GA4 Cost Data Import Requirements: Complete Checklist

Jessica Murphy spent two weeks setting up GA4 cost import for $280,000 in annual ad spend. She followed online tutorials. Enabled auto-tagging. Added utm_id parameters.

Cost reports still showed $0.

She missed one requirement: Linking her ad platforms to GA4. All the click IDs in the world don't matter if GA4 can't access the cost data from the platforms.

This comprehensive checklist covers every requirement for successful cost data import.

Table of contents

Complete Requirements Checklist
Requirement 1: Platform Auto-Tagging Enabled
Requirement 2: Platform-GA4 Links Active
Requirement 3: Click IDs Captured in GA4
Requirement 4: No Parameter Stripping
Requirement 5: utmid Configured (Recommended)
Requirement 6: Data Import Configured
Requirement 7: Sufficient Permissions
Requirement 8: Data Sharing Enabled
Requirement 9: Consistent Time Zones
Requirement 10: Data Retention Settings
Complete Platform Checklist
Google Ads Checklist
Meta Ads Checklist
Microsoft Ads Checklist
FAQ
Can I import costs without click IDs?
How long does initial cost import take?
What if I have multiple Google Ads accounts?
Do I need utmid if I have gclid?
Can I test cost import without spending money?
What permissions do teammates need?

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Complete Requirements Checklist

Requirement 1: Platform Auto-Tagging Enabled

Every platform must append click IDs to destination URLs.

Google Ads: gclid

Check:

Code

Google Ads → Settings → Account settings → Auto-tagging

Must be: ✅ ON

Test:

Click test ad
URL should contain ?gclid=...

Facebook/Meta Ads: fbclid

Auto-enabled by default.

Test:

Click test ad
URL should contain ?fbclid=...

If missing: Check Facebook Pixel installation

Microsoft Ads: msclkid

Check:

Code

Microsoft Ads → Settings → Tracking → UET auto-tagging

Must be: ✅ Enabled

Test:

Click test ad
URL should contain ?msclkid=...

LinkedIn Ads: li_fat_id

Requires: LinkedIn Insight Tag installed

Check:

Code

Campaign Manager → Account Assets → Insight Tag

Test:

Install tag in site <head>
Click test ad
URL should contain ?li_fat_id=...

TikTok Ads: ttclid

Auto-enabled by default.

Test:

Click test ad
URL should contain ?ttclid=...

Requirement 2: Platform-GA4 Links Active

GA4 must be linked to each ad platform for cost import.

Link Google Ads

GA4 → Admin → Product Links → Google Ads links

Requirements:

Click "Link"
Select Google Ads account
Enable ALL import options:
- ✅ Import cost data
- ✅ Import clicks and impressions
- ✅ Enable personalized advertising
- ✅ Auto-tagging override enabled
Save

Verify:

Link status: Active ✅
Data import: Enabled ✅

Link Meta Ads

GA4 → Admin → Product Links → Meta Ads links

Requirements:

Click "Link"
Authenticate with Facebook Business Manager
Select Meta ad account
Enable:
- ✅ Import cost data
- ✅ Import ad clicks and impressions
Save

Verify:

Connection: Connected ✅
Import active: Yes ✅

Microsoft Ads (Manual Import)

GA4 doesn't auto-link Microsoft Ads.

Alternative: Manual cost data upload

GA4 → Admin → Data Import
Create data source: Cost data
Upload CSV monthly with cost, clicks, impressions
Match on: Campaign ID or utm_id

LinkedIn Ads (Manual Import)

GA4 doesn't auto-link LinkedIn.

Alternative: Manual cost data upload via Data Import

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Requirement 3: Click IDs Captured in GA4

GA4 must receive and store click ID parameters.

Verify Click ID Capture

Method 1: Realtime Report

Click test ad
GA4 → Reports → Realtime (within 30 seconds)
Check event parameters
Verify click ID present

Method 2: DebugView

Enable debug mode on site
Click test ad
GA4 → Configure → DebugView
Check event parameters for gclid/fbclid

Method 3: User Explorer

After 24 hours
GA4 → Explore → User Explorer
Find test user
Check session parameters for click IDs

Common Capture Issues

Issue	Symptom	Fix
Redirects strip parameters	Click ID in landing URL but not GA4	Fix redirects to preserve params
JavaScript redirect	Click ID lost before GA4 loads	Load GA4 before redirect
Cross-domain issue	Click ID lost on subdomain switch	Configure cross-domain measurement
Cookie consent	GA4 not loading until consent	Use server-side tracking or consent mode

Requirement 4: No Parameter Stripping

Click IDs must survive redirects, page loads, and navigation.

Test Redirect Preservation

Manual test:

Code

1. Landing URL: https://site.com?gclid=test123
2. After page load: Check URL still contains gclid=test123
3. After any redirects: Check URL still contains gclid=test123

Common stripping causes:

Server-side redirects without parameter passthrough
JavaScript redirects that don't preserve params
URL rewriting that removes query strings
Mobile app deep linking
Payment gateway redirects

Fix Redirect Stripping

Apache .htaccess:

Apache

# Preserve all query parameters
RewriteCond %{"{"}{"{"}QUERY_STRING{"}"}{"}"}} .
RewriteRule ^old-page$ /new-page?%{"{"}{"{"}QUERY_STRING{"}"}{"}"}} [R=301,L]

JavaScript redirect:

Javascript

// Preserve parameters in redirect
function redirectWithParams(targetURL) {
  const currentParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
  const newURL = targetURL + '?' + currentParams.toString();
  window.location.href = newURL;
}

Nginx:

Nginx

# Preserve query string in redirect
rewrite ^/old-page$ /new-page permanent;

Requirement 5: utm_id Configured (Recommended)

While not strictly required, utm_id enhances cost reporting.

Configure utm_id

Google Ads Final URL suffix:

Code

utm_id=`{"{"}{"{"}campaignid{"}"}{"}"}}`&utm_campaign=`{"{"}{"{"}campaign{"}"}{"}"}}`&utm_content=`{"{"}{"{"}adgroupid{"}"}{"}"}}`

Facebook URL parameters:

Code

utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaign.id{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaign.name{"}"}{"}"}}

LinkedIn URL parameters:

Code

utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaign.id{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc

Requirement 6: Data Import Configured

For platforms without auto-link (Microsoft, LinkedIn, others).

Set Up Manual Cost Import

GA4 → Admin → Data Import → Create data source

Steps:

Data source type: Cost data
Download CSV template
Fill required fields:
- Date
- Campaign
- Source
- Medium
- Cost
- Clicks
- Impressions
Upload CSV

Schedule:

Upload weekly or monthly
Automate if possible via GA4 API

Requirement 7: Sufficient Permissions

You need proper access levels in both platforms.

Google Ads Permissions

Required level: Administrator or above

Check:

Code

Google Ads → Tools → Setup → Account access

Your account must have: Administrator ✅

Meta Business Manager Permissions

Required level: Admin access to ad account

Check:

Code

Business Manager → Business Settings → Accounts → Ad accounts

Your role: Admin ✅

GA4 Permissions

Required level: Editor or above

Check:

Code

GA4 → Admin → Property → Property Access Management

Your role: Editor or Administrator ✅

GA4 and ad platforms must allow data sharing.

Check:

Code

Google Ads → Tools → Setup → Data Manager → Google signals

Must be: ✅ Activated

Check:

Code

GA4 → Admin → Property → Data Settings → Data Sharing Settings

Enable:

✅ Google products & services
✅ Benchmarking (optional)
✅ Account specialists (optional)

Requirement 9: Consistent Time Zones

GA4 and ad platforms should use same time zone for accurate matching.

Verify Time Zones

GA4 timezone:

Code

GA4 → Admin → Property → Property Settings → Reporting time zone

Google Ads timezone:

Code

Google Ads → Settings → Account settings → Time zone

If different: Cost data may be off by one day during midnight hours.

Best practice: Align all platforms to same timezone.

Requirement 10: Data Retention Settings

GA4 must retain data long enough for cost import.

Configure Retention

GA4 → Admin → Data Settings → Data Retention

Event data retention:

Minimum: 2 months
Recommended: 14 months

Reset user data on new activity: ✅ On (recommended)

Why: Cost import happens with delay (24-48 hours). Longer retention prevents data loss.

Complete Platform Checklist

Google Ads Checklist

Markdown

# Google Ads Cost Import Requirements
 
## Platform Configuration
- [ ] Auto-tagging: ON
- [ ] Google signals: Activated
- [ ] Admin permissions: Verified
 
## GA4 Configuration
- [ ] Google Ads linked to GA4
- [ ] Cost data import: Enabled
- [ ] Click import: Enabled
- [ ] Impression import: Enabled
 
## Testing
- [ ] Test ad clicked
- [ ] Landing URL contains gclid
- [ ] GA4 Realtime shows gclid
- [ ] Wait 48 hours
- [ ] Cost data appears in reports
 
## Validation
- [ ] Cost matches Google Ads spend
- [ ] CPC calculated correctly
- [ ] ROAS reports working
- [ ] All campaigns showing cost
 
Status: [ ] COMPLETE [ ] INCOMPLETE
Date verified: __________

Meta Ads Checklist

Markdown

# Meta Ads Cost Import Requirements
 
## Platform Configuration
- [ ] Facebook Pixel: Installed
- [ ] fbclid auto-append: Verified
- [ ] Admin permissions: Verified
 
## GA4 Configuration
- [ ] Meta Ads connected to GA4
- [ ] Cost data import: Enabled
- [ ] Ad account selected correctly
 
## Testing
- [ ] Test ad clicked
- [ ] Landing URL contains fbclid
- [ ] GA4 Realtime shows fbclid
- [ ] Wait 48 hours
- [ ] Cost data appears
 
## Validation
- [ ] Cost matches Meta spend
- [ ] All campaigns showing cost
- [ ] Facebook + Instagram separate (if needed)
 
Status: [ ] COMPLETE [ ] INCOMPLETE
Date verified: __________

Microsoft Ads Checklist

Markdown

# Microsoft Ads Cost Import Requirements
 
## Platform Configuration
- [ ] UET tag: Installed
- [ ] Auto-tagging: Enabled (msclkid)
- [ ] Admin permissions: Verified
 
## GA4 Configuration
- [ ] Manual data import configured
- [ ] CSV template downloaded
- [ ] Upload schedule set (weekly/monthly)
 
## Testing
- [ ] Test ad clicked
- [ ] Landing URL contains msclkid
- [ ] GA4 Realtime shows msclkid
- [ ] First CSV uploaded
- [ ] Cost data appears
 
Status: [ ] COMPLETE [ ] INCOMPLETE
Date verified: __________

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FAQ

Can I import costs without click IDs?

Yes, via manual CSV upload:

GA4 → Admin → Data Import
Create cost data source
Match on campaign name or utm_id
Upload monthly costs

Downside: Manual process, not automatic.

How long does initial cost import take?

Timeline:

Platform linked: Immediate
First click ID captured: Immediate
Cost data import: 24-48 hours
Appears in reports: 48-72 hours total

Patience required: Don't panic if cost doesn't show day 1.

What if I have multiple Google Ads accounts?

Link each account separately:

GA4 → Product Links → Google Ads links
Click "Link" for each account
Enable cost import for each
All accounts will import to same GA4 property

Do I need utm_id if I have gclid?

For basic cost import: No.

For advanced reporting: Yes.

Campaign grouping across platforms
Custom cost analysis
Better campaign organization

Can I test cost import without spending money?

Yes:

Create test campaign with $1 daily budget
Let it run for 24 hours
Check if cost appears in GA4
Pause campaign

Cost: $1-2 for validation

What permissions do teammates need?

For cost import setup:

GA4: Editor role minimum
Google Ads: Admin minimum
Meta Ads: Ad account admin

For viewing cost reports:

GA4: Viewer role sufficient

Related: UTM ID Without Platform Rule

GA4 Cost Data Import Requirements: Complete Checklist

🚨 Not sure what's breaking your tracking?

Complete Requirements Checklist

Requirement 1: Platform Auto-Tagging Enabled

Google Ads: gclid

Facebook/Meta Ads: fbclid

Microsoft Ads: msclkid

LinkedIn Ads: li_fat_id

TikTok Ads: ttclid

Requirement 2: Platform-GA4 Links Active

Link Google Ads

Link Meta Ads

Microsoft Ads (Manual Import)

LinkedIn Ads (Manual Import)

😰 Is this your only tracking issue?

Requirement 3: Click IDs Captured in GA4

Verify Click ID Capture

Common Capture Issues

Requirement 4: No Parameter Stripping

Test Redirect Preservation

Fix Redirect Stripping

Requirement 5: utm_id Configured (Recommended)

Configure utm_id

Requirement 6: Data Import Configured

Set Up Manual Cost Import

Requirement 7: Sufficient Permissions

Google Ads Permissions

Meta Business Manager Permissions

GA4 Permissions

Requirement 8: Data Sharing Enabled

Google Ads Data Sharing

GA4 Data Sharing

Requirement 9: Consistent Time Zones

Verify Time Zones

Requirement 10: Data Retention Settings

Configure Retention

Complete Platform Checklist

Google Ads Checklist

Meta Ads Checklist

Microsoft Ads Checklist

✅ Fixed this issue? Great! Now check the other 39...

FAQ

Can I import costs without click IDs?

How long does initial cost import take?

What if I have multiple Google Ads accounts?

Do I need utm_id if I have gclid?

Can I test cost import without spending money?

What permissions do teammates need?

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