Customising GA4 Standard Reports and the Report Library
Make GA4 reports fit marketing: edit standard reports, build a collection in the Library, add comparisons and save filtered views.
GA4's standard reports are editable: you can change dimensions and metrics, save a copy, and group reports into a marketing collection in the Library so the left-hand menu shows what your team actually uses. It is the fastest fix for "GA4 is hard to navigate".
- Edit a report with the pencil icon, then save as a new report so the original stays intact.
- The Library holds collections (menus) and topics (sections). Publish a collection to change the navigation.
- Comparisons let you view up to several segments side by side without editing a report.
- Add key event metrics and a session key event rate to acquisition reports.
- Editors and above can customise; viewers see the result.
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 marketing collection to build
| Topic | Report | Customisation |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Traffic acquisition | Primary dimension: your custom channel group (lesson 7); metrics: sessions, engaged sessions, key events, session key event rate |
| Acquisition | Landing page | Add Session source / medium as secondary; filter to marketing pages |
| Engagement | Events | Filter to your key events |
| Campaigns | Traffic acquisition copy | Primary dimension: Session campaign; filter medium to paid mediums |
| Search | Search Console queries and landing pages | Appears after linking (lesson 15) |
02How do you build it?
- Open Reports → Library (bottom of the reports menu).
- Click Create new collection and start from blank.
- Drag reports into topics, then save and Publish.
- To customise a report, open it, click the pencil, change dimensions, metrics and filters, then Save as new report.
03Comparisons instead of edits
Click Add comparison at the top of a report to view, for example, "Session default channel group = AI Assistant" against "Organic Search". This doesn't change the report for anyone else, so use it for one-off questions.
Our view: five well-built reports in a published collection beat twenty explorations nobody can find. Explorations are for questions; the collection is for the weekly meeting.
Next: Free-form explorations and segments. Or return to the GA4 for Marketers track.
04Common questions
Why can't I see the Library in GA4? The Library is only visible to Editors and above on the property. Ask an admin to grant Editor access or to publish the collection for you.
Do report customisations affect other users? Saved changes to a report apply to everyone using that property. Use comparisons and filters for personal views.
Are standard reports sampled? Standard reports are generally built from aggregated tables and are not sampled. Explorations can be sampled over large date ranges (lesson 14).
Questions people ask
3 answersWhy can't I see the Library in GA4?
+
The Library is only visible to Editors and above on the property. Ask an admin to grant Editor access or to publish the collection for you.
Do report customisations affect other users?
+
Saved changes to a report apply to everyone using that property. Use comparisons and filters for personal views.
Are standard reports sampled?
+
Standard reports are generally built from aggregated tables and are not sampled. Explorations can be sampled over large date ranges (lesson 14).
Sources
- Google Analytics Help, Customize detail reportssupport.google.com
- Google Analytics Help, Get started with Explorationssupport.google.com
- Google Analytics Help, Custom channel groupssupport.google.com
- Google Analytics Help, Connect Search Console to Google Analyticssupport.google.com
- All accessed 4 Nov 2026.