A business can see different sources in user-acquisition and traffic-acquisition reports without either report being broken. Commission a report contract that states whether the question concerns first arrival, a session or a key event. A channel label is not proof of a qualified enquiry.
Primary evidence and claim boundaries
Google Analytics distinguishes user-, session- and event-scoped traffic-source dimensions. Reports using different scopes answer different questions. Primary reference · Read 17 October 2026.
Filled acceptance example
Synthetic teaching scenario, not a client case, provider integration test or business result. Scroll the example table on narrow screens.
| Synthetic observation | Question / scope | Report interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| BrowserB first arrives via organic | How was this browser first acquired? | First-user source:organic |
| B returns via tagged newsletter in a new session | What originated this session? | Session source:newsletter |
| B fires a request_info event | Was there an actual qualified enquiry? | Unknown until authorised business evidence |
| Different browserC on same device owner | Can we mergeB andC as one person? | No identity evidence; do not infer |
Practical handover procedure
- Write the business question above the chart, including dimension scope, metric, date window, filters and reporting identity. Keep the same settings when comparing periods.
- Use the first two filled rows to test whether the supplier understands why source labels can differ. Record attribution settings separately rather than force every report to match.
- If authorised enquiry evidence exists, reconcile it through a privacy-approved method. Keep test events, event counts, browser identifiers, enquiries and sales as separate quantities.
Interpret the outcome
The first source can remain organic while a later session is newsletter-led. That difference does not prove tracking damage or incremental revenue. This worksheet intentionally leaves enquiry qualification unknown: naming an event “lead” does not supply the missing business evidence.
Acceptance decision
The supplier should reproduce the distinction with synthetic data and state exactly which scope each published figure uses. Comparisons with unknown identity or mismatched filters must be labelled.
Limits and unverified work
No GA4 account, CRM or personal data was read. Example source labels simplify the stated two-session path; real attribution, direct traffic and consent rules need their actual settings.
Download the filled bilingual acceptance record — Contains these inputs, steps, expectations and limits. This is a teaching record, not an executable integration.