How to monitor analytics across multiple WordPress sites

Use a separate GA4 property for each genuinely separate website. Google describes a property as representing data for one user base and recommends one web data stream per property. This keeps each site's traffic, events and permissions separate.

Do not create one shared property simply because the sites are all managed by the same agency. A shared property makes ownership and reporting harder unless the sites are part of one product or user journey.

In Google Analytics, confirm that every site has the correct GA4 property and web data stream. Record the property and stream details for each domain before touching WordPress.

Give your team access at the account level only when they should see every property. Otherwise, add people at the property level so they see only the site they manage. Google requires the appropriate Administrator permission to add or change users.

On each WordPress site, install and configure one tracking method. Site Kit by Google can connect an existing Analytics account, property and web data stream, or create them during setup. Go to Site Kit > Settings > Connect More Services > Analytics, then select the matching property and stream.

Check the site's source or real-time report after setup. The common Friday problem is duplicate tracking: a site has Site Kit plus a second Analytics or tag plugin adding another Google tag. Keep one method responsible for the standard tracking code.

Open the live site in a private browser window and check the matching GA4 property's real-time report. Visit a few pages, then confirm that the hostname and page views appear under the intended property.

If data is missing, check the selected property and stream first, then consent settings, caching, ad blockers and whether another plugin has disabled or duplicated the tag. Data is not always immediate, so use real-time reporting for the first check and normal reports later.

For a small number of sites, the manual route is enough: sign in to Google Analytics, select a property, review its reports, then switch to the next property. This avoids another WordPress plugin and gives you Google's full reporting interface.

The drawback is that Google Analytics does not give you a convenient WordPress dashboard showing the same snapshot across many unrelated properties. You must repeat the checks, keep property names organised and build separate reporting views if clients need regular combined summaries.

When switching between properties becomes the slow part, use MainWP Google Analytics. Install the MainWP dashboard and child-site connection first, make sure Google Analytics tracking already exists on every child site, then connect the Analytics account from MainWP > Add-ons > Google Analytics > Add Account. The extension reads Analytics data; it does not add tracking code to child sites.

After connecting the account, assign the correct GA4 property to each child site. MainWP can match properties by URL, but you can open a child site's settings and assign the property manually when names or domains do not match. Review the combined visitor data from MainWP > Add-ons > Google Analytics > Visitor Data.