If you're using Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and your property collects data from multiple hostnames (e.g., subdomains or regional sites), it’s important to ensure you're filtering by the correct hostname when building custom metrics in Databox.
A common issue is assuming the hostname will match the website URL exactly, but GA4 may send it over differently. To avoid mismatches, it's best to check how hostnames are structured in the API before setting up filters.
How to identify and filter by the correct hostname
Open Metric Builder and select Google Analytics 4 as the Data Source.
Set the Metric to the metric you want to report on (like Sessions, Bounce Rate, Form Submissions).
Set the Dimension to Hostname.
Click Preview Data to see all the hostnames GA4 sends to Databox. This allows you to copy the exact format of the hostname you want to use.
Once you confirm the correct hostname, use it in a filter by clicking on Advanced options and adding a filter for Hostname.
Change the Dimension depending on what you want to track (e.g., Session default channel grouping).
✅ Tip: GA4 filters in Databox are case sensitive, and they must have no leading or trailing spaces. Double-check your formatting before previewing the metric.
For more on building filtered custom metrics from GA4, visit: How to create Custom Metrics using GA4 data.