Quick answer: Most Universal Analytics metrics have a GA4 equivalent, but the names and definitions changed and a few have no direct match. Bounce Rate → Engagement Rate (inverse). Goals → Key Events. Pageviews → Views (the page_view event). Sessions exist in both but are counted differently. Use the tables below as a translation key when you're rebuilding reports or explaining why a number moved.
This is a companion to the main GA4 vs Universal Analytics guide. Bookmark it — it's the page you'll want open while migrating dashboards.
Audience & user metrics
| Universal Analytics | GA4 equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Users | Total Users | Available, but GA4 headlines Active Users instead. |
| New Users | New Users | Definition similar; based on first session_start. |
| (none) | Active Users | New default metric — users with an engaged session. |
| Sessions | Sessions | Counted differently; GA4 doesn't reset at midnight/new source. |
| % New Sessions | (derive manually) | No direct metric; compute from New vs returning. |
Engagement metrics
| Universal Analytics | GA4 equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bounce Rate | Engagement Rate (inverse) | Not comparable 1:1. See bounce vs engagement. |
| Pageviews | Views | The page_view event count. |
| Unique Pageviews | (no direct equivalent) | Approximate with Views by session, or use BigQuery. |
| Avg. Time on Page | Average Engagement Time | GA4 measures active focus time, not idle time. |
| Avg. Session Duration | Avg. Engagement Time per Session | Different basis — GA4 excludes background/idle time. |
| Pages / Session | Views per Session / per Active User | Derive from Views ÷ Sessions. |
| (none) | Engaged Sessions | Sessions lasting 10s+, with a conversion, or 2+ views. |
Acquisition & attribution
| Universal Analytics | GA4 equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Source / Medium | Session source / medium | Also First-user and Event-scoped variants in GA4. |
| Default Channel Grouping | Default Channel Group | Definitions tightened; UTM hygiene matters more. |
| Campaign | Session campaign | Plus First-user campaign. |
| Last Non-Direct Click (model) | Data-driven attribution (default) | GA4 defaults to DDA, not last-click. |
| (none) | First-user vs Session scope | GA4 separates acquisition by user vs session. |
Conversions & ecommerce
| Universal Analytics | GA4 equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Key Events (formerly Conversions) | Mark any event as a Key Event. See mapping guide. |
| Goal Conversion Rate | Session/User Key Event Rate | Choose session- or user-based. |
| Transactions | purchase (event count) | Driven by the purchase event. |
| Revenue | Total revenue / Purchase revenue | From the value parameter. |
| Ecommerce Conversion Rate | (derive) | Purchases ÷ Sessions. |
| Product Detail Views | view_item | Recommended ecommerce event. |
| Add to Cart | add_to_cart | Recommended ecommerce event. |
Dimensions
| Universal Analytics | GA4 equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Page | Page path and screen class | Or Page location for full URL. |
| Landing Page | Landing page | Available as a dimension in GA4. |
| Event Category / Action / Label | Event name + parameters | The 3-tier model is gone; use named params. |
| Custom Dimensions (hit/session/user) | Custom dimensions (event/user scope) | Must be registered in Admin → Custom definitions. |
| Device Category | Device category | Same concept. |
Removed with no direct equivalent
- Bounce Rate (as UA defined it) — replaced by engagement rate logic.
- Views (the reporting-view layer) — gone; use data streams, filters, and comparisons.
- Unique Pageviews — no native metric.
- Calculated Metrics (in the UI) — limited; heavy logic moves to Explorations, Looker Studio, or BigQuery.
- Hit-level Custom Dimensions — replaced by event-scoped parameters.
Rebuilding reporting on top of this? Validate the new setup before trusting it — run the 25-point GA4 audit or let Snifflytics audit your property automatically.
FAQ
What is the GA4 equivalent of bounce rate?
Engagement rate, which is essentially its inverse. GA4 later re-added a redefined bounce rate (1 − engagement rate), but it isn't comparable to UA's bounce rate.
What replaced Goals in GA4?
Key Events (previously called Conversions). You mark any event as a Key Event instead of configuring goal types.
Is there a GA4 equivalent of Unique Pageviews?
No native metric. Approximate it with Views per session, or compute it from the raw BigQuery export.
Why is avg. session duration different in GA4?
GA4 measures active engagement time (when the tab is in focus) rather than the raw time between first and last hit, so idle time is excluded and durations are usually shorter.