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Table of Contents
- Introduction to Microsoft Clarity and GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
- What is Microsoft Clarity?
- Key benefits of Microsoft Clarity
- How to integrate Microsoft Clarity with GA4?
- How to see GA4 data in Microsoft Clarity?
- How to see Microsoft Clarity data in GA4?
- Here is how Microsoft Clarity works with GA4.
Introduction to Microsoft Clarity and GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
Many people don’t know, but you can also integrate Microsoft Clarity with GA4.
GA4 does not provide session recordings and heatmaps.
Other tools charge dearly for these features, and when you get millions of visitors, you don’t want to pay thousands of dollars a month just to get these two features.
I now use and recommend ‘Microsoft Clarity’ just for the purpose of getting session recordings and heatmaps.
What is Microsoft Clarity?
‘Microsoft Clarity‘ is a free user behavioural analysis tool from Microsoft that helps you understand user interaction with your website.
It is not a substitute for GA4, but it does provide features that GA4 lack (hint: session recordings and heatmaps).
Key benefits of Microsoft Clarity
The following are the key features of Microsoft Clarity:
#1 It is super easy to install and use, and it’s free.
#2 It does not affect your website performance.
#3 It provides unlimited user recordings and heatmaps.
#4 There are no traffic limits on your website. Thus clarity can support even the largest websites.
#5 There are no limits on the number of websites per clarity account.
#6 You can analyze recordings and heatmap data in real time. Unlike many other tools, you don’t need to wait for data to populate first.
#7 There is no data sampling. All your session recordings and heatmaps are based on 100% unsampled data.
#8 Clarity is both GDPR and CCPA compliant.
#9 You can create instant heatmaps for all of your web pages based on clicks, scroll and area.
#10 You can compare two heatmaps side by side. You can analyse two versions of the same web page and see where users are clicking and scrolling.
#11 You can watch how people use and navigate your website via session recordings.
Based on this insight, you can determine what is working and not working on your website, what areas need to be improved etc.
#12 All session recordings are in high-definition.
#13 You can skip users’ inactivity, monitor scroll behaviour, and log mouse movement and clicks.
#14 You can pause session recording at any point to see a heatmap for that state.
#15 You can apply filters to session recordings. Thus you can narrow down what to watch.
#16 You can also integrate Microsoft Clarity with GA4. By doing that, you can see the GA4 data in Clarity.
You can view related heatmaps and recordings for popular pages, sessions by country and sessions by device in a particular time period:
Note: Microsoft Clarity automatically creates a custom dimension called the ‘Clarity Playback URL‘ as soon as you integrate clarity with GA4:
You can then use this dimension in your GA4 reports.
#17 Microsoft recently launched Co-pilot that incorporates Generative AI through Large Language Models (LLMs) into Microsoft Clarity.
You can ask questions on clarity data, ask questions on GA data and get concise takeaways on session recordings.
#18 Microsoft Clarity generate session takeaways in plain language using Generative AI.
So you can gather key insight even without watching the session replay, esp. when it is long.
I don’t think I have seen this feature in any session recording tool before. This is a game changer, esp. when Clairty is free to use.
#19 In addition to providing instant heatmaps and users recordings, clarity also provides website usage data:
#20 You can access the Microsoft Clarity demo project from here and see how the tool work even without installing it first.
How to integrate Microsoft Clarity with GA4?
Step-1: Login to the Google account which you use to access your GA4 property.
Step-2: Navigate to https://clarity.microsoft.com/ and then click on the ‘Sign up it’s free button‘:
Step-3: Sign-in through your Google Account:
Step-4: Confirm your email address, accept clarity terms of use and then click on the ‘Continue‘ button:
Step-5: Enter your website name and URL, and then click on the ‘Add New Project’ button:
Step-6: Click on ‘Get tracking code‘ under ‘Install Manually’:
Step-7: Click on the ‘Copy to Clipboard‘ button to copy the clarity tracking code:
Step-8: Navigate to your GTM account and then create a new Custom HTML tag that contains your clarity code. Fire this tag on all pages of your website:
Step-9: Preview your GTM container and then publish it.
Step-10: Navigate back to your Microsoft Clarity account and then click on the ‘Dashboard‘ tab from the top navigation bar:
You should now be able to see some data in your dashboard.
Step-11: Click on the ‘Get started‘ button under the section ‘Clarity works with Google Analytics‘:
Step-12: Scroll down the page and then find and click on the ‘Get Started‘ button under ‘Google Analytics integration‘:
Step-13: Sign in with your Google account (the same one you used to access your GA4 property):
Step-14: Click on the ‘Continue‘ button:
You should now see a screen like the one below:
Step-15: Select your GA4 property from the drop-down menu and then click on the ‘Save‘ button:
You should now see a screen like the one below:
How to see GA4 data in Microsoft Clarity?
After 24 hours have elapsed from the initial setup, navigate back to your Microsoft Clarity account and then click on the ‘Google Analytics‘ tab in the top navigation bar.
You should now be able to see the GA4 data for yesterday and today in your Microsoft Clarity account:
Click on the flame icon to see all the heatmaps for a particular page:
Click on the video icon to see all the session recordings for a particular page:
How to see Microsoft Clarity data in GA4?
Microsoft Clarity automatically creates a custom dimension called the ‘Clarity Playback URL‘ as soon as you integrate clarity with GA4.
To see this dimension, follow the steps below:
Step-1: Login to your GA4 property and then navigate to the admin area.
Step-2: Click on ‘Custom Definitions‘ under the ‘Property‘ column:
You should now be able to see the ‘Clarity Playback URL‘ dimension listed under the ‘Custom dimensions’ tab:
You can use this dimension in standard reports as well as in the exploration reports:
In GA4, you can not open a web page directly in the browser tab from within the user interface.
So, you will have to copy-paste the Clarity Playback URL into your browser address bar to see the session recording.
Note: Not all sessions will have a playback URL.
Here is how Microsoft Clarity works with GA4.
When you link your Clarity account with your GA4 property, a new tab called’ Google Analytics’ appears in your Clarity account.
Once 24 hrs have elapsed from the time of the clarity and GA4 integration, you should be able to see the GA4 data for yesterday and today in your clarity account under the ‘Google Analytics’ tab.
The following data cards are available for GA4 in your Clairty account:1) Audience overview. 2) Acquisition report. 3) Popular pages. 4) Sessions by country. 5) Sessions by device.
As you can see, not a lot of GA4 data is available in Clarity.
And you don’t need to analyze your GA4 data via Clarity. That’s not the purpose of this integration.
The integration’s purpose is to see session recordings and heatmaps based on different GA4 data segments.
For example, you can click on the flame icon next to the most popular page on your website (in terms of page views) to see all the heatmaps for the page.
Similarly, you can click on the video icon next to the most popular page on your website (in terms of page views) to see all the recordings for the page.
What you are basically doing is automatically creating and applying filters to your heatmaps and recordings reports based on GA4 data.
Microsoft Clarity automatically creates a custom dimension called the ‘Clarity Playback URL ‘as soon as you integrate Clarity with GA4.
You should be able to see the ‘Clarity Playback URL ‘dimension listed under the ‘Custom dimensions’ tab in your GA4 admin area.
You can use this dimension in standard reports as well as in the exploration reports in GA4.
In GA4, you can not open a web page directly in the browser tab from within the user interface.
So, you will have to copy-paste the Clarity Playback URL into your browser address bar to see the session recording.
Hopefully, in the near future, GA4 will allow you to open web pages directly in the browser tab from within the user interface.
When that happens, you will be able to access session recordings of any web page directly from within the GA4 user interface.
Other articles related to GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
#1 Google Analytics 4 Intro
- What is GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – The Apps + Web Property?
- Key Benefits of Using Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- GA4 Migration Guide – Learn to upgrade to GA4 from GA3 via checklist
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) vs Universal Analytics – What is the Difference?
- GA4 vs GA4 360 – Pricing, Limits, Billing and More
- Google Analytics 4 Training & Tutorial with FREE GA4 ebook
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Channels, Source and Medium explained.
- Blueprint for Google Analytics 4 Implementation
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 cookies – _ga cookie
#2 Google Analytics 4 Property
- Google Analytics Account Hierarchy (Structure Explained)
- Understanding Google Analytics Measurement ID (GA4)
- Google Signals GA4 – See Demographics (Gender, Age) in Google Analytics 4
- Using the GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Test Property
- Google Analytics 4 Sub Properties Tutorial
- Roll up Property in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – Tutorial
#3 Google Analytics 4 Integrations
- How to connect GA4 (Google Analytics 4) with Google Data Studio
- How to link GA4 (Google Analytics 4) with Google Ads
- How to link Google Search Console to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Install Google Analytics 4 on Shopify
- GA4 Firebase Integration – Correctly Add App Data Streams to GA4 Property
- How to link Google Analytics 4 with Adsense
#4 Google Analytics 4 Events
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Event Tracking Setup Tutorial
- Understanding Event Parameters in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Recommended Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Enhanced Measurement Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Automatically Collected Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Set Up GA4 Custom Events via Google Tag Manager
- Events Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Rename Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Use Google Analytics 4 Event Builder
- GA4 Form Interactions Tracking – Enhanced Measurement
#5 Google Analytics 4 Conversions
- Google Analytics 4 Conversion Tracking Guide – GA4 Goals
- How to Import Conversions from GA4 Property to Your Google Ads account
- GA4 Conversion Rate – How to find it and use it
#6 Google Analytics 4 Dimensions
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Dimensions Tutorial
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Custom Dimensions Tutorial
- GA4 User Properties (User Scoped Custom Dimensions) – Tutorial
- Event Scoped Custom Dimensions in GA4 – Tutorial
- How to remove (other) in GA4 reports and avoid Cardinality.
- How to remove not set in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
#7 Google Analytics 4 Metrics
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Metrics Tutorial with Free Google Analytics 4 Ebook
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Custom Metrics Tutorial
- What are Predictive Metrics in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
#8 Google Analytics 4 Ecommerce
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Ecommerce Tracking via GTM – Tutorial
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 Monetization Reports
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 Ecommerce Purchases Report
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 In-app purchases Report
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 Publisher Ads Report
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 Promotions Report
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 User Purchase Journey Report
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 Order Coupon Report
#9 Google Analytics 4 Specialized Tracking
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Enhanced Measurement Tracking Tutorial
- Cross Domain Tracking in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Setup Guide
- GA4 Site Search – Tracking Site Search in Google Analytics 4
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Scroll Tracking Tutorial
- Self-referral Google Analytics 4 – Referral exclusion GA4
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Data Import Tutorial
- Google Analytics 4 Content Grouping – Create Content Groups in GA4
- How to Track Single Page Apps in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign Parameters – GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
- GA4 Form Tracking via Google Tag Manager
- How to Track Phone Calls in Google Analytics 4 – Call Tracking Tutorial.
- How to use Microsoft Clarity with GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
#10 Google Analytics 4 filters
- GA4 filters – Understanding Data Filters in Google Analytics 4
- How to Create and Test Filters in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
- Exclude Internal Traffic in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) via IP Filter
#11 Google Analytics 4 Explorations
- Free Form Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – Exploration Report
- How to Use the User Lifetime Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Use Path Exploration Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – Path Analysis
- How to Use Segment Overlap Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Use the Funnel Exploration Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) – Funnel Analysis
- Cohort Exploration Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Create Landing Pages Report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
- How to Create Google Ads report in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
- How to Segment GA4 Data by Data Stream
- Organic Search Traffic Analysis in GA4 – Complete Guide
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Outbound Links Tracking
- How to Track Email Campaigns and Traffic in GA4
- How to view full page URLs in GA4?
- How to view full referral URL in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
#12 Google Analytics 4 Advanced
- Understanding Google Analytics 4 Sessions
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Measurement Protocol Tutorial
- How to Build Comparisons (Advanced Segments) in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Understanding Automated Insights in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Understanding Channel Groupings in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Understanding Data Sampling in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Google Analytics 4 Regex (Regular Expressions) Tutorial
- Google analytics 4 GDPR compliance checklist
- How to Exclude URL Query Parameters in Google Analytics 4
- What is unassigned traffic in GA4 and how to fix it.
- Google Analytics 4 not working? Here is how to fix it.
#13 Google Analytics 4 Reports
- How to Create Custom Insights in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to Use Debug View Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- How to see Organic Search Keywords in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
#14 Google Analytics 4 Attribution
- Guide to Attribution Models in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
- How to Change Attribution Models in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)?
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Conversion Paths Report in Attribution
- GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Model Comparison Report in Attribution
- Advertising Snapshot in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) Attribution
- GA4 Attribution Modelling Tutorial
#15 Google Analytics 4 Audiences
- GA4 Audiences – Creating Custom Audience in Google Analytics 4
- How to Create a Remarketing Audience in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Understanding Audience Triggers in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Predictive Audiences – Tutorial