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Clicks Don't Lie: Weekly Ecommerce Data Tips

New vs returning users in GA4 & why they are UNRELIABLE

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

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Hi Reader,

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When I have my one-on-one calls with my clients, I often get questions about the new and returning users in Google Analytics 4.

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So, in this email, I’ll quickly explain:

  • what they mean
  • why they are unreliable metrics

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Definition of new & returning users

New User

In GA4, a “New User” is someone who visits your website for the first time.

In theory, it should be people who have never visited your website before. But I’ll explain soon why that’s not the case.

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Returning user

A “Returning User” is someone who has visited your website before and GA4 is aware of them.

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How it works

GA4 can recognize new & returning users by looking at browser cookies.

A browser cookie is just a way to store small amounts of data on each user’s browser. Any script can access that data when the user comes back to the website.

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Here is how GA4 determines who is a new vs returning user:

  • If there’s no cookie, the user is marked as “new.”
    • then GA4 script creates a browser cookie to recognize the user next time.
  • If the user has a GA4 browser cookie, it means they are a returning user.

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This distinction should help you understand how many people are discovering your site for the first time versus how many are coming back, which can give you insights into your user retention and new user behavior.

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Before I explain why this is unreliable, I want to ask you,

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Reader, are you tired of Google Analytics 4?

It is pretty frustrating & seems too limiting, right?

Presented by:

Well, maybe it’s time to try SiteBehavior.

Which is an alternative to Google Analytics 4. It’s designed for Marketing teams & agencies.

The things I like most about it:

  • Simple & clear dashboards
  • Session recording, heatmap & user feedback tools included
  • No Cookies and US or EU-Hosting possible
  • Free plan available

You can give it a go and run it in parallel with your GA4, so try it today.

But here’s the problem…

Since GA4 primarily uses cookies to track users.

A returning user will not be tracked if the user:

  • clears their cookies
  • switches devices
  • uses different browser
  • uses safari browser (automatically removes the cookie after 7 days)

GA4 will not recognize all of the above as a returning user.

In other words, the same individual could be counted as a “new user” multiple times, which can inflate the number of new users and underreport returning users.

For example, if someone comes to your site today using the Safari browser and again in eight days, they will be counted as two new users in GA4.

My opinion

Personally, I don’t recommend using these metrics. It can be used for very rough estimates, but it’s not reliable or accurate for most websites.

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Ask users to log in for more accurate tracking of returning users. Then, you have accurate data.

But I get it—for many shops, forcing a login is impossible. But it’s the only reliable way to know. This is why I just don’t use this metric.

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Have a great day,

Robert

P.S. Ready for more? Then this is how I can help you: ​
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🎓 GA4 for Ecommerce COURSE: Learn how to use GA4 specifically for Ecommerce, the best reports, and the most useful metrics & dimensions. Learn how to turn data into insights in my 6-step system and with real-world examples.
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📱 Schedule a one-to-one call: Do you need help with a specific issue, or are you stuck with web analytics implementation? Book a call with me and utilize my seven years of experience.

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🛎️Hire me to set up your tracking: Do you need professional tracking for your Ecommerce store? I will implement GA4, GTM, or any marketing pixel. Book a discovery call so we can discuss your goals.

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Clicks Don't Lie: Weekly Ecommerce Data Tips

Robert

I’m here to help you understand and analyze data to make better decisions in e-commerce. I focus on tutorials that are designed for non-data people. So YOU can extract & generate insights from Ecommerce data. I focus on Google Analytics 4, Tag Manager and Looker Studio

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