456789". (c) Get/update/delete tools operate on a specific resource and take name= with the full resource path (e.g. "properties/123456789/keyEvents/12345"). All three need the properties/ prefix in some form — passing a bare numeric ID silently fails. When in doubt, check the tool's schema for which arg is marked required.
2. Date ranges are inclusive on both ends. start_date="2026-04-01" and end_date="2026-04-30" returns 30 days, not 29. Same for relative dates: 7daysAgo to today is 8 days, not 7.
3. GA4 sampling kicks in above ~10M events. For high-volume properties, the GA4 API silently samples results. If precision matters (board reporting, financial attribution), use the BigQuery GA4 export instead — see references/bigquery-ga4-export.md.
4. Conversions in GA4 are "key events". GA4 renamed "conversions" to "key events" in 2024. The tools reflect this — use google_analytics_create_key_event to mark an event as a conversion. Don't get confused by older docs.
5. GTM changes need a workspace + version + publish. Tags / triggers / variables created in a workspace are not live until the workspace is committed to a new version and that version is published. Use gtm_workspace → modify → gtm_version (create) → publish.
6. GSC data has a 2–3 day lag. Don't query "yesterday" in GSC and expect data — query 3+ days back for stable numbers. GA4 has a 24-48h lag for some metrics.
7. Apple Mail Privacy Protection inflates GA4 "engaged" sessions from email. Don't trust email-driven engagement numbers in GA4 alone — cross-reference with the email provider's own click data.

Workflow — pick the right path

The skill covers four distinct jobs. Pick first; the workflows are different.

The user wants…	Path	Reference
A report ("how did we do last month?")	Phase R	—
To set up tracking ("we need to measure X")	Phase T	references/ga4-tracking-plan.md
To audit existing GTM / GA4 ("why is conversion data wonky?")	Phase A	references/gtm-audit.md
Precise / unsampled / cross-source analysis	Phase B	references/bigquery-ga4-export.md

Phase R — Run a report (most common path)

Quick-read option: For instant, no-sampling queries against cached GA4 data, try google_analytics_query_insights first — it's faster than the full API path and avoids the ~10M-event sampling threshold. Call it with a query= SQL string; the tool description lists available columns and the cached table name. If it returns "No data cached", read the suggestion field for the workspace-specific table name and retry. For cached GSC data, use google_search_console_query_insights with the same pattern. Fall through to Step 4 below for metrics not in the cache.

1. Confirm the property. google_analytics_list_accounts() → google_analytics_list_properties(filter="parent:accounts/<account_id>"). Ask the user to pick if there are multiple. Save the properties/<id> for the rest of the conversation.
2. Pick the date range. Always confirm. "Last 30 days" is start_date="30daysAgo", end_date="yesterday" (avoid today — partial-day data is unstable).
3. Pick metrics + dimensions. Don't blast 12 metrics × 6 dimensions in one report — the result is unreadable. Pick the 2–3 metrics that answer the user's question and the 1–2 dimensions that segment them meaningfully.
4. Run the report.

google_analytics_run_ga4_report(
  property_id="properties/123456789",
  start_date="30daysAgo",
  end_date="yesterday",
  metrics=["activeUsers", "sessions", "conversions", "totalRevenue"],
  dimensions=["sessionDefaultChannelGroup", "deviceCategory"],
)

5. Present results as a table. Always show the raw numbers alongside any interpretation. "Organic search drove 12,400 sessions (+18% MoM)" beats "organic was up."
6. One follow-on if the data flags it. If a metric stands out (e.g., conversion rate dropped 40% on mobile), run one targeted follow-up report — don't speculate.

Common GA4 metrics & dimensions

The GA4 API uses camelCase names. The most useful:

Metrics: activeUsers, sessions, screenPageViews, bounceRate, engagementRate, averageSessionDuration, conversions, eventCount, totalRevenue, transactions, purchaseRevenue, userEngagementDuration.

Dimensions: country, city, deviceCategory, operatingSystem, browser, sessionDefaultChannelGroup, sessionSource, sessionMedium, sessionCampaignName, pagePath, eventName, date, hour, landingPage.

For the full list, the user can browse the GA4 Data API reference.

Phase T — Set up tracking

The GA4 API can create properties, data streams, key events, custom metrics, and custom dimensions — but it can't deploy GTM tags into the page. That step is GTM-side (or hard-coded in the site). The skill workflow:

1. Tracking plan first. Define what events you need to fire, where they fire, and which ones are conversions (key events). Full template in references/ga4-tracking-plan.md.
2. GA4-side setup — create custom dimensions / metrics, mark key events:

google_analytics_create_custom_dimension(
  parent="properties/123456789",
  parameter_name="plan_tier",
  display_name="Plan Tier",
  scope="EVENT",
)

google_analytics_create_key_event(
  parent="properties/123456789",
  event_name="purchase",
  counting_method="ONCE_PER_EVENT",
)

3. GTM-side setup — create/update tags + triggers + variables in a workspace, then version + publish:

gtm_workspace(operation="create", account_id="...", container_id="...", name="purchase-tracking-v3")

gtm_tag(operation="create", workspace_path="...", tag_definition={...})
gtm_trigger(operation="create", workspace_path="...", trigger_definition={...})
gtm_variable(operation="create", workspace_path="...", variable_definition={...})

gtm_version(operation="create", workspace_path="...", version_name="purchase-tracking-v3")
# then publish via the GTM UI or version operation

4. Validate — see Phase A.

Phase A — Audit (the existing setup is broken or suspect)

Most "our analytics is wrong" complaints are one of:

Symptom	Likely cause	How to confirm
Conversion event not appearing in GA4	Event firing in GTM but not reaching GA4 (wrong measurement ID, blocked by consent gate, ad blocker)	google_analytics_run_ga4_report for eventName=purchase over the last 7d → if 0, check GTM
Conversion count wildly off	Event firing on every page (not just confirmation), or duplicate tags	Audit GTM tags via gtm_tag(operation="list"), check for multiple tags firing on the same trigger
Revenue reported differently in GA4 vs the platform of record	Currency mismatch, refund handling, attribution window	Pull both side-by-side, look for refund / currency rows
Suddenly mobile traffic dropped to ~0	Tag firing only on desktop trigger, or a recent GTM publish broke the mobile container	gtm_version(operation="list") to find recent publishes, diff with previous version
GSC clicks ≠ GA4 organic sessions	Always different — different definitions. Don't try to reconcile exactly.	Expected; document and move on

Detailed audit walkthrough in references/gtm-audit.md.

Phase B — BigQuery GA4 export (precision / cross-source analysis)

For unsampled data, custom attribution, joining GA4 with order-DB / CRM data, or cohort analysis. Requires the GA4 → BigQuery export to be turned on in the GA4 admin (free for standard properties since 2023).

bigquery_execute_query(
  query="""
    SELECT
      event_date,
      COUNT(DISTINCT user_pseudo_id) AS users,
      COUNTIF(event_name = 'purchase') AS purchases,
      SUM(IF(event_name = 'purchase', ecommerce.purchase_revenue, 0)) AS revenue
    FROM `your-project.analytics_123456789.events_*`
    WHERE _TABLE_SUFFIX BETWEEN '20260401' AND '20260430'
    GROUP BY event_date
    ORDER BY event_date
  """
)

Schema, common queries, and the full attribution-modeling workflow in references/bigquery-ga4-export.md.

Output standards

• Always present numbers as tables, not prose. "12,400 sessions, 8.2% bounce, 1.4% conversion" → markdown table.
• Always include the date range in the report header. "Apr 1–30, 2026" — undated numbers are useless.
• Always include the property / site the report came from. Multi-property organizations get burned by this constantly.
• Annotate sampling. If GA4 returns a samplesReadCount < samplingSpaceSize, say so explicitly. The user needs to know whether to trust the number for finance / board reporting.
• Distinguish "ratio metric" from "summable metric". Bounce rate, engagement rate, conversion rate are ratios and don't sum — present them as one number, not a column total.

Critical rules (recap)

1. GA4 property IDs: reporting tools use property_id=, create/list tools use parent=, get/update/delete tools use name= (full resource path).
2. Date ranges are inclusive on both ends.
3. Above ~10M events, GA4 API samples — switch to BigQuery export for precision.
4. Conversions are "key events" in GA4 (renamed in 2024).
5. GTM changes need workspace → version → publish to go live.
6. GSC has a 2–3 day data lag; GA4 has 24–48h.
7. MPP inflates GA4 email-engagement metrics.

Reference workflows

Reference	When to read
references/ga4-tracking-plan.md	Designing what to track — recommended event schema, custom dimensions / metrics, key-event mapping, naming conventions
references/gtm-audit.md	Auditing an existing GTM container — finding duplicate tags, broken triggers, unused variables, missing consent gates
references/bigquery-ga4-export.md	Querying the GA4 BigQuery export — schema, common queries (DAU, funnel, attribution, cohort, retention), join patterns