GA4 Report Formatting skill
The GA4 Report Formatting skill is an organization skill in the Optimizely Opal Skills Directory. It configures your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) reporting settings. Settings include hostname filters, which limit reports to your domain, key conversion events, default date ranges, and primary metrics. Every analytics report then reflects your configuration.
The skill applies to everyone in your organization when you choose Organization during configuration. Creating an organization skill requires the Manage Skills permission.
Skill details
The following details apply to this skill:
- Shortcut – /google-analytics-report-formatting
- Type – Organization skill
- Runs with – Google Analytics (GA4) connector tools. Opal applies this skill automatically when it uses these tools.
What the skill does
The skill does the following:
- Connects to your GA4 property and turns plain-language questions into interpreted analysis.
- Finds issues and opportunities and sizes them in recoverable conversions or dollars, ranked by estimated impact.
- Compares every figure to the prior period, and to the prior year when seasonality is likely. Judges "underperforming" against your own site's section medians, not industry benchmarks.
- Maps everyday phrases to the correct GA4 fields and filters to your hostname on every query. Opal caveats data from periods when tracking was broken.
- Separates AI-referred traffic by assistant and explains that GA4 cannot see visibility before a click.
Before you begin
Confirm the following before you install the skill:
- You must have the Manage Skills permission to install this skill. If you do not, click Request in the Skills Directory to ask an administrator to install it.
- Connect Google Analytics in Opal before you configure this skill. Configuration reads your GA4 property.
- Have your answers and files ready. Opal asks for them during configuration.
Information Opal asks for
Opal asks for the following. Skip optional items if you do not need them. Opal discovers the rest, such as your hostname, property ID, key events, site sections, and custom dimensions, directly from GA4.
- Source of Truth – The system that wins when it disagrees with GA4 revenue or lead counts, such as your CRM.
- (Optional) Known Tracking Breaks – Date ranges when data is unreliable because of migrations, tag changes, or consent banner changes.
- (Optional) Review Before Sharing – People or roles who must sign off before a report is shared widely.
- Escalation Tools – Where to send questions GA4 cannot answer, such as AI citation share or SEO share of voice.
After you provide those answers, Opal runs a short interview the first time you use the skill. It reads your GA4 data and asks you to confirm options that it pre-fills from real data. Examples include your default hostname, key business events, and distinct page types.
Opal then shows a summary of the values it collected and flags the ones it detected automatically. Opal saves them to the skill.
Install the skill
Go to Directory > Skills, find GA4 Report Formatting, and click Install. In the Setup required dialog, click Set up in chat. Opal asks who the skill is for, Myself (Personal) or Organization. Opal then asks whether to answer the remaining questions in chat or upload a document. For the full procedure, see Install a skill that needs configuration.
Use the skill
After configuration, Opal applies the skill whenever it uses Google Analytics tools. Alternatively, enter /google-analytics-report-formatting in Opal Chat to run it on demand. Try prompts like the following:
- How many sessions did we get last month?
- Why did traffic drop last week?
- How much traffic comes from ChatGPT, and does it convert?
Things to know
Keep the following in mind:
- By default, reports cover 28 days ending yesterday, and the monthly default is the last complete calendar month.
- GA4 data is directional. Opal treats key event and revenue figures with a standing caveat.
Update the skill
When Optimizely publishes an updated version, Update displays on the skill's card in the Skills Directory. Opal keeps the information you provided during configuration and asks only for anything the updated version adds. To correct answers that are no longer accurate, edit the installed skill. See Update a skill and Manage skills.
Note
If you use Opti ID, administrators can turn off generative AI in the Opti ID Admin Center. See Turn generative AI off across Optimizely applicationsTurn generative AI off across Optimizely applications.