Analytics sounds scary, but hooking up your site’s numbers is a 10-minute, copy-paste job. This guide is the exact workflow we use on our own dashboard — written for people who’ve never touched Google Analytics.
What you’ll end up with
Daily numbers in your Insights app: how many people visit, where they come from, and (once you add Search Console) which searches bring them in and how often you appear.
Step 1 — Create your GA4 property (2 min)
- Go to analytics.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
- Click Admin (gear, bottom-left) → Create property.
- Name it your site, pick your country, and click Create.
- Copy your Property ID (a number like 123456789) — you’ll need it in the app.
Step 2 — Make a service account (3 min)
This is the “robot key” that lets the app read your numbers securely — you never share your password.
- Go to console.cloud.google.com → pick or create a project.
- APIs & Services → Enable APIs → search and enable Analytics Data API.
- Credentials → Create credentials → Service account → name it (e.g. “analytics-bot”) → Done.
- Click the service account → Keys → Add key → JSON → download the file. Keep it safe — it’s the only copy.
Step 3 — Let the robot in (2 min)
- Back in Analytics → Admin → Property access management.
- Add user → paste the service account email (it ends in @…iam.gserviceaccount.com) → give it Viewer permission.
Step 4 — Paste it into Insights (2 min)
In the Insights app’s Settings: paste your Property ID + upload the JSON key file you downloaded. Save.
That’s it. The daily numbers start flowing.
Optional — Search Console (clicks, impressions, position)
If you want to see which Google searches bring visitors, add the same service account email in Google Search Console → Settings → Users and permissions → Add user (Full). The app picks it up automatically — no code, no waiting on anyone.
If something doesn’t work
- Triple-check the service account email is added with Viewer (GA4) / Full (Search Console).
- Make sure the Analytics Data API is enabled on the project.
- The JSON key must be the file from Step 2, not a screenshot or a rename.
Still stuck? Ask in the community — we run this exact setup ourselves and will walk you through it.
Where’s the app?
Open Insights from your dashboard apps — [hub.sqs.chat/apps/app/insights/](https://hub.sqs.chat/apps/app/insights/) — and paste your Property ID + upload the JSON key in its Settings.
References
- hub.sqs.chat/apps/app/insights/ — https://hub.sqs.chat/apps/app/insights/
by Priya Anand — the product desk, Side Quest Studios
AI-assisted, curated for Side Quest Studios.