GA4 MCP

▶Set Up Guide Using Claude Code

This guide will walk you through setting up the Google Analytics 4 MCP server in Claude Desktop using the Smithery approach.

Time Required: 15-20 minutes Prerequisites: All verified ✅

Node.js v22.19.0 ✅

npm 10.9.3 ✅

Claude Desktop ✅

Step 1: Set Up Google Cloud Service Account

1.1 Access Google Cloud Console

Open your browser and go to: https://console.cloud.google.com

1.2 Create or Select a Project

At the top of the page, click the project dropdown

Click "NEW PROJECT"

Name it: Claude GA4 MCP

Click "CREATE"

Wait for the project to be created, then select it from the dropdown

1.3 Enable Google Analytics Data API

In the left sidebar, click "APIs & Services" > "Library"

In the search bar, type: Google Analytics Data API

Click on "Google Analytics Data API"

Click the blue "ENABLE" button

Wait for it to enable (takes a few seconds)

1.4 Create Service Account

In the left sidebar, click "IAM & Admin" > "Service Accounts"

Click "CREATE SERVICE ACCOUNT" at the top

Fill in the details:

Service account name: Claude-GA4-MCP
Service account ID: (auto-filled, leave as is)
Description: Service account for Claude to access GA4 data

Click "CREATE AND CONTINUE"

Skip the optional steps by clicking "CONTINUE" then "DONE"

1.5 Download Credentials JSON

You should now see your service account listed

Click on the service account email (looks like: claude-ga4-mcp@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com)

Go to the "KEYS" tab

Click "ADD KEY" > "Create new key"

Select "JSON" format

Click "CREATE"

A JSON file will download automatically - save this file securely!

Rename it to: ga4-credentials.json

Move it to this directory: /Users/ellen/Desktop/agent/GA4_MCP/

IMPORTANT: Copy the service account email - you'll need it in the next step! The email looks like: claude-ga4-mcp@your-project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com

Step 2: Grant GA4 Access to Service Account

2.1 Access Google Analytics

Open a new tab and go to: https://analytics.google.com

2.2 Find Your Property ID

In the bottom left, click "Admin" (gear icon)

In the "Property" column, you'll see your property name

Below it, you'll see a number like "123456789" - copy this number!

Save it somewhere - this is your GA4 Property ID

2.3 Add Service Account Access

Still in Admin, under the "Property" column, click "Property Access Management"

Click the blue "+" button in the top right

Click "Add users"

Paste your service account email (from Step 1.5)

Under "Permissions", select "Viewer"

Uncheck "Notify new users by email" (it's a service account, not a person)

Click "Add"

Note: It may take a few minutes for access to propagate.

Step 3: Install MCP Server via Smithery

Now we'll install the MCP server using a single command:

Open Terminal (if not already open)

Navigate to this directory:

cd /Users/ellen/Desktop/agent/GA4_MCP

Run the Smithery installation command:

npx -y @smithery/cli install mcp-server-google-analytics --client claude

Wait for installation to complete (may take 1-2 minutes)

Step 4: Configure Claude Desktop

4.1 Extract Credentials from JSON File

Open the ga4-credentials.json file you downloaded

Find these values:

client_email: This is your GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL
private_key: This is your GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY (includes the -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- part)

4.2 Edit Claude Desktop Config

Open Claude Desktop

Go to: Settings (or Claude > Settings on Mac)

Click Developer

Click Edit Config

This will open a JSON file in your default text editor.

4.3 Add MCP Server Configuration

Add this configuration to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-analytics": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-server-google-analytics"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL": "paste-your-service-account-email-here",
        "GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY": "paste-your-private-key-here-including-begin-and-end-lines",
        "GA_PROPERTY_ID": "paste-your-property-id-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Replace the placeholder values with your actual credentials

The GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY should include ----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- and ----END PRIVATE KEY-----

Keep the \\n characters in the private key as they are

Your GA_PROPERTY_ID should be just the number (no quotes if it's a number)

4.4 Save and Restart

Save the config file

Completely quit Claude Desktop (File > Quit or Cmd+Q on Mac)

Reopen Claude Desktop

Step 5: Test Your Setup

Once Claude Desktop reopens, try these test queries:

Basic Test:

Show me page views for the last 7 days

Traffic Analysis:

What are my top 10 pages by traffic this month?

Device Comparison:

Compare mobile vs desktop traffic for the last 30 days

If you see Claude accessing the Google Analytics tools and returning data, congratulations! Your setup is complete!

Troubleshooting

Claude doesn't show the MCP server

Run node --version to verify Node.js is installed

Check the config file for typos in the paths or credentials

Make sure you completely quit and restarted Claude Desktop (not just closed the window)

Authentication errors

Verify the service account email has "Viewer" access in GA4 Admin

Check that the Google Analytics Data API is enabled in Google Cloud Console

Ensure the private key is properly formatted with \\n for line breaks

No data returned

Verify your GA4 Property ID is correct (should be a 9-digit number)

Check that your GA4 property has data for the date range you're querying

Service account access can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate (usually much faster)

Example Queries to Try

Once everything is working, try these queries:

Basic Metrics:

"What's my bounce rate for the last month?"

"How many active users did I have yesterday?"

"Show me sessions by traffic source"

Custom Analysis:

"Which pages have the highest engagement time?"

"Show me conversion rates by device type"

"What are my top referring websites?"

Event Analysis:

"What are my most triggered events this week?"

"Show me event counts for [specific event name]"

"Analyze user behavior patterns"

Additional Resources

Google Analytics Data API Documentation

Claude Desktop MCP Guide

MCP Server GitHub Repository

While the guide appears complex, Claude Code performs the implementation. Your only task is providing the credentials.

Result Summary