What Google Analytics does
Google Analytics (current version GA4) is the most widely deployed web analytics tool. Site owners add a small JavaScript snippet that records page views, events, and visitor journeys. The data is sent to Google, which can correlate it with signed-in Google accounts and its broader advertising graph.
What it collects
- Pages you view and the order you view them in
- Approximate location derived from your IP address
- Device, browser, operating system and screen size
- How you arrived (search term, referring site, ad campaign)
- On-page events such as clicks, scrolls and form submissions
Should you block Google Analytics?
Analytics scripts are almost never required for a website to function. Because Google operates both the analytics platform and the world’s largest ad network, the same visit can feed both measurement and ad-targeting profiles.
How to block Google Analytics
- Install the free GeraGuard extension for Chrome.
- Tracker blocking is on by default — GeraGuard blocks Google Analytics and other analytics trackers using regularly updated filter lists, with no setup required.
- Confirm it is blocked by opening the GeraGuard panel, or run the page through the Privacy Scanner.
Also known as
GA4 · gtag.js · google-analytics.com · analytics.js · Universal Analytics