Decode GA4 is a BigQuery-native data transformation utility built for teams working with the Google Analytics 4 BigQuery export. GA4 writes event data into deeply nested RECORD and ARRAY structures. Reading a single field such as pagelocation or pagetitle requires a correlated UNNEST subquery, repeated for every field an analyst needs, on a wildcard table that scans every partition. Decode GA4 does that transformation once, properly, and exposes the result as direct columns. The same query becomes simple dot-notation SQL against one predictable table per property.

It is a connector, not a platform. Decode GA4 is subscribed through Google Cloud Marketplace and delivered as a linked dataset via BigQuery Analytics Hub, so it deploys into your existing Google Cloud project and runs on your own BigQuery compute. Your data never leaves your project, there is no egress, and your existing IAM, security and data residency controls still apply.

Processing is metadata-driven and incremental. Each date partition is processed exactly once unless GA4 modifies it upstream, in which case the affected partitions are detected and reprocessed automatically. When GA4 adds new event parameters the output adapts without a full rebuild, so downstream dbt, Dataform and SQLMesh models keep working. Transformed data can be written as compressed Parquet in Cloud Storage and read through external tables, which cuts storage cost and enables export to AWS S3 or Azure Blob Storage.

Pricing is usage-based through Google Cloud Marketplace, from $50 per GiB for the first GiB down to $0.50 per GiB above 500 GiB. There is no subscription and no monthly minimum. Typical cost is $1.50 to $8 a month for sites under 10,000 monthly sessions, billed on your existing Google Cloud invoice.