Active user

Definition

In GA4, an active user is a visitor who has triggered at least one engaged session during the analyzed period. It is the default audience metric displayed in GA4 reports, replacing the “Total Users” concept that was predominant in Universal Analytics.

How GA4 identifies users

GA4 uses several methods to recognize a user across visits. In order of priority: User-ID (an identifier provided by the site after login), Google Signals (for users signed into a Google account), Device-ID based on a first-party cookie, and finally modeling for users who declined consent via Consent Mode.

Active users vs total users

The distinction matters. A total user is anyone who triggered any event. An active user has exceeded the engagement threshold: a session longer than 10 seconds, at least 2 page views, or at least one conversion. This distinction better reflects the genuinely engaged audience.

Impact of consent

Without consent, GA4 cannot set a cookie and loses the ability to identify a user across visits. The same visitor may be counted multiple times. This is why a well-configured consent strategy is essential for reliable audience data.