How to Find Returning Users in Google Analytics 4

Finding a returning user report in Google Analytics 4 isn't as simple as it was in the old Universal Analytics. While the data is absolutely there, GA4 requires you to look for it, and report on it, in a slightly different way. This guide will walk you through exactly where to find new versus returning user metrics, how to build dedicated reports to analyze them, and what insights to look for.

"New" vs. "Returning" Users: The GA4 Definition

Before we jump into reports, it's important to understand the language GA4 uses. The transition from Universal Analytics to GA4 wasn’t just a facelift, it represented a fundamental shift from a session-based model to an event-based model. This changes how users are classified.

New User: In GA4, a "New user" is someone visiting your website or app for the first time. This is identified when they trigger a first_visit (for a website) or first_open (for an app) event. GA4 uses a persistent Client ID stored in the user's browser cookie to recognize them.
Returning User: A "Returning user" is anyone who has initiated at least one previous session, regardless of whether they were a new user in the current date range being analyzed. If GA4 sees a familiar Client ID without a first_visit event in that session, it counts them as a returning user.

The key takeaway is that an individual user can be both "new" and "returning" within the same reporting period. They count as "new" on their very first visit and "returning" on all subsequent visits.

One of the biggest sources of confusion is that GA4 doesn't have a simple "Returning User" metric you can just add to any report like you could in Universal Analytics. Instead, it offers a "New / established" dimension. Let's look at how to use that.

Method 1: Using the "New / established" Dimension in Standard Reports

For a quick, high-level overview, you can use one of GA4’s built-in standard reports. The "New / established" dimension is Google's default attempt to segment new users from everyone else.

New: Users who have visited in the last 7 days.
Established: Users who first visited more than 7 days ago. This is GA4's main equivalent of "Returning users" in standard reports.

While not a perfect 1-to-1 match for our "more than one session" definition, it's the fastest way to get a general sense of retention.

How to Find It in the Traffic Acquisition Report:

From your GA4 dashboard, navigate to Reports in the left-hand menu.
Under the "Acquisition" section, click on Traffic acquisition.
You'll see a table with "Session default channel group" as the default primary dimension. Just above the table on the left, click the small blue "+" button to add a secondary dimension.
In the search box that appears, type "New" and select the New / established dimension from the menu.
Your table will now update, showing a breakdown of New and Established users for each marketing channel. You can instantly see which channels, like Organic Search or Email, are better at bringing back established visitors.

You can apply this same secondary dimension to many other standard reports to get a quick pulse on user return rates across different segments.

Method 2: Create a Dedicated "Returning User" Audience

If you want a more accurate and flexible way to track returning users across all of GA4, the best method is to create an Audience. This allows you to define exactly what a "returning user" means to you and then use that group as a comparison segment in your reports.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Audience:

Go to the Admin section (click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner).
In the "Property" column, find Audiences and click on it.
Click the blue New audience button in the top right.
A panel will slide out. Click Create a custom audience.
Give your audience a clear name, like "True Returning Users".
Under Include users when, set up your condition. The most reliable way to identify a returning user is by counting their sessions. We want to include anyone with more than one session.
- In the search box under "Events," find and select session_start.
Next to the session_start event, click Add parameter. From the dropdown, select Event count.
Set the condition to > (greater than) and the value to 1.
In the top right, under Membership duration, set it to the Maximum limit. This ensures users remain in this audience as long as possible.
Click Save.

Now that you've created this audience, you can apply it as a comparison in any report by clicking Add comparison at the top of the report page. This gives you a clear, side-by-side view of all users versus your true returning users.

Method 3: Build a Custom Report in "Explore"

The "Explore" section is where you can break free from GA4's pre-built reports and build a dashboard that meets your exact needs. This is the most powerful method for analyzing returning user behavior in detail.

Let's build a simple free-form report that compares New and Established users across key engagement and conversion metrics.

Steps to Build Your Exploration Report:

In the left-hand menu, click on Explore.
Select Blank report or start with a Free form exploration.
Give your exploration a helpful name, like "New vs Returning User Deep Dive".
In the Variables column on the left, you'll need to import the dimensions and metrics you want to analyze.
- Import Dimensions: Click the "+" next to Dimensions. Search for and import New / established, Page path and screen class, and Session default channel group.
- Import Metrics: Click the "+" next to Metrics. Search for and import Users, Sessions, Engagement rate, Conversions, and Total revenue (if applicable).
In the Tab Settings column, drag and drop your imported variables into the correct sections:
- Rows: Drag New / established here. This will create two rows: "new" and "established." For more detail, you could also add Session default channel group as a second row dimension here to see a breakdown by channel.
- Values: Drag all your desired metrics (Users, Sessions, Engagement rate, etc.) into this box. This will populate the columns of your table with data for new and established users.
The report will generate on the right. You now have a custom dashboard that clearly contrasts the behavior of your new visitors vs your established user base.

Analyzing Your Returning User Data: What to Look For

Just finding the data isn't enough, the goal is to extract meaningful insights that help you grow your business. Here are a few key questions your returning user reports can answer:

Are Returning Users More Engaged?

Compare the Engagement rate metric side-by-side. You should expect returning users to have a significantly higher engagement rate. If they don’t, it could mean your content isn't compelling enough to hold their attention on repeat visits, or your site navigation makes it hard for them to find what they're looking for.

Do They Convert More Often?

Look at the Conversions and Total revenue metrics. A healthy business model typically relies on repeat customers. If your 'Established' users are not outperforming 'New' users in conversions, you may have an issue with user loyalty, product satisfaction, or trust. This data is critical for understanding lifetime value.

What Content Brings Them Back?

In your Explore report, replace New / established in the "Rows" section with Page path and screen class. Then, add New / established to the "Columns" section. This view shows you which specific pages are attracting the most returning visitors. This can help you identify your cornerstone content - the articles, tools, or product pages that are so valuable people return to them again and again.

Which Marketing Channels Drive Loyalty?

Use the Session default channel group as the primary row dimension in your Explore report. This will show you if channels like Email, Direct, or Organic Search are bringing back your established users, while channels like Paid Search might be driving mostly new traffic. This insight helps you properly allocate your marketing budget toward both acquisition and retention.

Final Thoughts

While Google Analytics 4 adds a few steps to the process, isolating and analyzing returning users is more powerful than ever. By leveraging dimensions like "New / established," creating custom audiences for accurate segmentation, and building detailed Explore reports, you can gain a much deeper understanding of user loyalty and content performance.

We know this process of navigating different reports, creating audiences, and configuring custom explorations can feel tedious, especially when you need answers quickly. For those situations, we built Graphed to connect directly to your Google Analytics data and do the heavy lifting for you. Instead of manual report building, you can just ask a question like, "Show me a comparison of new vs returning user conversions by channel for last month," and get a live, automated dashboard in seconds.