GA4 MCP for VS Code: Setup, Skills and First Query

angle: One exact .vscode/mcp.json block for VS Code, so Cline and Roo users share one verified entry.

I query GA4 from inside VS Code with the same server I run in Cursor and Claude. GA4 MCP for VS Code gives you that: one servers entry in .vscode/mcp.json, your property ID plus credentials in env, then plain questions answered from your own property schema.

Proof strip

- Site lists v2.11.4, MIT, 15 skills, 11 tools (verified 2026-10-09 at https://ga4mcp.com/).
- One-line installer: https://ga4.builditwithai.xyz/install. Runtimes: uvx google-analytics-mcp and npx -y @surendranb/google-analytics-mcp.
- Installer auto-configures VS Code paths Cline and Roo Code (site Works with list, verified today).
- VS Code path verified today: workspace .vscode/mcp.json (or user profile) with servers object, stdio command/args/env, IntelliSense in the file; code --add-mcp adds entries (VS Code MCP docs).
- Cline path verified today: Cline panel MCP Servers icon, Configure tab, Configure MCP Servers opens JSON with mcpServers command plus args (Cline docs).
- Repo pyproject.toml reads 2.11.5 today, ahead of site 2.11.4; I quote the site label.
- Read-only, local stdio. Telemetry off with DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 or DO_NOT_TRACK=1.

Configuring VS Code to launch the server

Prerequisites: numeric GA4_PROPERTY_ID (Admin, Property details, not the G- ID), plus a service-account JSON path or gcloud auth application-default login. Keep the JSON path absolute.

1. Create or open .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace and add:

{
  "servers": {
    "google-analytics": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["google-analytics-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GA4_PROPERTY_ID": "123456789",
        "GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS": "/absolute/path/to/key.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

2. Cline/Roo variant: in the Cline panel click the MCP Servers icon, open the Configure tab, click Configure MCP Servers, add the same entry under mcpServers with command plus args.

3. Command-line alternative:

code --add-mcp '{"name":"google-analytics","command":"uvx","args":["google-analytics-mcp"]}'

Then add the two env values in the file by hand.

4. Restart VS Code and verify by asking: "List my GA4 properties." You have succeeded when list_properties returns rows with no setup error.

Skills worth loading first

| Skill slug | What you use it for in VS Code |

|---|---|

| traffic-diagnosis | You saw sessions move and want the ordered checks |

| common-metric-names | Your field name failed and you want the working GA4 name |

| compatible-combinations | Your dimensions and metrics returned a 400 incompatibility |

| channel-acquisition | You want sessions split by source, medium, channel group |

| filter-structures | Your dimension filter returned an invalid-filter error |

Full set of 15 at https://ga4mcp.com/skills/, loaded with search_skills("<slug>").

Running your first query

Ask: "What were my top channels last week?"

Your agent should call:

get_ga4_data(
  dimensions=["sessionDefaultChannelGroup"],
  metrics=["sessions"],
  date_range_start="7daysAgo",
  date_range_end="yesterday",
  intent="which channels drove sessions last week"
)

Read the period figure from totals. GA4 computes that block; hand sums drift and I stopped doing them.

Fixing the three errors you will hit

1. Server missing after edit. Symptom: VS Code lists no google-analytics server. Fix: confirm the file is .vscode/mcp.json with top-level servers (VS Code shape, not mcpServers), valid JSON, then reload the window.

2. Setup error on first call. Symptom: missing property or credentials. Fix: confirm both env values with an absolute key path; for ADC expiry run gcloud auth application-default login. setup_ga4_access recovers mid-session where prompts are supported.

3. Invalid dimension, metric, or filter. Symptom: 400 naming error. Fix: run search_schema("<keyword>"), load common-metric-names plus filter-structures, retry. Offline guide: get_troubleshooting_guide(topic="schema").

FAQ

Does GA4 MCP for VS Code use .vscode/mcp.json?

Yes. Workspace .vscode/mcp.json with the servers block above is the path, verified in VS Code MCP docs today.

Do Cline and Roo Code share this entry?

They read the same stdio shape through their own Configure MCP Servers JSON (mcpServers with command plus args). The installer covers both; the block above ports across with the key rename noted.

Does the installer cover VS Code?

Yes. The site names VS Code with Cline and Roo Code in the auto-configure list.

Why does the agent guess wrong field names?

Training predates GA4 renames (UA sunset 2023-07-01; conversions renamed to key events 2024-05-06). The ua-to-ga4 skill maps each old name.

Is usage read-only and private?

Yes. Tools read metadata and reports; they change nothing. Traffic runs from your machine to the GA4 Data API. Anonymous counts stop with DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1.

Why does the repo read 2.11.5 when the site says 2.11.4?

Main moved ahead of the site label at fetch today. I quote 2.11.4 for installs and state the gap here.

Freshness and machine links

Verified 2026-10-09 against https://ga4mcp.com/ (v2.11.4, VS Code Cline Roo line), https://ga4mcp.com/setup/, https://ga4mcp.com/skills/, VS Code MCP docs, Cline MCP docs, and repo raw pyproject.toml 2.11.5.

Version gap (2026-10-09): repo pyproject.toml reads 2.11.5 [source: repo pyproject.toml, verified this run] while the live site labels v2.11.4 [source: https://ga4mcp.com/ fetch 2026-10-09]; installs on this page quote the site label.

Machine: https://ga4mcp.com/llms.txt, https://ga4mcp.com/data/tools.json, https://ga4mcp.com/data/skills.json.

Breadcrumb

Hub (/ga4-mcp-for-every-harness/) / GA4 MCP for VS Code (you are here).