Default Channel Group

GA4's rule-based classification of traffic into channels like Organic Search, Paid Social, Email, and Direct, based on source and medium.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

The default channel group is Google Analytics 4's rule-based classification of traffic into channels such as Organic Search, Paid Social, Email, and Direct. GA4 assigns sessions to channels based on their source and medium values, so consistent campaign tagging is essential for traffic to be grouped and reported accurately.