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Businesses and organizations must prioritize safeguarding sensitive information in today’s data privacy and protection era. The GA4 Redact Data feature is designed to help users ensure data privacy and comply with regulations. This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the GA4 Redact Data feature, outlining its benefits and potential drawbacks. Join us as we explore this feature’s capabilities and how it can benefit your organization.
What’s a GA4 Redact Data Feature?
Redacting data is the crucial process of masking or removing specific information from a document or dataset to safeguard sensitive or confidential information and ensure data privacy. It involves obscuring or deleting certain details to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure of personal or sensitive data.
In the context of Google Analytics 4, the Redact Data Feature prevents GA4 users from collecting personally identifiable information in their GA4 property, helping businesses comply with data privacy regulations and safeguard sensitive information. Users can redact personal data such as email addresses, phone numbers, and other identifiable information to maintain the privacy and security of their users’ data.
Why should you use GA4 Redact Data Feature?
GA4 users should use the Redact Data Feature to protect sensitive or personally identifiable information within Google Analytics reports and dashboards. Sending personal information to GA4 violates the privacy terms of service of Google Analytics. It is essential to use the Redact Data Feature to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and protect user data. By redacting data, businesses can prevent unauthorized access to personal information, maintain data security, and uphold trust with users.
How does Data Redact Feature in GA4 work?
The Data Redact Feature in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) allows users to selectively remove or mask specific user data from reports and dashboards within Google Analytics. This feature is particularly useful for redacting sensitive information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and other personally identifiable information (PII) to ensure data privacy and compliance with regulations.
Key Points to Note:
- Non-Retroactive Redaction: It is important to note that GA4 will not redact the data retroactively. This means that the data redaction will only occur after implementation. Any data collected before the redaction feature is enabled will remain unchanged.
- Client-Side Functionality: The Data Redact feature operates exclusively on the client side. When the Google Analytics 4 tracking code is triggered, the query parameters are stripped away within the browser itself, preventing the data from ever being sent to Google servers. This guarantees that sensitive information is filtered out before any transmission occurs.
- Automatic and Manual Redaction: Users can manually enable email data redaction for properties created before October 2023. For properties created after this date, GA4 automatically enables this feature.
- URL Structure and Redaction: The URLs maintain their original structure, but GA4 replaces the values of the specified query parameters with the placeholder ‘(redacted),’ clearly indicating the redacted data.
Example:
To understand how the GA4 Data Redact feature works, let’s consider the example of how URLs are affected. When you apply the redact feature to a specific URL, for example:
- Original URL: “https://www.example.com/user/password?name=John”
It will become:
- Redacted URL: “https://www.example.com/user/password?name=(redacted)”
In this example, GA4 replaces the value of the “name” query parameter with (redacted). This ensures that sensitive information does not reach Google servers and remains out of reports or dashboards. By using the Data Redact feature, businesses can protect sensitive information, maintain data security, and adhere to data privacy regulations within Google Analytics.
How to find which query parameters are collected in your GA4 property?
Personally identifiable information (PII) can be collected as query parameters in Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Query parameters are the additional information appended to a URL after a “?” and separated by “&” that can include various data, including PII such as email addresses, names, phone numbers, or other information such as search terms and campaign information. It is essential to be cautious when collecting query parameters in GA4 to avoid inadvertently capturing PII and violating data privacy regulations. Implementing proper data redaction and ensuring compliance with privacy policies can help mitigate the risk of collecting and storing PII as query parameters in GA4.
To identify which query parameters are being collected in your GA4 property, you need to create an exploration report to display this data. To do this, navigate to the explore section in your admin page’s left-hand menu and select “Create a new exploration.” Then, add the “Page path + query string” as a dimension and “Event count” as a metric in the report. To view only page URLs that contain query parameters, add a filter “Page path + query string” contains “?” and click “Apply.”
The screenshot indicates that the “name” query parameter is being collected. Therefore, we now know that this “name” data needs to be redacted.

If you need further assistance with creating exploration reports, we have a comprehensive article on this topic that will provide you with all the information you need to navigate this process easily.
How to redact data in GA4?
To redact data in GA4, you need to set it up using the redact feature located in the enhanced measurement section of your GA4 admin settings. To access this feature, select your data stream, navigate to the enhanced measurement section, scroll down to find the redact data option, and click on it to open a new window.

In this window, you can choose what specific data to redact, such as email addresses or query parameters. Let’s explore how to proceed with each of these choices below.

How to redact users email addresses
To redact users’ email addresses, in the redact data settings window, you will see the option to choose what to redact. Simply select the email address option by ticking the box to enable the feature to redact emails from the event data.

Save your settings to ensure that most email addresses are effectively redacted in GA4.
How to redact other sensitive data stored in URL query parameters
To redact other sensitive data stored in URL query parameters in GA4, in the redact data settings window in GA4, enable the feature to redact these query parameters from the event data. Next, specify the specific query parameters containing sensitive data that you want to redact, like for our case the “name” parameter.

After specifying the parameters, save your settings so that the sensitive data stored in URL query parameters is effectively redacted in GA4.
To preview how URLs will appear after redacting the data in GA4, use the “Test data redaction” feature in the redact data settings window. This feature is handy for previewing how redacted URLs will appear. Simply enter a URL with the specified query parameters and click the ‘Preview redacted data’ button.
From the preview, you’ll observe that the URLs maintain their original structure. However, GA4 replaces the values of the specified query parameters with the placeholder ‘(redacted) ‘, providing a clear indication of the redacted data.

GA4 Redact Data Limitations
The GA4 Redact Data feature, designed to selectively remove or hide specific user data from reports and dashboards in Google Analytics 4, comes with several limitations that users should be aware of:
- Web Data Stream Only: The redact data feature is currently limited to web data streams in GA4, excluding other data streams like apps or offline sources.
- Manual Configuration: Enabling data redaction for properties created before October 2023 has to be done manually, while properties created after this date will have this feature automatically enabled.
- Data Import Limitation: The redact data feature does not work with data imported into GA4, potentially exposing imported data.
- Compliance Challenges: While the redact data feature aids in data privacy compliance, users are responsible for ensuring all data handling practices comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Understanding these limitations is crucial for making informed decisions when utilizing the GA4 Redact Data feature and implementing data privacy measures in Google Analytics 4.
Considering the limitations of the redact feature discussed in this section, removing URL query parameters is another method to ensure that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not collected in GA4. The redact feature in GA4 masks PII but does not remove the URL query parameters from the URLs. On the other hand, removing URL query parameters using GTM helps prevent URL fragmentation and consolidate page views. It avoids fragmentation by stripping specific query parameters from the URL before the data is sent to GA4.
Both approaches aim to protect user privacy and prevent sensitive information from being visible in GA4 reports, but they differ in their implementation method and impact on URL fragmentation. The redaction feature masks sensitive information in GA4 reports by replacing the actual values of specified query parameters with a placeholder “(redacted),” while removing URL query parameters prevents sensitive data from being sent to GA4 in the first place.
Tips to eliminate sending Sensitive Data to GA4
To eliminate sending sensitive data to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations, consider the following tips:
- Implement Data Redaction: By utilizing GA4’s Data Redact Feature, as discussed in this article, we can exercise our control and power to selectively remove or hide sensitive information such as email addresses, phone numbers, or other personally identifiable data from reports and dashboads.
- Review and Manage Query Parameters: Regularly review and manage the query parameters collected in GA4 to avoid inadvertently capturing sensitive data. Be cautious when tracking parameters containing PII. Using the GTM method discussed in this article, you can remove the URL query parameters from the URL.
- Regularly Audit Data Collection: Conduct regular audits of your data collection practices in GA4 to ensure that only non-sensitive data is sent to the platform and use the data deletion request option of GA4 to delete any sensitive data collected by mistake.
- Educate Team Members: Provide training and education to team members responsible for data collection in GA4 to raise awareness about the importance of data privacy and compliance.
- Monitor Data Collection: Monitor data collection processes like the GA4 data import in GA4 to identify and address any instances of sensitive data being sent to the platform.
By following these tips, you can minimize the risk of sending sensitive data to GA4 and maintain compliance with data privacy regulations.
Do you need extra help with your Google Analytics?
GA4 offers a range of features and capabilities that enable businesses to gain valuable insights into their website or app performance and user behavior. By utilizing GA4, you can effectively track and analyze data, make data-driven decisions, and optimize your online presence.
At Vakulski-Group, we specialize in providing comprehensive assistance with GA4, ensuring you can fully utilize this powerful analytics tool. Our services include GA4 implementation, customization, and data analysis. By partnering with us, you can leverage the full potential of GA4 and make informed decisions for your business. Contact us today to get started on maximizing the benefits of GA4!






Final Words on Data Redaction in Google Analytics 4
In conclusion, data redaction in Google Analytics 4 is a valuable feature that allows users to selectively mask, remove, or hide specific user data from reports and dashboards. This functionality is crucial for businesses aiming to protect sensitive information and comply with data privacy regulations. Despite some limitations, such as being available only for web streams, lacking a 100% guarantee of effectiveness, and requiring manual configuration for certain properties, the redact data feature remains an essential tool for safeguarding user privacy and upholding data security standards.
It’s important for users to be aware of the constraints of data redaction in GA4 and to implement additional measures to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations. Conducting regular audits of the data being collected in GA4 and maintaining ongoing monitoring of data handling processes are crucial steps in this regard. By adopting effective data redaction strategies and staying informed about best practices for data privacy, businesses can successfully protect sensitive information, build trust with their users, and align with Google’s Terms of Service while benefiting from the valuable insights offered by Google Analytics 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
The GA4 Redact Data Feature in Google Analytics 4 allows users to selectively mask, remove, or hide specific user data from reports and dashboards. This feature is essential for businesses aiming to protect sensitive information and comply with data privacy regulations.
To remove personally identifiable information (PII) data in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), users can utilize the Data Redact Feature to selectively mask or hide specific user data from reports and dashboards. This feature allows for the redaction of sensitive information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and other personally identifiable data to ensure data privacy and compliance with regulations. Users can manually enable email data redaction for properties created before a certain date, while properties created after this date will have the feature automatically enabled.
The limitations of the GA4 Redact Data feature include its availability only for web data streams, potential manual configuration requirements for certain properties, the inability to redact data imported into GA4 using the data import feature, and the lack of a 100% guarantee of effectiveness.
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Written By
Ihar Vakulski
With over 8 years of experience working with SaaS, iGaming, and eCommerce companies, Ihar shares expert insights on building and scaling businesses for sustainable growth and success.
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