Understand GA4 Sessions, Users, Page Views, and Events
These four GA4 metrics measure different things: a user can have multiple sessions , a session can include multiple page views , and each page view (and other interaction) is counted as an event — none of these map 1:1 to TrafficCreator's "hits delivered" count.
Quick Reference#
| Metric | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Users | Distinct visitors, by GA4's own identification logic |
| Sessions | A visit, or group of interactions within a time window |
| Page views | Individual pages viewed within sessions |
| Events | Every trackable interaction, including page views themselves |
Why This Matters For TrafficCreator#
Because these are different units, don't expect any one of them to exactly equal your delivered hit count — see Why GA4 totals differ from TrafficCreator hits for the full explanation.
For a simple example, consider one consistently identified visitor who starts two separate sessions and views three pages in each session. If every page is measured once, that activity produces six page views across two sessions. Additional tracked interactions increase the event count without necessarily adding another user or session.
Check the exact user metric in the report. GA4 distinguishes Total users from Active users, and these labels are not interchangeable. Google's user-metric definitions explain the distinction. Its Pages and screens report guide also explains that repeated page views count toward Views.
When comparing a dashboard with GA4, use the same property, date range and reporting filters, then write down the metric label you selected. Record whether you are comparing sessions, page views, all events or one named event. A screenshot showing these choices is more useful for diagnosis than a single unexplained number.