analytics-dictionary / term / tracking & measurement
Reporting identity
Reporting identity is the setting that decides how GA4 recognises users across sessions and devices in reports.
Written by Reflective Data experts · updated Oct 5, 2026
Options include blended (user ID, then Google signals, then device ID, then modelling), observed, and device-based. The choice affects user counts and can change numbers noticeably.
Pick one deliberately and document it, since switching changes historical comparisons.
related
Data thresholdingGoogle signalsUser ID
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