What “eligible” actually means
Eligibility has two layers. First, the Google Analytics property needs access to the cross-channel budgeting feature. Second, the property needs enough usable evidence for the selected objective and channels. A visible menu does not guarantee that every scenario can be modeled, and a missing menu does not automatically mean the tracking implementation is broken.
Product access
Check property access, rollout status and user permissions before changing data collection.
Model readiness
Check conversion history, campaign costs, stable taxonomy and whether the chosen outcome has enough observations.
How much historical conversion data is required?
For DDA-based cross-channel budgeting, Google requires at least one year of conversion history and one year of campaign data across at least two channels, including Google and non-Google. Web conversions are supported; app conversions and key events alone are not. Existing event history can backfill an associated conversion when available. Meeting these thresholds does not guarantee that model checks pass. Google's DDA requirements.
Meridian-based budgeting is a separate, limited Analytics 360 alpha. Its documented prerequisites include a linked Google Ads account, created conversions, two years of campaign costs, and two years of conversion and revenue history. Do not apply the DDA minimum to this model. Google's Meridian requirements.
Build a usable-history ledger
For each channel, record the earliest reliable cost date, the outcome being counted, missing periods, and the owner responsible for repairs. A calendar span can hide gaps: a year containing a tracking outage deserves a different review from a year of consistent collection. Record consent, taxonomy and conversion changes alongside the numbers.
What to check when Scenario Planner is unavailable
Open the property's Budgeting overview and read its eligibility details before changing tracking. After campaign uploads, Google allows up to one day for eligibility status to update and up to two days for model evaluation. Data gaps, weak signals or failed quality checks can prevent a model even after initial eligibility is met.
| What you see | What to inspect | Useful next action |
|---|---|---|
| Budgeting is missing | Property, desktop Advertising access, product rollout and permissions. | Confirm access with the property owner before rebuilding tags. |
| Your business outcome cannot be selected | Conversion setup and its available history. | Document the intended outcome and ask the measurement owner to verify its setup. |
| Non-Google spend is absent | Import coverage and successful joins. | Reconcile the affected platform before interpreting an allocation. |
| Checks are pending or unsuccessful | Status details, upload timing and known data discontinuities. | Keep a dated record of each repair; escalate persistent failures with that evidence. |
Importing non-Google campaign costs
A Google Ads link does not supply Meta or other non-Google spending. Missing costs can prevent eligibility or leave channels outside the usable model; do not read an omitted channel as a recommendation to give it no budget. Keep your planning spreadsheet reconciled while you repair the import.
| Input | Check | Failure signal |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign cost | Spend, clicks and impressions arrive at the expected cadence. | Conversions appear without comparable investment. |
| Campaign identity | Source, medium and campaign names map consistently. | Spend lands in unassigned or fragmented rows. |
| Currency and time | Declare the import currency and reconcile reporting boundaries. | Daily totals drift or apparent efficiency becomes implausible. |
| Conversion outcome | The modeled event represents a business result. | The forecast optimizes toward soft or duplicated events. |
Google's campaign import schema requires source, medium and date; include currency when importing cost. Campaign ID and name are recommended, and campaign names matter when your channel grouping uses them. Match UTM values exactly, including case. Check both upload success and match rate: accepted rows can still fail to join. Refresh daily costs and avoid overlapping imports for the same campaign dates. Campaign import documentation.
Five-step readiness checklist
Confirm property access
Record the property, access owner, budgeting model and the status displayed in the product.
Audit conversion history
Compare the usable history with the relevant minimum above; record gaps and changes in what a conversion means.
Import non-Google campaign costs
Reconcile spend against each source platform before using cross-channel recommendations.
Normalize campaign dimensions
Reconcile campaign identifiers and reporting boundaries with the platform export. Keep a log of naming changes.
Validate before reallocating
Compare a projection against observed outcomes before moving a material share of budget.
Scenario Planner vs Google Ads Performance Planner
| Planner | Best for | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| GA4 Scenario Planner | Allocating future budget across Google and non-Google paid channels. | Depends on cross-channel cost and conversion coverage in GA4. |
| Google Ads Performance Planner | Forecasting budget and bidding changes inside eligible Google Ads campaigns. | Does not replace a cross-platform allocation model. |
FAQ
How much historical data does GA4 Scenario Planner require?
For DDA budgeting, the minimum is one year. Meridian budgeting has a separate two-year requirement. Check the model available to your property.
Why is Scenario Planner unavailable in my GA4 property?
Possible causes include limited beta access, insufficient history, missing cost data, weak conversion coverage, or property and permission requirements that are not yet satisfied.
Does Scenario Planner need cost data from Meta or other platforms?
Cross-channel recommendations need campaign and cost inputs for the channels being modeled. Missing non-Google costs can leave the planner unable to compare those channels reliably.
Continue the planning workflow
Use the UTM Link Builder to standardize campaign tags. Read the full GA4 Scenario Planner guide, audit the measurement layer with the GA4 and GTM checklist, or use Conversion Lift to test whether a reallocation was incremental.