Four key questions can be addressed using GA4 funnel exploration, Pages and Screens, Scroll Tracking, and Path Exploration: pinpointing where users drop off, identifying which pages require closer investigation, verifying if visitors reach about 90% of a page, and discovering their next actions. Used properly, these reports can reduce guesswork and may replace some paid reporting.

TL;DR

• Use GA4 funnel exploration to identify where users abandon a defined journey

• Use Pages and Screens to identify high-traffic pages with low engagement or relatively few key events

• GA4’s default scroll event only records when users reach 90% of a page

• Use Path Exploration to uncover journeys users take before or after key events

• These reports can reduce reliance on paid analytics tools, but they do not replace heatmaps, session recordings or usability testing

Four overlooked GA4 reports and what they answer

Start with the business question rather than opening GA4 and hoping a chart explains what to do.

Choose the report based on the question

The easiest way to have GA4 exploration reports explained simply is to match each one to a decision. Use a funnel for an intended journey, Pages and Screens to find pages worth investigating, Scroll Tracking to test whether key information is seen, and Path Exploration to uncover behaviour you did not plan for.

1. How to Use GA4 funnel exploration

This report shows how users move through a sequence you define and where they leave it.

Where to find it

1. Open Explore

2. Select Funnel exploration

3. Add the required steps

4. Choose an open or closed funnel

5. Add segments or breakdowns where useful

Google’s Funnel exploration guidance explains that the report visualises the steps users take to complete a task and where they succeed or fail.

A closed funnel counts users who enter through the first step. An open funnel allows entry at a later step.

What to measure

For lead generation, a GA4 funnel exploration could track:

• Landing page

• Service page

• Form start

• Form submission

For ecommerce, it could track:

• Product view

• Add to basket

• Begin checkout

• Purchase

The report is only as reliable as the tracking behind it. Missing or misconfigured events will produce an incomplete journey.

If your ecommerce platforms report different conversion totals, read Why Meta, GA4, and Shopify Show Different Revenue Numbers (and How to Align Them) to understand where reporting discrepancies come from. 

2. How to read the GA4 pages and screens report

This report helps you identify pages that attract attention but may need further investigation based on engagement and key-event data. 

Where to find it

1. Open Reports

2. Select Engagement

3. Open Pages and screens

4. Change the primary dimension if needed

5. Compare views, users, engagement and key events

The official Pages and screens report guidance confirms that the report includes pages viewed at any point in a session. It differs from the Landing page report, which focuses on the first page visited.

What to compare

For lead generation, identify service pages with strong traffic, but relatively few form starts or key events. For ecommerce, look for product or category pages with high views but limited progression towards basket or purchase. 

The GA4 Pages and Screens report is diagnostic. It can highlight patterns worth investigating, but it cannot prove that a page caused users to leave, continue or convert. Combine it with events, funnels or user research before making changes. 

Reliable page analysis depends on reliable data collection, so ecommerce teams may also find How to Set Up Server-Side Tracking on Shopify to Fix Meta Data Gaps useful. 

3. What GA4 scroll tracking actually shows

GA4’s default scroll event is useful, but less detailed than many marketers assume.

Where to find it

To confirm setup:

1. Open Admin

2. Select Data streams

3. Choose the relevant web stream

4. Open Enhanced measurement

5. Confirm that Scrolls is enabled

To view it, go to Reports, select Engagement, open Events and search for scroll.

Google’s enhanced measurement guidance states that the default scroll event fires the first time 90% of a page becomes visible. It does not automatically show 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% thresholds.

What to use it for

For lead generation, GA4 scroll tracking can indicate whether users reached roughly 90% of a service page. It cannot confirm that they noticed, read or interacted with a form near the bottom. For ecommerce, it can indicate that users reached the lower portion of a product page, but not that they read the delivery details, specifications or reviews. 

Treat the scroll event as a broad page-depth signal, not proof of attention, reading or interaction. 

4. How path exploration reveals unexpected journeys

Path Exploration shows what users actually do before or after a page or event.

Where to find it

1. Open Explore

2. Select Path exploration

3. Choose a starting or ending point

4. Select a page title, screen name or event

5. Expand the nodes to reveal more steps

Google’s Path exploration guidance explains that the report can visualise multiple routes using page views, screen views and events.

How it differs from Funnel Exploration

GA4 funnel exploration tests a predefined sequence. Path Exploration reveals the different sequences users take.

For lead generation, start from a service page and check whether visitors move to pricing, case studies or contact. For ecommerce, work backwards from purchase to see which pages and events commonly appear before a transaction.

Use Funnel Exploration to test the intended journey. Use Path Exploration to find journeys you did not expect.

Can these reports replace expensive analytics tools?

GA4 covers several practical reporting needs, but it does not replace every specialist platform.

What GA4 can cover

• Basic funnel abandonment

• Page-level performance

• Default 90% scroll completion

• Common navigation sequences

• Lead and purchase event progression

What GA4 cannot fully replace

GA4 does not provide native heatmaps, session recordings, usability testing or detailed product analytics. Granular scroll-depth tracking also needs additional configuration.

GA4 reports that can answer questions often assigned to expensive analytics tools may reduce unnecessary software costs. They work best when the question is clear, event tracking is reliable, and the team understands each report’s limits.

To build stronger measurement beyond platform reports, read First-Party Data Collection Strategies as AI Reduces Your Organic Traffic Window. 

Start with the question, not the report

GA4 becomes more useful when each report is tied to a clear decision. Use Funnel Exploration to find drop-offs, Pages and Screens to spot weak content, Scroll Tracking to test visibility, and Path Exploration to uncover unexpected journeys. The goal is not to monitor more data, but to act on the right data.