GA4 exports generate massive datasets. Billions of rows can appear in a matter of months. If you query raw tables without any filters, BigQuery will happily scan the entire dataset- slow, expensive, and frustrating.
What goes wrong without it?
Analysts often forget how partitioning works in GA4:
• Tables are exported daily (events_YYYYMMDD)
• Queries without _TABLE_SUFFIX scan everything
• Budgets evaporate simply because filters are missing
How does partitioning help?
Partitioning organizes your data into chunks by event date. That means:
• BigQuery processes only the slices you actually request
• Queries run faster and return results more quickly
• You save money while keeping reports accurate
What’s the right habit?
• Always include _TABLE_SUFFIX or event_date in WHERE
• For automation, parameterize the date range
• Check bytes scanned before execution to stay efficient
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