GA4 vs. HockeyStack Website Data Tracking

Why HockeyStack Data May Differ from GA4

HockeyStack data will not directly match the numbers you see in GA4. This is expected and due to key differences in tracking methods and metric definitions.

Tracking Differences

HockeyStack uses its own fingerprinting method to identify users across sessions and devices. This approach is different from GA4’s tracking, which relies more heavily on cookies and user IDs. Additional tracking differences include:

• Google Analytics applies a predictive algorithm to account for users who block ads or reject cookie tracking, while HockeyStack does not.

• HockeyStack employs more aggressive bot filtering than Google Analytics, which can lead to lower reported traffic.

• HockeyStack merges traffic from different devices, whereas Google Analytics does not.

• Deleted cookies affect tracking differently: Google Analytics uses cookies, so if a user deletes them, GA may count them as a new visitor. HockeyStack uses fingerprinting and is less affected by deleted cookies.

Metric Definitions

Some core metric definitions also differ between the two platforms:

• Sessions

  • HockeyStack: 10-minute inactivity timeout

  • GA4: 30-minute inactivity timeout

• Bounce

  • HockeyStack: A session with only one pageview is considered a bounce

  • GA4: Uses an engagement-based definition—sessions with a single, actively-viewed page may still be considered engaged, reducing the bounce rate

• Unique Users

  • HockeyStack: Determined by HockeyStack’s fingerprinting

  • GA4: Based on Google’s user ID and cookie system

Because of these differences in tracking logic and metric definitions, it's normal to see data discrepancies between HockeyStack and GA4.

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GA4 and Google Analytics are two names of the same tool.