How to view sessions of First-Time Users in GA4

Understanding how first-time users interact with your website is critical to optimizing conversion funnels, onboarding experiences, and acquisition campaigns. In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), tracking sessions of first-time users can be a bit tricky compared to Universal Analytics. In this guide, we'll walk through several methods to accurately view sessions from first-time users in GA4 and show how a tool like Uplyt can make this process easier and more insightful.

What are First-Time Users in GA4?

In GA4, a "first-time user" is defined as a user who has not previously visited your site or app, as determined by a persistent identifier (usually the client ID or user ID). These users trigger the first_visit event during their first interaction.

This event becomes essential for segmenting new vs. returning visitors, measuring onboarding performance, or tailoring retargeting strategies.

Why analyze sessions from First-Time Users?

First-time users:

• Represent new acquisition success.

• Behave differently than returning users.

• Are more likely to bounce if the experience is not intuitive.

• Provide insight into how effectively your site communicates value.

Analyzing their behavior helps optimize:

• Landing pages

• Welcome flows

• Ad campaign targeting

• UX design and site architecture

3 Ways to view sessions from First-Time Users in GA4

1. Exploration Report with Segments

You can use the GA4 "Explorations" tab to build a custom report.

Steps:

1. Go to "Explore" > create a new "Free Form" report.

2. In the "Segments" section, create a new segment:

   • Select User segment

   • Filter: first_visit event occurred

3. Add desired dimensions (e.g., session source, landing page).

4. Use metrics like "Sessions", "Engaged sessions", "Conversions".

Tip: You can compare this segment against a segment of returning users.

2. Create a custom teport using the "first_visit" event

The first_visit event is automatically tracked by GA4. You can surface it in standard reports:

Steps:

1. Go to "Reports" > "Engagement" > "Events".

2. Click on first_visit

3. Explore which pages were most common during first visits.

4. Add secondary dimensions like source / medium to analyze acquisition channels.

Limitation: This shows first interactions but doesn’t give complete session behavior.

3. Use GA4 audience builder

Build an audience for first-time users and apply it across reports.

Steps:

1. Admin > Audiences > Create New

2. Name: First-Time Visitors

3. Condition: Include users when first_visit event is true

4. Save and publish

Once built, this audience can be used for comparisons and retargeting in Google Ads.

Key metrics to monitor for First-Time Users

• Sessions

• Engaged Sessions

• Average Engagement Time

• Bounce Rate (approximated via non-engaged sessions)

• Conversion Rate (choose the most relevant conversion event)

• Pages Viewed per Session

• Top Landing Pages

Bonus: How Uplyt makes this analysis easier

GA4 is powerful but often overwhelming—especially when tracking something specific like first-time user sessions. Uplyt simplifies this process by offering:

AI Summary for first-time user sessions

Our AI engine scans your data and highlights:

• Top acquisition sources for new users

• Pages with high bounce for first-time visitors

• Trends over time in user acquisition

Example: "This week, your bounce rate for first-time users from Facebook Ads increased by 14%."

Smart recommendations

We turn insights into action. Based on your data, Uplyt generates clear missions like:

• "Improve mobile experience on top landing page for new users."

• "Test new onboarding CTA for traffic from email campaigns."

Custom conversions

You define what matters: sales, sign-ups, or demo requests. All metrics for first-time users are recalibrated accordingly.

Sample Table: First-Time User Session Report

Final thoughts

Understanding sessions from first-time users is essential for any growth-oriented business. GA4 provides the tools to uncover these insights—but not always in the most accessible way.

Whether you're an agency, SaaS, or e-commerce brand, Uplyt helps:

• Identify the right data

• Automate actionable insights

• Track your progress with clarity

Ready to understand your first-time visitors better?

Connect your GA4 to Uplyt in 30 seconds and let our AI do the heavy lifting.