GA4 MCP for Zed: Setup, Skills and First Query

angle: One exact Zed context_servers block for GA4, so the AI settings clicks land in the right JSON.

I query GA4 from inside Zed with the same server I run in Cursor and VS Code. GA4 MCP for Zed gives you that: one entry under context_servers in Zed settings, your property ID plus credentials in env, then plain questions answered from your own property schema.

Proof strip

Configuring Zed 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. Open Settings, AI, MCP Servers in Zed. Click Add Server, choose Add Local Server.

2. Paste this entry (Zed uses context_servers, not mcpServers):

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

3. Watch the indicator dot beside the server name. Green means connected; grey means the command or env needs a second look.

4. Verify by asking: "List my GA4 properties." You have succeeded when list_properties returns rows with no setup error. Hands-free alternative: curl -fsSL "https://ga4.builditwithai.xyz/install" | bash writes the Zed entry.

Skills worth loading first

| Skill slug | What you use it for in Zed |

|---|---|

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

| content-performance | You want top pages and weak pages split out |

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

| date-ranges | You compare two periods and want the two-query pattern |

| 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: "Which pages earned the most engaged sessions last week?"

Your agent should first load content-performance, then call:

get_ga4_data(
  dimensions=["pagePath"],
  metrics=["sessions"],
  date_range_start="7daysAgo",
  date_range_end="yesterday",
  intent="top pages by sessions last week"
)

Read the period figure from totals. GA4 computes it; I stopped hand-summing after watching agents drift.

Fixing the three errors you will hit

1. Grey indicator after save. Symptom: Zed shows the server disconnected. Fix: confirm uvx google-analytics-mcp runs in your terminal, the JSON key is context_servers, then reload Zed.

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 compatible-combinations, retry. Offline guide: get_troubleshooting_guide(topic="schema").

FAQ

Does GA4 MCP for Zed use context_servers?

Yes. Zed settings use context_servers with command/args/env, verified in zed.dev MCP docs today. Other clients use mcpServers; Zed is the exception and I keep the key exact.

Does the installer cover Zed?

Yes. The site names Zed in the auto-configure list.

Add Local Server or Install from Extensions?

Add Local Server with the block above. Install from Extensions fits registry servers; this server wires as a custom local entry.

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, Zed line), https://ga4mcp.com/setup/, https://ga4mcp.com/skills/, zed.dev 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 Zed (you are here).