When a consumer completes a conversion on your website, you may receive first-party consumer data such as an email address, name, home address, and/or phone number. This data can be collected and sent to Google in a hashed form through which Google Analytics feature?

Analysis of Correct Answer(s)

• User-provided data: This is the correct Google Analytics 4 (GA4) feature. It is specifically designed to capture first-party data that users voluntarily provide on your website, such as an email address or phone number, during events like a purchase or sign-up.
• The key function is that this data is hashed on the client-side (your website) using the secure SHA256 algorithm before it's sent to Google. This process protects user privacy while enabling Google to more accurately attribute conversions and model user behavior by matching the hashed data to signed-in Google accounts, which is especially valuable in cookieless environments.

Analysis of Incorrect Options

• Customer Match: This is a Google Ads feature, not a Google Analytics feature for data collection. You upload hashed customer lists directly into Google Ads to create audiences for targeting or exclusion in your campaigns. While it uses similar data, it's a distinct tool for audience creation, not for enhancing GA4 measurement.
• Data Import: This feature allows you to upload offline data to enrich the information you've already collected in GA4. For example, you can import cost data from other ad platforms or user data from a CRM. It's not for collecting hashed PII in real-time from your website.
• Admin API: This is a programmatic interface for managing your Google Analytics account settings, user permissions, and property configurations. It is an administrative tool and is not used for sending measurement or user data from your site.