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Understanding accounts vs. properties in Google Analytics

Google Analytics organizes data hierarchically. Here's how accounts and properties differ and how they relate to each other.

Google Analytics account

  • What it is: The top-level container for your analytics setup.

  • Purpose: Manages access, billing (for GA4 360), and high-level settings.

  • Key details:

    • One Google account (e.g., your@company.com) can own multiple GA accounts.

    • Each account has unique permissions - users can be granted access at this level.

    • Example: Your company might have one account for "Marketing" and another for "Product Team".

Google Analytics property

  • What it is: A sub-container under an account that collects data for a specific website, app, or digital asset.

  • Purpose: Tracks user interactions and stores data independently.

  • Key details:

    • Each property has its own tracking ID (e.g. G-ABCDE12345).

    • You can have multiple properties under one account.

    • Reports and configurations are set at the property level.

Hierarchy visual

CODE
Google Account (e.g., your@company.com)
│
└── Google Analytics Account (e.g., "Marketing Team")
│
├── Property 1 (e.g., "Company Website" - GA4)
├── Property 2 (e.g., "Mobile App" - GA4)
└── Property 3 (e.g., "Landing Pages" - Universal Analytics)

Key differences between accounts and properties

Feature

Account

Property

Scope

Organization-wide

Specific website/app

Access control

Manages user permissions

Inherits account permissions

Data separation

N/A

Data is isolated per property

Billing

Tied to GA4 360 subscriptions

N/A

When to use each level

Account-level actions

  • Add/remove users across multiple properties

  • Manage billing for paid plans

  • Set organization-wide policies

Property-level actions

  • Set up tracking codes

  • Configure reports and conversions

  • Apply data filters and retention settings

Practical example

For a company with a website and app:

  • Account: "Acme Corp Analytics"

    • Property 1: "Acme Website" (tracks http://www.acme.com)

    • Property 2: "Acme Mobile App" (tracks iOS/Android app)

This structure keeps data separate while allowing centralized management.

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