Google Analytics 4 Cookies: List With Purpose and Retention

Cookies Google Analytics 4 Sets on Your Site

Google Analytics 4 sets 2 cookies on a site by default, _ga and _ga_<container-id>, and older Universal Analytics tags set up to 9 more. Universal Analytics stopped processing data on 1 July 2023. A _gid, _gat, or __utma cookie on your site today points to an old tag that still runs and sends data nowhere useful.

Rows marked "older version" come from earlier versions of Google Analytics 4 that still run on some sites.

Scripts, Pixels, and Endpoints Google Analytics 4 Loads

Google Analytics 4 loads 6 known scripts, pixels, and data endpoints. Each row gives the host to look for in the Network tab of Chrome DevTools or in a cookie scanner report.

Does Google Analytics 4 Need Consent?

Yes, the Google Analytics 4 cookies need consent in the EU, need consent in the UK unless the statistics exception covers your setup, and need no prior opt-in in California. The table gives the rule for each law, taken from the page of the _ga cookie.

The consent table describes what each law requires and is not legal advice. Whether a law applies to your site depends on where your visitors are, where your business is based, and how you set up Google Analytics 4, such as Google signals and the data sharing settings of the account.

Read the reason for each answer in the consent rules for the _ga cookie.

How to Add Google Analytics 4 to a Consent Banner

Add Google Analytics 4 to a consent banner by holding back the Google tag (gtag.js) until the visitor accepts analytics cookies. Both TermsFeed products block Google Analytics 4 in the Analytics category.

<script type="text/plain" data-cookie-consent="tracking" async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=TAG_ID"></script>
<script type="text/plain" data-cookie-consent="tracking">
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'TAG_ID');
</script>

Follow every step, the vendor settings, and the check in Chrome DevTools in how to block the _ga cookie.

Who Runs Google Analytics 4

Google LLC runs Google Analytics 4 from the United States, and Google Ireland Limited provides the service to businesses in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. Google Analytics 4 runs under the Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which you accept in the Google Analytics account settings.

Read how Google LLC handles the data in the Google Analytics 4 privacy policy, and sign the Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which cover Google Analytics before you collect data from visitors in the EU or the UK. Both documents appear in the sources at the end of this page.

Google Analytics 4 Cookie FAQs

Does Google Analytics 4 need consent?

Yes, the Google Analytics 4 cookies need consent in the EU, need consent in the UK unless the statistics exception covers your setup, and need no prior opt-in in California. Firstly, the ePrivacy Directive requires consent before a site sets the analytics cookies of Google Analytics 4. Secondly, the UK PECR requires consent for the analytics cookies of Google Analytics 4 unless the statistics exception covers your setup. Thirdly, the CCPA sets no general opt-in requirement for the analytics cookies of Google Analytics 4, and the table gives the opt-out right of visitors. The consent section of this page gives the table for each law.

How long do Google Analytics 4 cookies last?

Each cookie of Google Analytics 4 in the current setup lasts 2 years (730 days). The retention column of the cookie list gives the lifetime of each cookie.

How do I block Google Analytics 4 cookies?

Block the Google Analytics 4 cookies by holding back the Google tag (gtag.js) until the visitor accepts analytics cookies. Tag the Google tag (gtag.js) with data-cookie-consent="tracking" in TermsFeed Free Cookie Consent, or add Google Analytics 4 as a vendor in TermsFeed Privacy Consent. The page of the _ga cookie gives the full steps and the settings of Google Analytics 4.