GA4 raw export to GCS

[Huzaifa111az12]

Hi
My goal is to track the events data for analysis purposes. Bigquery has a limit of capturing 1 million events per day and my data exceeds this by a huge amount. Also bigquery has a huge processing costs.
The approach which i am trying to apply is to import the events data directly from GA4 to Google cloud storage  without invloving bigquery as a warehouse at all. And from cloud storage. I can connect MySQL and use that for analysis purposes
My questions:
1) Is this approach valid?  If yes then how to proceed with this?
2) What would be cost of storing data in the Google Cloud Storage?
3) Would there be any other costs I would incur when MySQL will fetch data from google cloud storage?

[NorieRam]

Hi @Huzaifa111az12,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

Your approach of bypassing BigQuery to directly export data to GCS is valid and can be cost-effective, especially given the limitations you mentioned. Below, I've addressed your specific questions to help you proceed with your project.

1. Is this approach valid? If yes then how to proceed with this? Yes, exporting GA4 data directly to Google Cloud Storage and using MySQL for analysis is a valid approach. To proceed, set up your GA4 data export to Cloud Storage, choosing the right data format and frequency. Then, utilize a data pipeline tool or MySQL connectors to move the data from Cloud Storage into your MySQL database for analysis.

2. What would be the cost of storing data in Google Cloud Storage? Google Cloud Storage pricing depends on the storage class you choose and the amount of data stored. You may check the Google Cloud Pricing page for the most accurate and current pricing.

3. Would there be any other costs I would incur when MySQL will fetch data from google cloud storage? Yes, additional costs will likely arise from data transfer from Cloud Storage to MySQL, running your MySQL instance, and potentially using a data pipeline tool.

I hope the above information is helpful.

[Huzaifa111az12]

Hey @NorieRam 
Thank you for the quick response

The link you shared  GA4 data export to Cloud Storage,  shows the linking of GA4 to bigquery and explains the export of events data to bigquery, but i couldn't find the linkage details to google cloud storage. Also i don't want to involve bigquery at all at an intermediate between GA4 and cloud storage as there is a limit of 1 million events in bigquery. I want to export all of the events' data created in a day in google cloud storage. Can you share the instructions on how to link GA4 to cloud storage?

[NorieRam]

Thanks for clarifying your question. Currently, there’s no direct way to export data from Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to Cloud Storage without using BigQuery. BigQuery is the only supported destination for GA4 exports, and here are a few reasons for this:

• Google Analytics 4 is specifically designed to integrate with BigQuery, which is the only supported destination for GA4 exports, thanks to its optimized data model and schema.
• BigQuery serves as a powerful data warehouse that efficiently handles large volumes of data and offers a cost-effective solution for storage and analysis.
• Being a cloud-based service, BigQuery enables access to your data from anywhere in the world.

However, you’ve said that you don’t want to involve BigQuery, here’s a few workarounds that you can use to achieve a similar result:

• Utilize the Google Analytics 4 API to export data in CSV or JSON format. While this method is less efficient than using BigQuery, it can be effective for exporting smaller datasets.
• Consider using a third-party tool to transfer data from Google Analytics 4 to Cloud Storage. Several tools are available that leverage the GA4 API for this purpose.

Note: These workarounds are not supported by Google. If you use these workarounds, you may experience problems with your data exports.

As you mentioned regarding the BigQuery export limit, these restrictions ensure that BigQuery can manage the volume of data being exported. If you need to export more than 1 million events per day, you can upgrade to an Analytics 360 property. These properties offer a higher BigQuery export limit along with additional features not available in standard GA4 properties.

Disclaimer: In upgrading an Analytics 360, you need to purchase it through Google Sales Partner in order to get the benefit of unlimited data exports.