How do I see traffic by channel in GA4?
Run a GA4 report with sessionDefaultChannelGroup as the dimension and sessions plus activeUsers as metrics. GA4 buckets traffic into channels like Organic Search, Direct, Referral, and Paid Search automatically.
The report
| Field | GA4 API name(s) |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | sessionDefaultChannelGroup |
| Metrics | sessions, activeUsers |
Ask it in plain English
Why it matters
Channel totals hide the source/medium detail sitting underneath them. Two channels can post similar session counts while one converts at twice the rate of the other - that difference only becomes visible once you drill into sessionSource and sessionMedium directly.
Ask your own Google Analytics this
Connect once, then ask in plain English. No tokens, no setup.
Get started freeFAQ
Which GA4 fields does "How do I see traffic by channel in GA4?" need?
Dimensions: sessionDefaultChannelGroup. Metrics: sessions, activeUsers. These are the real Google Analytics Data API field names, so the same report can be built in the GA4 UI, the API, or through Caybl.ai.
Can I just ask "What were my top acquisition channels last quarter, by sessions?" instead of building this report?
Yes. Once Google Analytics is connected through Caybl.ai, ask "What were my top acquisition channels last quarter, by sessions?" and your agent runs the report for you - no need to know the sessionDefaultChannelGroup or sessions field names above.
Does asking about sessionDefaultChannelGroup change anything in my GA4 property?
No. Running this report doesn't change anything in your GA4 property. Caybl.ai's Analytics scope does allow two narrow write actions elsewhere - marking a key event and linking a Google Ads account - but a report like this one only reads data.
Related recipes
Fields used here
Sources
- Google Analytics Data API - dimensions & metrics reference (official Google documentation)