Google Analytics Annotations Are Here in GA4!

For those of us who relied heavily on the annotations feature in Universal Analytics (UA), the absence of Google Analytics annotations in GA4 has been a noticeable frustration and annoyance. Thankfully, that wait is now over! Google has finally announced that annotations in GA4 are possible, making it easier than ever to document key events, track promotions, and add context to traffic spikes and dips.

But before I dive into why I’m so happy about this feature release, I have to mention one thing, I don’t seem to have access to it yet!

While Google’s official documentation doesn’t mention a phased rollout, it’s possible that it’s being released gradually. If you’re like me and can’t see it yet, hang tight. It should be coming soon.

Why I’m Excited About GA4 Annotations

Annotations were a crucial feature in Universal Analytics, allowing us to add notes directly to reports. Bringing them back to GA4 means we no longer need to rely on external spreadsheets, sticky notes, or third-party tools to track important changes.

I’ve raised this issue on Linkedin and discussed with other professionals on numerous occasions asking how other people were getting around not having access to annotations in GA4. There has been no seamless way of doing it which I’ve never understood. Surely this couldn’t have been a big feature for the developers to create?

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Here’s why this update is such a big deal to us that work in e-commerce, digital marketing or rely on tracking your performance in GA:

The Pros of GA4 Annotations

1. Track Key Events & Marketing Campaigns
   Whether it’s a major sale, a website update, or an algorithm change, annotations allow you to note exactly when key events happened, helping you correlate them with traffic fluctuations.
2. Diagnose Traffic Spikes & Dips Faster
   If you suddenly see a surge in traffic (or a major drop), annotations can help you pinpoint the cause, no matter whether it’s a marketing push, technical issue, or external factor.
3. Improve Team Collaboration
   If multiple people are working on a GA4 property, annotations keep everyone on the same page. No more guessing why numbers changed drastically!
4. No More External Tracking
   Before this, many of us were keeping notes in Google Sheets or in your notebook. Now, everything can be stored directly inside GA4, making reporting much easier.
5. Save Time When Analysing Data
   Instead of digging through emails or campaign calendars to match up events with traffic changes, annotations provide a quick reference right inside your reports.

The (Few) Potential Downsides

While I don’t see many negatives, here are a couple of small considerations:

• Too Many Annotations Can Be Overwhelming
  If you go overboard, you might clutter your reports and make it harder to see key insights. It’s best to be selective about what you annotate.
• Consistency in Team Environments
  If multiple people are adding annotations, keeping a standardised format is essential. Otherwise, annotations could become a mess of different naming conventions, making them less useful.

How to Check If You Have GA4 Annotations Yet

As mentioned, Google’s official announcement on X.com and associated documentation states that annotations should now be available. To check if you have access:

1. Open Google Analytics and go to Reports.
2. Navigate to a report that contains a line graph.
3. Right-click any data point and look for the option to “Add Annotation”.
4. If you have access, you can add:
   • A title (60-character limit)
   • A description (150-character limit)
   • A date or date range
   • A colour to help categorise notes

If you don’t see the option yet (like me), it may be rolling out gradually.

The Last Word…

Annotations were one of the most useful features in Universal Analytics, and their absence in GA4 has been frustrating for many. Now that they’re back, we can finally track key events, diagnose changes in traffic with more context, and collaborate better as teams.

For now, I’m excited for this feature to appear in my own GA4 property. If you have access, let me know in the comments about how are you planning to use annotations in your reporting workflow?