Connecting Google Analytics (GA4) to projects

Connecting Google Analytics (GA4) to your Slickplan project helps you understand which pages users value most, where they’re coming from, and how they move through your site. These insights help you optimize your content pathways and improve your website structure.

Because of Google’s limits on shared service accounts, each workspace now needs to set up its own GA4 service account. This guide walks you through the entire process from start to finish.

It takes about 5 – 10 minutes and requires only basic web skills (clicking buttons, copying/pasting values).

Quick setup overview

Here’s what you’ll complete:

1. Find your GA4 Property ID in Google Analytics
2. Create a service account in Google Cloud
3. Generate a JSON key
4. Grant that service account access to GA4
5. Enable the Google Analytics Data API
6. Paste the Property ID + JSON into Slickplan and connect

Troubleshooting and common errors are included at the end.

Step 1: Find your GA4 property ID

1. Sign in at analytics.google.com.
2. Click Admin (bottom-left).
3. Under Property, choose your GA4 property.
4. Click Property details.
5. Your Property ID appears in the top-right of the panel.
   • Example: 314011272

Copy this number – you’ll need it soon.

Step 2: Create a service account in Google Cloud

1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com
2. At the top, click Select a project.
3. Click New Project → name it something recognizable, like:
   SP Analytics Integration
4. Click Create and wait a few seconds.
5. Once created, open the project and go to:
   IAM & Admin → Service Accounts
6. Click + Create service account.
7. Enter:
   • Name: ga4-api-access
   • Description: Service account for GA4 access
8. Click Create and continue.
9. Skip permissions (no roles required) → click Done.

Step 3: Generate your JSON key

1. In the Service Accounts list, find your new account.
2. Under Actions, click the ⋮ menu → Manage keys.
3. Click Add key → Create new key.
4. Choose JSON.
5. A file will download automatically.

This file contains your authentication credentials, so treat it like a password.

Step 4: Add the service account to your GA4 property

Your service account cannot access GA4 until you give it permission.

1. Return to analytics.google.com
2. Click Admin
3. Under Property, click Property Access Management
4. Click the blue + (top right) → Add user
5. Enter the service account email (found in Google Cloud):
   ga4-api-access@YOUR_PROJECT_ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com
6. Assign the Viewer role
7. Click Add

Step 5: Enable the Google Analytics Data API

If this API isn’t enabled, Slickplan cannot read your analytics.

1. Go to this link while your project is selected:
   https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/analyticsdata.googleapis.com
2. Click Enable

Once enabled, it may take 1–2 minutes to propagate.

Step 6: Connect GA4 in Slickplan

1. Open your Slickplan project
2. Click the Metrics icon in the toolbar
3. Enter your Property ID
4. Under Service account, choose Custom
5. Open your downloaded JSON file and copy all the contents
   (everything from { to })
6. Paste the JSON credentials into the field
7. Click Connect

If everything was done correctly, your metrics panel will load analytics data.

Troubleshooting & common issues

“Google Analytics Data API has not been used in project …”

This means the JSON file belongs to a different Google Cloud project than the one where the API is enabled.

Fix:

1. Open the JSON file
2. Look for "project_id"
3. Make sure the same project is selected when enabling the API
4. Re-enable the API or create a new JSON key

You can’t access the project ID shown in the error

Some apps create temporary internal Google Cloud projects.

To avoid this:

Always use your own project and your own service account JSON file.

GA4 property not showing any data

Make sure the service account was added under:

Property → Property Access Management
not Account access management.

JSON syntax errors

Ensure you pasted the entire file, including the opening and closing { }.

If you already created a service account

If you’ve done this before, you do not need a new project.

You can:

• Use your existing service account
• Generate a new JSON key
• Confirm the Analytics Data API is enabled
• Confirm the service account still has GA4 viewer access

Then connect in Slickplan as normal.