Subproperties are specialized Google Analytics 4 properties that source their data from another existing 360 property. They allow you to filter and partition data for specific teams, brands, or regions without creating entirely separate tracking implementations.
These are available exclusive to Google Analytics 360 accounts linked to a Google Marketing Platform organization.
What is a Subproperty?
A subproperty acts as a downstream version of a "source property." It inherits event data from the source, but users can apply filters to ensure only specific data appears in the subproperty. While it receives data from a parent, you manage it as an independent entity with its own user permissions, data retention settings, and product links.
Unlike the source property, a subproperty cannot have its own data streams or collect its own events directly from a website or app. It relies entirely on the primary property for its event flow.
Why Subproperties matter
Marketers use subproperties primarily for data governance and organizational efficiency. This is particularly useful for global enterprises or companies with distinct business units.
- Granular Access Control. Assign users to a specific subproperty so they only see data relevant to their department or region.
- Targeted Measurement. Filter the source property to create a view focused on one brand, one country, or a specific platform.
- Independent Attribution. You can apply different attribution models to a subproperty than those used in the source property.
- Enhanced Security. Ensure sensitive data remains restricted to authorized personnel by partitioning it into separate sub-environments.
How Subproperties work
Subproperties function by receiving a copy of event data from the source property. This happens before attribution modeling occurs, allowing the subproperty to train its own independent models (such as Data-Driven Attribution).
The Filtering Logic
When you create a subproperty, you define "include" or "exclude" conditions using event-level dimensions. You can use logic like "City exactly matches Hong Kong" or "Platform is one of Android, iOS."
You must account for a processing delay when configuring these. Realtime data typically reflects filter changes in 5 minutes to 4 hours, while daily data can take 4 to 36 hours.
Dependencies and Inheritance
Subproperties inherit data deletions from the source. If you delete data from the source property, it is removed from all associated subproperties. However, deleting data within a subproperty does not affect the source. Similarly, moving a source property to the trash automatically moves all its subproperties to the trash.
Usage Limitations
Google enforces specific limits to maintain performance across 360 accounts.
- Property Limits. You can create up to 400 subproperties from a single source property.
- Account Totals. Every subproperty created counts toward the overall limit of 2000 properties per Analytics account.
- Product Linking. There is a maximum of 400 unique Google Ads links across a source property and all its subproperties combined.
- Data Restrictions. Subproperties do not support offline events or the manual creation/modification of events within the user interface.
Best practices
Calculate costs before deployment. Because subproperties incur fees, verify the business case for partition. Each event in a subproperty costs half the price of an event in the source property. This can double your costs if you replicate all data into a subproperty.
Use syncing for custom dimensions. Instead of manually recreating custom dimensions and metrics, opt-in to sync them from the source property. This ensures data consistency and saves administrative time.
Prioritize source property links. For integrations like Search Console or Firebase, link to the source property first to ensure data integrity across the entire hierarchy. Use subproperty-specific links only when necessary for specialized reporting.
Common mistakes
Mistake: Using subproperties to replace Universal Analytics (UA) Views. Fix: Subproperties carry an additional cost per event. For simple reporting needs, use GA4 filters, segments, or BigQuery instead of creating a subproperty.
Mistake: Expecting retroactive data. Fix: Changes made to a subproperty filter only apply to data moving forward. You cannot retroactively filter data that was already processed.
Mistake: Filtering out "first_open" or "first_visit" events for active users. Fix: If the subproperty filter includes any event for a user, Analytics automatically includes the associated session starts. If these are the only events for a user, they are dropped.
Examples
Example scenario: Regional Reporting. A global clothing brand has one GA4 360 source property. They create two subproperties: one filtered for "Country matches United Kingdom" and another for "Country matches France." This allows the regional marketing teams to view their specific metrics without seeing global data.
Example scenario: Brand Partitioning. A parent company owns three distinct hotel brands tracked in one property. They create a subproperty for each brand using a custom dimension "Brand_Name." This allows them to link the "Luxury Brand" subproperty to a specific Google Ads account used only by that brand's marketing team.
Subproperties vs Roll-up Properties
| Feature | Subproperty | Roll-up Property |
|---|---|---|
| Logic | Breaks down data (Disaggregation) | Combines data (Aggregation) |
| Direction | Source -> Subproperty | Multiple Properties -> Roll-up |
| Primary Use | Regional or brand-specific views | Global or enterprise-wide views |
| Event Cost | 0.5 of source event cost | 0.5 of original event cost |
FAQ
Do I need a 360 license to use subproperties? Yes. Subproperties are a 360-only feature. You must have an active 360 order within the Google Marketing Platform to see the subproperty management options.
How is the cost calculated? According to standard 360 contracts, each event processed in a subproperty counts as half an event toward your billable total. You are not charged for source events that are filtered out of the subproperty.
Can I move a subproperty to another account? No. Because a subproperty depends on its source property for data, it cannot be moved independently to a different Google Analytics account.
Can I create a subproperty from another subproperty? No. You can only create a subproperty from an "ordinary" property. You cannot chain them together or create them from roll-up properties.
What happens to subproperties if I downgrade the source property? You must delete all subproperties before you can downgrade a source property from 360 to the standard version of Google Analytics.
