{"slug":"sop-015-exclude-own-traffic-from-google-analytics","title":"Exclude own traffic from Google Analytics","tags":["source:clickminded","type:sop","server:clickminded-sop","exclude","own","traffic","google"],"agent_summary":"SOP 015: Exclude own traffic from Google Analytics Exclude all traffic that is generated by you, or your employees/contractors to keep your data clean and as accurate as possible. __Last Updated / Rev","trigger_phrases":["exclude own traffic from google analytics","how to exclude own traffic from google analytics"],"runnable":false,"markdown":"\r\nSOP 015: Exclude own traffic from Google Analytics\r\n\r\nExclude all traffic that is generated by you, or your employees/contractors to keep your data clean and as accurate as possible.\r\n\r\n__Last Updated / Reviewed:__ 07/26/2024\r\n\r\n__Execution Time:__ 5-10 minutes\r\n\r\n__🚀 Goal:__ To exclude all traffic that is generated by you, or your employees/contractors.\r\n\r\n__🤞 Ideal Outcome:__ Your internal traffic will not affect your Google Analytics’ metrics. \r\n\r\n__🤔 Why this is important:__ Your internal traffic can seriously skew your metrics to the point of getting you to make wrong decisions. You want to keep your data clean and as accurate as possible. \r\n\r\n__🧐 Where this is done__ In your Google Analytics 4 account.\r\n\r\n__🗓️ When this is done:__ As soon as you set up your Google Analytics account, and whenever you suspect internal traffic might be skewing your data.\r\n\r\n__👨 Who does this:__ The person responsible for Analytics. You and your employees / contractors. \r\n\r\n__⚠️Prerequisites or requirements: __Google Analytics needs to be set up on your website. If you haven’t done so, follow [SOP 163](https://members.clickminded.com/sop/163/) instead.\r\n\r\n[__Click here to get the most up-to-date version of this SOP__](https://members.clickminded.com/sop/015)\r\n\r\n## Define internal traffic in Google Analytics 4\r\n\r\n### 01▸ Login to your [Google Analytics account ](https://analytics.google.com/)Click “Admin”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 02▸ Make sure you’ve selected the correct property (website) and select “Data Streams”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 03▸ Select the website that you want to implement Google Analytics 4.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 04▸ At the bottom of the page, click “Configure Tag Settings” under Google Tag.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 05▸ Under Settings, click “Show all”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 06▸ Click “Define internal traffic”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 07▸ Click “Create” to define the internal traffic rules.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 08▸ Change the Rule name to “Internal traffic” and leave the default traffic_type value to internal.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 09▸ Set the Match type to “IP address equals” and set the value to your IP address.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 10▸ If you don’t know what’s your IP address, click “What’s my IP address”, and Google will show your current IP address.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 11▸ If you need to exclude multiple IP addresses, such as excluding traffic from your co-workers or other devices, then click “Add condition” and repeat step 9.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 12▸ You have now defined the internal traffic in Google Analytics 4, go ahead and create a filter to exclude this internal traffic.\r\n\r\n## Activating internal traffic filter in Google Analytics 4\r\n\r\n### 01▸ Login to your [Google Analytics account](https://analytics.google.com/).\r\n\r\n### 02▸ Click “Admin”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 03▸ Click “Data Filters” under Data Settings.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 04▸ You should see a filter for internal traffic. This is the default filter that is created when you create a Google Analytics 4 property. Make sure it is in testing mode.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 05▸ If it’s not in testing mode, click on the 3 dot “kebab menu” and select “Test filter”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 06▸ Now, we need to test whether the internal traffic filter is working. If it is, we will activate it.\r\n\r\nImportant: Make sure you run this test as filtering in Google Analytics 4 is a destructive operation. Once you filter data, it’s gone forever.\r\n\r\n### 07▸ Head to Reports ➝ Real-time.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 08▸ Click “Add comparison” and then “Select dimension”. Search for the Test data filter name then select it.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 09▸ Next, click on “Select dimension values”, select “Internal Traffic”, and click OK.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 10▸ Make sure the test filter is correct, then click “Apply”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 11▸ Now open a new tab in your browser and visit your website.\r\n\r\n### 12▸ Then, head back to the Google Analytics 4 Real-time report. You should see 1 user in the test data filter. If you see this data, it means the internal traffic filter is working.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 13▸ Head to admin again by clicking “Admin”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 14▸ Click “Data Filters” under Data Settings.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 15▸ Click the “kebab menu” and select “Activate filter”.\r\n\r\n\r\n### 16▸ Once it’s active, you will have successfully excluded internal traffic from Google Analytics 4.","html":"<p>SOP 015: Exclude own traffic from Google Analytics</p>\n<p>Exclude all traffic that is generated by you, or your employees/contractors to keep your data clean and as accurate as possible.</p>\n<p><strong>Last Updated / Reviewed:</strong> 07/26/2024</p>\n<p><strong>Execution Time:</strong> 5-10 minutes</p>\n<p><strong>🚀 Goal:</strong> To exclude all traffic that is generated by you, or your employees/contractors.</p>\n<p><strong>🤞 Ideal Outcome:</strong> Your internal traffic will not affect your Google Analytics’ metrics.</p>\n<p><strong>🤔 Why this is important:</strong> Your internal traffic can seriously skew your metrics to the point of getting you to make wrong decisions. You want to keep your data clean and as accurate as possible.</p>\n<p><strong>🧐 Where this is done</strong> In your Google Analytics 4 account.</p>\n<p><strong>🗓️ When this is done:</strong> As soon as you set up your Google Analytics account, and whenever you suspect internal traffic might be skewing your data.</p>\n<p><strong>👨 Who does this:</strong> The person responsible for Analytics. You and your employees / contractors.</p>\n<p>__⚠️Prerequisites or requirements: __Google Analytics needs to be set up on your website. If you haven’t done so, follow <a href=\"https://members.clickminded.com/sop/163/\">SOP 163</a> instead.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://members.clickminded.com/sop/015\"><strong>Click here to get the most up-to-date version of this SOP</strong></a></p>\n<h2>Define internal traffic in Google Analytics 4</h2>\n<h3>01▸ Login to your <a href=\"https://analytics.google.com/\">Google Analytics account </a>Click “Admin”.</h3>\n<h3>02▸ Make sure you’ve selected the correct property (website) and select “Data Streams”.</h3>\n<h3>03▸ Select the website that you want to implement Google Analytics 4.</h3>\n<h3>04▸ At the bottom of the page, click “Configure Tag Settings” under Google Tag.</h3>\n<h3>05▸ Under Settings, click “Show all”.</h3>\n<h3>06▸ Click “Define internal traffic”.</h3>\n<h3>07▸ Click “Create” to define the internal traffic rules.</h3>\n<h3>08▸ Change the Rule name to “Internal traffic” and leave the default traffic_type value to internal.</h3>\n<h3>09▸ Set the Match type to “IP address equals” and set the value to your IP address.</h3>\n<h3>10▸ If you don’t know what’s your IP address, click “What’s my IP address”, and Google will show your current IP address.</h3>\n<h3>11▸ If you need to exclude multiple IP addresses, such as excluding traffic from your co-workers or other devices, then click “Add condition” and repeat step 9.</h3>\n<h3>12▸ You have now defined the internal traffic in Google Analytics 4, go ahead and create a filter to exclude this internal traffic.</h3>\n<h2>Activating internal traffic filter in Google Analytics 4</h2>\n<h3>01▸ Login to your <a href=\"https://analytics.google.com/\">Google Analytics account</a>.</h3>\n<h3>02▸ Click “Admin”.</h3>\n<h3>03▸ Click “Data Filters” under Data Settings.</h3>\n<h3>04▸ You should see a filter for internal traffic. This is the default filter that is created when you create a Google Analytics 4 property. Make sure it is in testing mode.</h3>\n<h3>05▸ If it’s not in testing mode, click on the 3 dot “kebab menu” and select “Test filter”.</h3>\n<h3>06▸ Now, we need to test whether the internal traffic filter is working. If it is, we will activate it.</h3>\n<p>Important: Make sure you run this test as filtering in Google Analytics 4 is a destructive operation. Once you filter data, it’s gone forever.</p>\n<h3>07▸ Head to Reports ➝ Real-time.</h3>\n<h3>08▸ Click “Add comparison” and then “Select dimension”. Search for the Test data filter name then select it.</h3>\n<h3>09▸ Next, click on “Select dimension values”, select “Internal Traffic”, and click OK.</h3>\n<h3>10▸ Make sure the test filter is correct, then click “Apply”.</h3>\n<h3>11▸ Now open a new tab in your browser and visit your website.</h3>\n<h3>12▸ Then, head back to the Google Analytics 4 Real-time report. You should see 1 user in the test data filter. If you see this data, it means the internal traffic filter is working.</h3>\n<h3>13▸ Head to admin again by clicking “Admin”.</h3>\n<h3>14▸ Click “Data Filters” under Data Settings.</h3>\n<h3>15▸ Click the “kebab menu” and select “Activate filter”.</h3>\n<h3>16▸ Once it’s active, you will have successfully excluded internal traffic from Google Analytics 4.</h3>\n"}