GA4 Funnel and Path Explorations for Marketing Journeys
Use GA4 funnel and path explorations to see where visitors drop off before a key event, with open vs closed funnels and copyable step setups.
A funnel exploration shows how many users complete each step towards a key event and where they drop off; a path exploration shows what they actually did instead. Use funnels to measure a journey you designed and paths to discover the one users take.
- Funnel steps can be events or page conditions, with optional "directly followed by" and time limits.
- Open funnels let users join at any step; closed funnels require step one.
- Breakdowns by channel or device show which audiences fail at which step.
- Path explorations can run forwards from a start point or backwards from an end point.
- Both depend on data retention and on events being named consistently.
Checked 4 November 2026 (CET) against Google Analytics Help and Google developer documentation. GA4 menus and limits change, so confirm in your own property. "Our view" marks MentionX opinion. Ledgerline is a fictional company used for illustration.
01A lead funnel to copy
| Step | Condition |
|---|---|
| 1. Landed on a solution page | page_view where Page path contains /solutions/ |
| 2. Viewed pricing | page_view where Page path contains /pricing |
| 3. Started demo form | form_start where form_id = demo_request |
| 4. Requested demo | generate_lead where form_id = demo_request |
Set it as a closed funnel, add Breakdown: Session default channel group and Elapsed time. Ledgerline (fictional) found that AI Assistant visitors skipped step 2 far more often than Organic Search visitors, which led it to put price ranges on its comparison pages.
02Path exploration: work backwards
- Create a Path exploration and click Start over.
- Choose Ending point and select your key event.
- Set node type to Page title and screen name for the steps before it.
This shows the two or three pages that most often precede a demo request, which are usually the pages worth improving first.
Our view: funnels with more than five steps rarely tell a clear story. Split long journeys into two funnels.
Next: Audiences for remarketing and analysis. Or return to the GA4 for Marketers track.
03Common questions
What is an open funnel in GA4? In an open funnel, users can enter at any step. In a closed funnel, they must start at step one. Use closed funnels for checkout or sign-up flows.
Can I see paths backwards from a key event? Yes. Path exploration can start from an ending point, such as a generate_lead event, and show what came before.
Do funnel explorations use data retention? Yes. Like other explorations, funnel explorations only cover the data retention period.
Questions people ask
3 answersWhat is an open funnel in GA4?
+
In an open funnel, users can enter at any step. In a closed funnel, they must start at step one. Use closed funnels for checkout or sign-up flows.
Can I see paths backwards from a key event?
+
Yes. Path exploration can start from an ending point, such as a generate_lead event, and show what came before.
Do funnel explorations use data retention?
+
Yes. Like other explorations, funnel explorations only cover the data retention period.
Sources
- Google Analytics Help, Funnel explorationsupport.google.com
- Google Analytics Help, Get started with Explorationssupport.google.com
- Google Analytics Help, Mark events as key eventssupport.google.com
- Google Analytics Help, Data retentionsupport.google.com
- All accessed 4 Nov 2026.