Which GA4 report shows traffic sources?

Use GA4’s Traffic acquisition report to see traffic sources for sessions. For the source through which users were first acquired, use User acquisition with First user source / medium. These first-user values remain associated with users when they return; the report is not simply limited to new-user activity. See Google’s docs for paths and scope details: Traffic acquisition report and Scopes of traffic-source dimensions.

Where to find the traffic sources report

In your GA4 property:

• Go to Reports
• Open Acquisition
• Select Traffic acquisition

If you can’t find it, your collection may have been customized. Editors or above can add the report back to the left navigation. Source: Traffic acquisition report.

Traffic acquisition vs User acquisition: what each shows

GA4 adds prefixes to traffic-source dimensions so you know their scope:

• User-scoped dimensions start with “First user …” and show the original acquisition source assigned to a user, which stays the same on return visits. GA4 surfaces these in the User acquisition report.
• Session-scoped dimensions start with “Session …” and show where each new session came from, for both new and returning users. GA4 surfaces these in the Traffic acquisition report.

Sources: Scopes of traffic-source dimensions and Traffic acquisition report.

Key dimensions for traffic sources in Traffic acquisition

The Traffic acquisition report uses session-scoped, cross-channel dimensions, including:

• Session source (e.g., google, youtube, gmail)
• Session medium (e.g., organic, cpc, email)
• Session source / medium (e.g., google / organic, newsletter / email)
• Session default channel grouping (e.g., Direct, Organic Search, Email, Organic Social, Paid Social)

You can change the primary dimension and search within the table to quickly find a source such as “google / organic.” Source: Traffic acquisition report.

Quick ways to isolate a traffic source

• Use the search above the table for a specific pair like “newsletter / email.”
• Switch the primary dimension to Session source or Session source / medium to list publishers or exact pairs.
• Apply a report filter (Add filter) to include or exclude specific Session source values, For entrances to a particular page, use the Landing page report with Session source / medium as a secondary dimension. An event-level page filter is not the same as selecting where sessions began. Source: Traffic acquisition report.

A small, illustrative comparison

Scenario (illustrative, not Orvus data):

• First visit: search result click lands on your site (google / organic)
• Later visit: newsletter click returns to your site (newsletter / email)

What you’ll see:

• User acquisition (First user source/medium): google / organic
• Traffic acquisition (Session source/medium): a session for google / organic and a separate session for newsletter / email

This reflects how GA4 scopes “first user” to the user’s first session and “session” to each visit. Source: Scopes of traffic-source dimensions.

Attribution and reporting limitations to know

• Attribution models: User- and session-scoped traffic dimensions use the paid and organic channels last click model and are unaffected by attribution model changes. Event-scoped traffic dimensions reflect your selected attribution model (default is data-driven). Source: Scopes of traffic-source dimensions.
• User identification: Whether GA4 recognizes someone as the same user across sessions depends on the reporting identity you choose and the user’s browser/device settings. Source: Scopes of traffic-source dimensions.
• Navigation customizations: If reports are missing in the left menu, editors can add them back. Source: Traffic acquisition report.

One practical business decision

Use both reports to separate growth from engagement. If User acquisition shows most new users from google / organic, but Traffic acquisition shows many sessions from newsletter / email, that pattern is consistent with search helping initial discovery and email supporting return visits. Check key events, costs and tracking quality before making an investment decision; this comparison alone does not prove a causal effect.

Check your GA4 traffic sources quickly

• Open Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition in your GA4 property
• Switch the primary dimension to Session source / medium
• Use the table search for a pair like “google / organic” or “newsletter / email”
• For one entrance page, open Landing page and add Session source / medium as a secondary dimension
• Open Reports > Acquisition > User acquisition to compare First user source / medium

FAQs

Which GA4 report shows where new users came from?

The User acquisition report shows where new users came from using first user dimensions. The Traffic acquisition report shows where both new and returning users’ sessions came from. Source: Traffic acquisition report.

Can I view traffic sources for a single page?

For session entrances, use the Landing page report, find the page and add Session source / medium as a secondary dimension. Alternatively, add Landing page + query string as a secondary dimension in Traffic acquisition. Source: Traffic acquisition report.

Why do counts differ between Traffic and User acquisition?

They use different scopes. User acquisition uses first user dimensions for a user’s first session, while Traffic acquisition uses session dimensions for each session. User- and session-scoped dimensions use the paid and organic channels last click model. Source: Scopes of traffic-source dimensions.

Related reading from Orvus: What is SEO analytics? A systems guide and How to use Google Analytics SEO? A GA4 and Search Console playbook.