During the Universal Analytics (UA) period, the Conversion Path report was prominent for analyzing user interactions before conversion.

It would show which channels users went through, which was effective in the conversion path, who made the last click, all in a single table.

This table was valuable for evaluating marketing investments, as it provided a clear answer to the question, "Where did the conversion come from?"

With the transition to GA4, this table no longer appears in exactly the same way. But the data is not lost; only the measurement model and interpretation method have changed.

What Was the Logic in Universal Analytics?

UA was a session-based system.
Each session starts from a traffic source, the user interacts with the site, and if a conversion occurs, that session would be added to the conversion path.
Thus, the channels a user went through until conversion were listed, for example:

Organic Search → Paid Search → Direct → Conversion

This structure was quite intuitive, but it was limited.
User's cross-device transitions, long time intervals, or multiple touchpoints could not be fully taken into account.
Most of the time, the last click model prevailed, and the contribution of other channels became invisible.

How Did the Logic Change in GA4?

GA4 switched to an event-based data structure.
Now, every user interaction is recorded as an event.
This brings a "What did the user do, what events did they trigger"-focused analysis approach.
Still, session and user dimensions have not completely disappeared; they have merely become auxiliary metrics.

In GA4, the concept of "Conversion Path" is now included in the Advertising → Attribution → Attribution Paths report.
Here, the steps users take toward conversion can still be seen; however, the focus is now much more on channel contribution.

GA4's default attribution model comes as Data-Driven Attribution (data-driven) in most properties.
This model statistically allocates the contribution of each channel to the conversion using past interaction data.
However, some standard reports (for example, Traffic Acquisition) still rely on the last click model, meaning results can vary depending on the model used.

So How Should We Look at It Now?

In UA, the question "Who won the conversion?" was forefront.
In GA4, however, the question "What role did each channel play in this conversion?" is prominent.

Instead of a step-by-step table like in UA, GA4 provides answers to the following questions:

• Which channels were effective before the conversion?

• How much did each channel contribute to the conversion?

• On average, how many days and interactions did it take for the conversion to occur?
  
  

So, we now need to look at the Conversion Path not as a channel order table, but as a multi-contribution analysis.
GA4 attempts to measure the real impact in the marketing mix by assigning a weight to every touchpoint in the journey.

Key Points to Remember

To read the Attribution Path report meaningfully in GA4, the following points are critical:

• Clearly define the conversion you are examining.
  In GA4, each Key Event (for example, purchase, lead_submit) is tracked separately.
  If you do not select the conversion you are looking at, the channel contribution may appear confusing.
  
  

• Pay attention to the volume of data.
  Data-Driven Attribution model requires sufficient conversion and journey data to produce meaningful results.
  If the data is low, the model may produce erroneous distributions.
  
  

• Regularly check UTM parameters and source tags.
  Missing or incorrect tags consolidate traffic under Direct and distort the shares of channels.
  
  

• Always take time into account.
  “Days to key event” and “Touchpoints to key event” metrics are crucial for understanding user behavior.
  Users typically do not convert in a single session but after several days and interactions.
  
  

• Make comparisons with different models.
  Thanks to GA4's Model Comparison report, you can analyze the same data with different attribution models.
  The difference between last click and data-driven models helps you understand which channel is truly effective.
  
  

• Keep in mind the limitations of GA4.
  Lookback window is set to 30 days by default for most conversions, but can be adjusted up to 90 days. Interactions beyond this period are not included in attribution.
  Therefore, it is important to consider these limitations when interpreting the results.
  
  

Perspective Changed, But the Goal Remains the Same

In UA, the question "Who won the conversion?" was forefront.
In GA4, however, the question "What role did each channel play in this conversion?" is prominent.

Conversion Path still exists; it just speaks a different language now.
GA4 works to evaluate all stakeholders in the conversion process in a fairer manner, rather than a step-by-step roadmap.

GA4 has given us a new perspective; we should now read the conversion path as a story of channels working together, rather than a single winner.