Custom reports and collections
Through the Library, editors can create custom detail and overview reports, then bundle them into collections that appear in the left navigation. Changes are staged until published, and only users with the right role can edit — so reporting structure is governed, not ad-hoc.
What this means
The Library is where editors manage reporting structure. You can create custom reports — detail reports (a table with dimensions and metrics) and overview reports (summary cards) — and organize them, plus the standard reports, into collections that show in the navigation.
Staging, publishing, and roles
Edits to the Library are staged and only become visible to others when the collection is published. Editing requires the appropriate role (Editor); viewers see published collections. This makes report structure a governed artifact: a team lead curates the collection, publishes it, and everyone reads from the same set. If a report is missing for a user, check publication state and their role before assuming a bug.
- Detail reports: dimension/metric tables
- Overview reports: summary card layouts
- Collections publish to the navigation
How it appears in analytics and logs
A report that appears for some users but not others usually means the collection isn't published, or the viewer's role differs. The Library is the source of truth for what's available.
Diagnostic use case
Tailor the report navigation to how a team works — build the detail reports they need, group them into a collection, and publish it so everyone sees the same structure.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID lets teams assemble first-party reporting views governed by roles, without third-party data or cross-site tracking.
Common mistakes
- Building a report but forgetting to publish the collection.
- Expecting viewers to see unpublished Library edits.
- Confusing a custom report with changing underlying scope.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Custom reports change presentation, not collection scope; they still apply thresholds. They don't expand what personal data is gathered.
Related pages
- GA4 standard reports overview
Standard reports are GA4's fixed, pre-aggregated reports — grouped into collections like Life cycle and User — that load fast because they read from aggregate tables. Unlike explorations they are not generally sampled, but they apply (other) row grouping and can differ from exploration numbers, which query event-level data with their own scope.
- Report sharing and permissions
Access to reports is governed by roles: GA4 grants property-level roles (Viewer, Analyst, Editor, Administrator) plus data restrictions for cost/revenue, while Looker Studio shares per report with view/edit and link options. The pitfall is data-source credentials — a shared report can expose data the viewer couldn't query themselves.
- Custom and calculated metrics in reports
GA4 lets you define custom metrics (registered from numeric event parameters) and calculated metrics (formulas combining existing metrics, like revenue per user). They extend reporting beyond the built-ins, but calculated metrics inherit the scope and null-handling of their inputs, which is where formulas go wrong.
- Agency analytics
Curate governed reporting views for teams.
Sources and verification notes
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.