GA4 vs Power BI: Fixing large session count differences when filtering by hostname and site_family

[ryta]

Hi all,

I’m trying to bring sessions and engaged sessions into Power BI using the Google Analytics 4 connector. I have filters in GA4 based on hostname and a custom dimension (e.g., site_family), and when I apply the same filters in GA4’s web interface, the session counts look reasonable.

However, when I import the same filtered data into Power BI using the GA4 connector, the numbers are significantly different — often 30% to 150% higher than what GA4 shows for the same period and filters.

I’ve verified:

• The same date range in both GA4 and Power BI.

• The same hostname and custom dimension filters.

• No double‑counting in Power Query (I group/sum after import).

Despite this, Power BI still shows much higher sessions and engaged sessions.

Is there a way to align the Power BI data more closely with what GA4 UI reports for filtered sessions and engaged sessions? 

[Anonymous]

Hi @ryta,

Just following up to see if the Response provided by community members were helpful in addressing the issue. if the issue still persists Feel free to reach out if you need any further clarification or assistance.

Best regards,
Prasanna Kumar

[Anonymous]

Hi @ryta,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Forum Community, and special thanks to @RicardoTraNa and @Kedar_Pande  for prompt and helpful responses.

Just following up to see if the Response provided by community members were helpful in addressing the issue. if the issue still persists Feel free to reach out if you need any further clarification or assistance.

Best regards,
Prasanna Kumar

[RicardoTraNa · Accepted solution]

Hey! This is a pretty common GA4 vs Power BI mismatch 🙂

Try this:

• Count distinct sessions; 

• Apply filters at session level; 

• Use native metrics (sessions, engagedSessions) if possible
  
  

Hope that help! 

[Kedar_Pande]

@ryta 

Export same filtered period from GA4 UI as CSV. Compare row counts with Power BI import. If CSV matches GA4 but Power BI doesn't, it's connector filter translation issue.

Try BigQuery Export instead - raw data always matches perfectly.