Google Analytics real time reporting buggy?

Google Analytics real time reporting may be off this morning, at least based on a number of reports we are hearing about since earlier this morning. If you are noticing unusually low real-time counts in GA4, you are not alone.

More details. I reported about the issue earlier today on the Search Engine Roundtable, quoting a number of complaints on social:

Seeing this right now. Either the bottom just dropped out on traffic, or it’s an Analytics issue.

— wordmetrics (@wordmetrics) May 8, 2025

Looks like GA4 is on a coffee break today! Hope they get back to work soon. Not alone in this!

— Chandan Kumar (@ImChandanKumar) May 8, 2025

Again real time numbers dropped. #GA4 @rustybrick @GoogleIndia @searchliaison

— NKS (@nitins05) May 8, 2025

i can confirm… usually should see 70-80 visitors, but now i can see only 7.

— Peter Nikolow (@PeterNikolow) May 8, 2025

You are not alone.

— Chandan Kumar (@ConnectCK) May 8, 2025

Google update related? There is some speculation that this might be an unconfirmed Google search update. But I am not sure about that, I do think there are two separate things going on right now.

Google comment. We did reach out to Google for a statement and when/if we hear back, we will add that statement to this story.

Why we care. We just wanted to get this story out there because there are a lot of publishers and site owners who are panicking a bit right now.

Don’t worry just yet, there are tons of complaints about GA4 real time reports being way off and you are not alone.