Cost Data Import CSV Builder for GA4

How to build a GA4 cost data import file

A GA4 cost data import puts spend from other ad platforms next to the sessions and conversions GA4 already tracks, so you can compare cost per conversion across channels. Google now calls it campaign data import, and its Import campaign data page sets the format. GA4 now connects Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Snap and TikTok directly, so this tool is built for the platforms it doesn't connect: Microsoft Advertising, LinkedIn, X, Amazon, Quora and others.

1. Export a daily campaign report. In your ad platform, export date, campaign name, campaign ID, spend, clicks and impressions with a daily breakdown. Google suggests 12 months of history for a first import.
2. Load the report. Drop in the CSV or Excel file, or paste it. Report title lines above the column names and total or copyright lines below the data are skipped.
3. Type your utm_source and utm_medium. Most reports have no source or medium column, so enter exactly what your ad links use, such as bing and cpc.
4. Pick the currency and column names. Choose the currency of the spend and either Google's help-page names or the downloadable template names.
5. Download the CSV. You get one row per campaign per day with dates as YYYY-MM-DD, cost with two decimals and a currency column, plus a list of rows left out.

What the builder checks

• Dates newer than 2013 and not in the future; date ranges and week labels are refused.
• Keyword and ad rows are added up, because utm_term and utm_content can't be imported.
• Macros like {{campaign.name}} are flagged, as the import doesn't fill them in.
• Spellings of the same source that differ only in capitals, which GA4 treats as different sources.
• Rows from platforms GA4 connects directly, so you don't count their cost twice.

Import campaign data into GA4

1. Create the import source. In GA4 go to Admin › Data collection and modification › Data import and click Create import source. Name it, choose the data type Campaign data and the source Manual CSV upload. You need the Editor role or higher.
2. Upload and map. Choose the CSV, click Next and map each column to its Analytics field. Map the currency column to Currency, or set one fixed currency. Then click Import.
3. Add new days later. Open the source in Data import and click Import now with a new file that has the same columns or fewer. Newer values for the same campaign and date replace the old ones.
4. Check the result after 24 hours. Look at Reports › Acquisition › Non Google campaign and the campaign data import validation report, which shows the match rate.

GA4 allows 1 GB of campaign data across all import sources and up to 120 uploads per property per day.

Why GA4 cost data import isn't showing

Low match rate

Imported rows only join with your traffic when utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign and date are exactly the same, including capitals. "Spring_Sale" and "SpringSale" don't match. Fix the links or the values in the file, then upload again.

Links without UTM tags

If the ads don't carry utm_source and utm_medium, GA4 can't link sessions to the imported cost. Tag every ad with utm_id, utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, and keep one source and medium per platform.

Cost counted twice

Connecting Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Snap or TikTok directly and also uploading a CSV for the same platform doubles its cost. Delete the overlapping CSV data before you switch to the direct connection.

Currency missing

Since July 2026, GA4 requires a currency whenever you import cost. Older import sources keep reporting cost in the property currency.

Weekly or monthly totals

The import is daily. A row for a week or a month can't be read; export the report again with a daily breakdown.

Not in audiences or explorations segments

Campaign data joins at report time. It shows in reports, but it can't be used for audiences or segments, and deleting the import source removes it from reports.