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      What’s the difference between Flipsnack statistics and Google Analytics?

      Understand how these two tools track flipbook activity and why their numbers may not always match.

      Table of Contents


      Overview

      Flipsnack and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) are both tools for tracking how people interact with your flipbooks. But they don’t always show the same numbers and that’s normal.

      Flipsnack stats are easy to access, no setup needed, and show quick insights like views, clicks, reading time and downloads. GA4 requires setup but gives more detailed info, like where visitors came from and what links they clicked.

      This article explains the key differences between the two tools and why their numbers may not always match.

      Key benefits

      • Flipsnack: No setup needed, great for simple flipbook performance tracking.

      • GA4: Advanced tracking across campaigns, websites, and traffic sources.

      • Combined use: Use both to get a full picture—simple stats plus detailed marketing data.

      Requirements

      Flipsnack statistics: Available to all Flipsnack plans. No setup is needed—data is collected automatically after publishing a flipbook.

      Google Analytics: Requires a GA4 account and a Professional, Business, or Enterprise Flipsnack plan. You need to manually add your GA4 Measurement ID in either the flipbook's Customize section or at the workspace level in Branding settings.

      What Flipsnack statistics tracks

      Flipsnack tracks:

      • Views: how many times someone opened the flipbook.

      • Clicks: how many links or buttons were clicked.

      • Average time spent: how long people stayed in the flipbook.

      • Device and country: what device was used and where the visitor was located.

      • Downloads: how many times the flipbook was downloaded for offline use.
      • Shopping catalog orders: for those that use the product catalog it show the number of orders they have.
      • Lead form statistics: how many form submissions were submitted in your flipbook.
      • Engagement package: Quiz, questions and contact for submissions.

      You can view these stats in your Flipsnack account and download them as CSV files.

      Learn more: Flipsnack statistics

      What Google Analytics 4 Tracks

      GA4 uses an event-based model. That means it records every action in your flipbook separately. When integrated with Flipsnack, GA4 can track:

      Flipbook-specific interactions:

      • PDF downloads
      • PDF prints
      • Link clicks (on internal or external URLs)
      • Page navigation (next/previous)
      • Entering or exiting fullscreen mode
      • Zoom actions
      • Search queries
      • Opening the page overview
      • Toggling sound (on/off)

      Broader GA4 tracking includes:

      • Visitor source (email, social media, search, etc.)

      • Device and location data (with more detail than Flipsnack)

      • Custom events you define and configure

      Because it’s event-based, GA4 may show different totals from Flipsnack, which uses a session-based approach for many metrics.

      Learn more: What data can you track through Google Analytics?

      Why do the results look different?

      These tools count things in different ways. Here’s why:

      • Views: Flipsnack counts one view per visit. GA4 counts each time the script is loaded.

      • Time spent: Flipsnack includes idle time. GA4 may stop counting if a user is inactive.

      • Unique visitors: Flipsnack uses browser/device info. GA4 can connect visits across devices if possible.

      • Location tracking: GA4 shows cities. Flipsnack only shows countries.

      These are not errors—they’re just different ways of measuring engagement.

      Use cases: when to use each

       

      Use case Flipsnack GA4
      Quick view count and time spent ✅ Optional
      Link click tracking ✅ ✅
      Track UTM campaign sources ❌ ✅
      Export form responses ✅ ❌
      Compare flipbook vs website traffic ❌ ✅
       

      Troubleshooting

      If you're not seeing any data at all in GA4, this usually means something in the setup is missing or not working properly. Here are the most common things to check:

      No data showing in GA4

      Make sure your tracking is correctly installed across all flipbooks or at the account level:

      • Check your Measurement ID: Make sure you've added the correct GA4 Measurement ID in the flipbook's Customize section or in the Branding > Settings area.

      • Make sure the flipbook is published: GA4 won’t collect data from drafts or unpublished flipbooks.

      • Verify GA4 setup: Use Google’s Tag Assistant or GA4 DebugView to confirm that events are firing.

      • Avoid browser extensions or blockers: Ad blockers or browser settings may block GA4 from running.

      • Use an incognito window: Sometimes cached settings or cookies affect tracking. Open your flipbook in incognito mode and check again.

      • Wait 24–48 hours: GA4 doesn’t always show new data immediately, especially in the standard reports.

      • Ensure it's installed everywhere: Confirm that the GA4 Measurement ID is applied either to every individual flipbook or to the entire workspace via Branding settings.

      Data only appears in DebugView, not in reports

      • DebugView shows real-time data, but GA4 may take up to 48 hours to display that data in standard reports.

      • Double-check that you're not using a filtered view or incorrect property.

      Embedded flipbooks not tracking

      • Flipbooks embedded in iframes might be blocked from sending data depending on the site or browser security settings.

      • Test the flipbook URL directly (not the embedded version) to confirm tracking is working.

      Duplicate Measurement IDs

      • If the same GA4 ID is installed multiple times (e.g., through GTM and Flipsnack settings), it can result in double counting. If you add your GA4 ID in the Flipsnack settings page, there's no need to also install it via Google Tag Manager.

      • Use only one method per flipbook to avoid conflicting results.

      Custom events not showing

      • Custom events must be configured and registered correctly in GA4.

      • Use DebugView or the Events tab in GA4 to verify if your events are being received.

      If everything is set up correctly and there's still no data, consult Flipsnack’s integration article or reach out to support.

      For help, check:

      Tips & FAQs

      Why does Flipsnack show more views?

      Flipsnack counts one view per session. This can result in higher numbers when GA4 tracking is limited or blocked.

      GA4 also tries to recognize and merge visits from the same user across devices and sessions, which can result in fewer unique visitors.

      Why is time different?

      Flipsnack records total time the flipbook is open, even when inactive. GA4 stops tracking after a short period without interaction.

      Why is the visitor count higher in Flipsnack?

      Flipsnack counts every session, device, or browser as a separate visitor. This means even the same person can be counted multiple times.

      Can cookies or browser settings affect visitor counts?

      Yes. If a user declines cookies or uses a browser that blocks tracking, GA4 may not register their visit, leading to undercounting.

      Next Steps

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