When Google Analytics updated from Universal Analytics to GA4, unfortunately some features were lost, including one of my favorites -- Annotations. Similar to Notes in Google Ads, Annotations provided a simple way for teams accessing Google Analytics to share important notes for collaboration. As changes were made on the website, annotations assisted with correlations that may have caused notable data changes. For example, if a major change was implemented on the website and then traffic drops were noted, an annotation could provide insights into the possible cause being the website change.
Marketing teams and agencies often used Annotations to collaborate, and I personally found them helpful for forensic work. So how can you create Annotations for your team in GA4? Here are three options to consider.
Looker Studio and Google Sheets
Cost: FREE
Hat tip to my friend, Alan K'necht of K'nechtology for this awesome idea!
If you're very experienced with Looker Studio, you can even update your tooltips with your annotation data and perform deeper filtering.
Chrome Extensions
Cost: Varies
If you'd rather just purchase an alternative, there are several Chrome extensions that provide annotation as a service.
Google Analytics 4 Annotations - GA4 Notes is a free Chrome extension and works with a corresponding Google Sheet that you provide where you house the annotation data (similar to our Looker Studio solution).
GAannotations has a Chrome extension with a free trial. After the free trial the tool prices start at $49/month. One of the benefits is that this tool provides annotations for multiple platforms, not just GA4.
Whichever