Live GA4 Channel Grouping Tester

Enter candidate utm_source and utm_medium values to see how this page's simplified pattern checker categorizes them. It is an educational estimate, not Google's complete or live GA4 classifier; actual channel assignment depends on current definitions and all traffic-source information GA4 receives. Default channel definitions are not case-sensitive.

Campaign Source (utm_source)

Try:

Campaign Medium (utm_medium)

Try:

Expected GA4 Channel Group

Paid Search

✅ Valid GA4 Match Build Link with These Tags →

Matches standard search engine origin (google) and paid medium regex (cpc). Safely classifies under Paid Search in GA4 Traffic Acquisition.

Interactive GA4 Source / Medium Classification Matrix

This master lookup table details how Google Analytics 4 evaluates real-world source and medium combinations. Click on any row to load it into the tester above, or filter by category or status to review common pitfalls that cause unassigned leakage.

Source (`utm_source`)	Medium (`utm_medium`)	Expected Channel	Valid?	Recommended Value & Rule Notes

How GA4 Evaluates Channel Groupings: Sequential Waterfall Logic

Google Analytics 4 Default Channel Grouping is rule-based, sequential, and first-match-wins. When an event or session starts, GA4 evaluates the incoming traffic parameters against the channel definitions from the top down. As soon as a condition matches, evaluation stops and the channel is assigned.

If incoming traffic reaches the bottom of the evaluation list without matching any condition, GA4 designates the traffic as (Unassigned).

Order	Channel Group	Official GA4 Rule Definition	Evaluation Logic
1	Direct	Source matches `(direct)` AND Medium matches `(not set)` or `(none)`	Evaluated first to catch pure direct traffic without campaign or referrer context.
2	Cross-network	Campaign name matches cross-network types (e.g. Performance Max, Smart Shopping)	Identifies multi-format Google Ads campaigns bridging Search, Display, Maps, and YouTube.
3	Paid Shopping	Source matches shopping sites OR medium matches `^(.cp.\|ppc\|paid.*\|shopping)$` with shopping campaigns	Takes precedence over general Paid Search when shopping attributes are detected.
4	Paid Search	Source matches search engine list AND Medium matches `^(.cp.\|ppc\|paid.*)$`	Catches keyword ads across Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Baidu, and DuckDuckGo.
5	Paid Social	Source matches social sites list AND Medium matches `^(.cp.\|ppc\|paid.*\|paid_social)$`	Crucial rule: source MUST match Google's list of recognized social platforms.
6	Paid Video	Source matches video platform list AND Medium matches `^(.cp.\|ppc\|paid.*)$`	Captures YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitch in-stream paid video promotions.
7	Display	Medium matches `^(display\|banner\|expandable\|interstitial\|cpm)$`	Does not require a specific source platform, relying entirely on the medium string.
8	Paid Other	Medium matches `^(.cp.\|ppc\|paid.*)$` (where source is NOT search, social, or video)	Catches paid directory placements, sponsored newsletters, or non-social paid links.
9	Organic Social	Source matches social sites list OR Medium matches `^(social\|social-network\|social-media\|sm\|social_post)$`	Includes unpaid social posts, profile bio links, and creator shares.
10	Organic Video	Source matches video sites list AND Medium matches `^(.video.)$`	Unpaid links placed in video descriptions, end screens, and profile cards.
11	Organic Search	Source matches search engine list AND Medium matches `organic` (or unpaid search referrer)	Natural search engine results. Standard organic traffic arrives without UTM parameters.
12	Email	Source matches email platform list OR Medium matches `^(.email.\|e-mail\|e_mail\|newsletter)$`	Matches outbound newsletters, automated onboarding workflows, and transactional emails.
13	Affiliates	Medium matches `^(.affiliate.\|aff)$`	Partner affiliate programs, review site links, and publisher monetization partnerships.
14	Referral	Medium matches `^(.referral.\|app\|link)$` (or standard external HTTP referrer)	Standard inbound hyperlinks from other web domains.
15	Audio	Medium matches `^(audio\|podcast\|broadcast)$`	Podcast vanity links and audio ad placements (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora).
16	SMS	Medium matches `^(sms\|mms\|text\|whatsapp\|telegram)$`	Direct text message broadcasts and mobile SMS automated flows.
17	Mobile Push Notifications	Medium ends with `push` or matches `^(.push.\|mobile_notification)$`	In-app notifications and mobile OS push alerts directing users to web deep links.
Fallthrough	(Unassigned)	Does NOT match any rule above	Any session or event where parameters fail to satisfy Google's regex tree.

💡 Session vs. First User Default Channel Group

Google Analytics 4 provides two distinct channel grouping dimensions:

First user default channel group: Documents the acquisition channel responsible for the user's very first visit to your digital property. This dimension never changes for that user.
Session default channel group: Documents the specific marketing channel that initiated the individual session. This updates on every new session touchpoint.

Why Does My Traffic Show Up as (Unassigned) in GA4?

(Unassigned) is the value GA4 uses when no applicable Default Channel Group rule matches the available event data. Review these possible causes and compare the values with Google's current definitions:

1. Uppercase or Mixed Casing

utm_medium=CPC or utm_source=Google

GA4 default channel definitions are not case-sensitive. A consistent lowercase convention can still make manual source and campaign values easier to compare in reports.

2. Inverted Source and Medium

utm_source=email&utm_medium=mailchimp

Source is the platform (mailchimp, klaviyo), while medium is the vehicle (email). When reversed, GA4 looks for a medium named "mailchimp", finds none, and drops the session into (Unassigned).

3. Inventing Unsupported Mediums

utm_medium=promoted or utm_medium=social_ad

GA4 expects paid_social or cpc. Custom terms like infeed_ad or story_ad fail standard regexes. Put custom details in utm_campaign or utm_content.

4. Redirects Stripping Query Strings

HTTP 301 from http:// to https:// or non-www

A redirect may preserve or drop query strings depending on its rule and server configuration. Test the final URL. QSA is an Apache mod_rewrite flag, not an Nginx setting or universal redirect option.

How to Find and Fix (Unassigned) Rows in GA4

To inspect exactly which parameters caused (Unassigned) rows in your GA4 property:

Open Explore > Free-form exploration.
Add Dimensions: Session default channel group, Session source / medium, and Session campaign.
Add Metrics: Sessions, Total users, and Key events.
Apply a Filter: Session default channel group exactly matches (Unassigned).
Review the resulting table: every row displays the exact, broken source and medium combination causing the issue.

Source & Medium Governance SOP

To improve consistency in GA4 Default Channel Group reporting, document these practices in your campaign workflow:

Marketing Channel	Standard utm_source Examples	Mandatory utm_medium	Target GA4 Channel Group
Google Search Ads	`google`	`cpc`	Paid Search
Bing Search Ads	`bing`	`cpc`	Paid Search
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads	`facebook`, `instagram`, `meta`	`paid_social` (or `cpc`)	Paid Social
LinkedIn Sponsored Ads	`linkedin`	`paid_social`	Paid Social
TikTok Ads	`tiktok`	`paid_social`	Paid Social
Organic Social Links (Bio/Posts)	`linkedin`, `facebook`, `twitter`	`social`	Organic Social
Email Marketing & Newsletters	`mailchimp`, `klaviyo`, `newsletter`	`email`	Email
Affiliate Partner Links	`partner_name`, `shareasale`, `cj`	`affiliate`	Affiliates
Display Banners & GDN	`gdn`, `criteo`, `adroll`	`display` (or `cpm`)	Display
YouTube Video Description	`youtube`	`video`	Organic Video
YouTube Paid In-Stream Ads	`youtube`	`cpc`	Paid Video
SMS Marketing Blasts	`twilio`, `att`, `sms_blast`	`sms`	SMS
Podcast Audio Sponsorship	`podcast_name`, `spotify`	`audio`	Audio

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GA4 Default Channel Grouping?

GA4 Default Channel Grouping is Google Analytics 4's built-in rule engine that categorizes website traffic into standard marketing groups (such as Paid Search, Paid Social, Organic Social, Email, and Referral) using regular expression matches against source and medium parameters.

Why does my campaign show up as (Unassigned) in GA4?

GA4 uses (Unassigned) when available traffic-source information does not meet an applicable Default Channel Group definition. Review missing or unexpected values against Google's current rules. Default channel definitions are not case-sensitive.

Can you edit Default Channel Grouping rules in GA4?

No. Google Analytics 4 locks the system-defined Default Channel Grouping to ensure historical data integrity. However, property Administrators can create Custom Channel Groups or Primary Channel Groups to modify rules, reorder precedence, or add proprietary channels.

Does GA4 require utm_source and utm_medium to classify traffic?

Missing utm_source or utm_medium can limit the campaign information available for channel classification. GA4 may use other information, including referrer or advertising data; Unassigned is used when available traffic-source information does not meet an applicable default channel definition. utm_campaign adds campaign-level context but is not itself a default channel requirement.

How many UTM parameters does GA4 support?

GA4 supports 9 manual campaign parameters: six commonly used/core parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_id, utm_term, utm_content) plus three additional GA4 parameters (utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format, utm_marketing_tactic). Note that Google documents that utm_creative_format and utm_marketing_tactic are not currently reported in standard GA4 properties.