Seeing Full Url string (including query parameters)

May 31, 2026
  • First Published: May 31, 2026
  • Last Modified: May 31, 2026

Sometimes you need to see the full URL e.g.

https://krmdigital.uk/buy-my-course

rather than just:

/buy-my-course

in GA4.

Let’s check out how that is done.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

  • The default ‘Page Path’ dimension hides your full domain data
  • ‘Page Location’ includes the full URL and query strings, making it a perfect tool for reviewing UTM parameters.
  • You can easily add the ‘Page Location’ dimension to your standard reports for a permanent fix.
  • Explorations offer a deeper look at page metrics, but query strings and subdomains can increase the risk of high-cardinality issues.

The Dimension

The dimension here that shows the full URL is called “Page Location.”

This dimension is the complete URL of the webpage that someone visited on your website.

It would include the domain and any UTMs used.

Adding it to reports

If you want a permanent, quick view of your full URLs, subdomains, and UTMs, you need to tweak your standard reports.

Here is the exact step-by-step process.

  1. Open your GA4 property and go to Reports.
  2. Find the report related to your pages (this is typically called ‘Pages and Screens’).
  3. Look to the top-right corner and click the Pencil icon to customise the report.
Customise Report button in GA4
  1. On the right-hand sidebar, click Dimensions and add ‘Page Location’.
  2. Click Apply.

Finally, click Save, and then ‘Save changes to current report’.

You have 2 options here as well. You can set ‘page location’ as the default dimension. So that’s the first dimension you always see.

Alternatively, if you don’t set is a default, it’s available in the dropdown.

It saves clients the hassle of constantly switching views to understand their own subdomain data. You can do this by clicking the three dots next to Page Location in the customisation menu and hitting ‘Set as default’.

Using an explore report

If you are running deeper analysis on specific subdomains or campaign URLs, you will want to use Explorations.

This will be in the form of a free form report.

  1. Head over to Explore and start a Blank exploration.
  2. Click the plus icon next to Dimensions and search for ‘Page Location’. Tick the box and hit Import.
  3. Next, add your metrics. Click the plus next to Metrics and pull in Views, Sessions, Total Users, or whatever else you need.
  4. Double-click your imported dimensions and metrics. Page Location drops into your ‘Rows’, and your metrics populate the ‘Values’.
Full page in Explore

Taking it further

Within the free-form report, you could apply extra filters to hone down on what you want.

  • Add ‘hostname’ to filter on a specific subdomain
  • Add filter to hone in a sub-folder e.g. blog section
  • Add session source / medium to choose to review a specific campaign

All of this is possible within the free-form section, just remember to add the dimension in the Variables section and add it as a filter in the Settings section.

Getting your data clean and readable across all your subdomains is the first step to making actual improvements.

While it would be brilliant if Google made Page Location the default, a few minutes of customisation is a small price to pay for accurate data and easier UTM reviewing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I separate subdomain traffic in GA4?
By replacing the default ‘Page Path’ dimension with ‘Page Location’. This displays the entire URL, including the specific subdomain (for example, https://blog.yoursite.co.uk/post), allowing you to segment traffic accurately.

Can I view UTM parameters on landing pages in GA4?
Yes. By adding the ‘Page Location’ dimension to your reports or Explorations, you can view the full absolute URL. This includes the query strings appended to the end of your links, making it easy to review your campaign tracking.

Why is my Page Location report not showing revenue in GA4?
The Page Location dimension is currently incompatible with the Total Revenue metric in standard reports. You must remove Total Revenue from the metrics list to apply the Page Location dimension successfully.

Does tracking UTMs cause high cardinality in GA4 explorations?
It certainly can. Because ‘Page Location’ captures full query strings, every unique UTM combination creates a new row. If you have thousands of unique variations, GA4 might group the lower-traffic URLs into a single row called ‘(other)’ to handle the massive volume of data efficiently.

Kyle

Author

Hello, I'm Kyle Rushton McGregor!

I’m an experienced GA4 Specialist with a demonstrated history of working with Google Tag Manager and Looker Studio. I’m an international speaker who has trained 1000s of people on all things analytics.

Find out more About me
Scroll to Top