Google Analytics 4

Workflow

1. Measurement Plan

Before touching GA4, define what matters:

2. Event Taxonomy

Use a consistent naming convention. Never use spaces or capitals in event names.

Naming pattern: object_action (noun_verb)

# Core events (auto-collected — don't recreate)
page_view, session_start, first_visit, user_engagement

# Recommended events (use GA4 standard names)
sign_up, login, purchase, add_to_cart, begin_checkout

# Custom events (your business logic)
trial_started
feature_activated
plan_upgraded
invite_sent
onboarding_completed
support_ticket_opened

Implementation (gtag.js):

// Custom event with parameters
gtag('event', 'trial_started', {
  plan_type: 'pro',
  referral_source: 'pricing_page',
  value: 49
});

// User property (set once per user)
gtag('set', 'user_properties', {
  account_type: 'enterprise',
  company_size: '50-200'
});

GTM dataLayer push:

dataLayer.push({
  event: 'plan_upgraded',
  plan_from: 'free',
  plan_to: 'pro',
  mrr_delta: 49
});

3. Custom Dimensions & Metrics

Register in GA4 Admin → Custom definitions before sending data.

4. Conversion Tracking

Mark key events as conversions in GA4 Admin → Events → toggle "Mark as conversion."

High-value conversions:

• sign_up — new account created
• purchase — payment completed
• trial_started — trial activated
• plan_upgraded — expansion revenue

Micro-conversions (track but don't optimize ads against):

• onboarding_completed
• feature_activated
• invite_sent

5. Audience Segments

Build in GA4 → Audiences for remarketing and analysis:

6. Cross-Domain Tracking

For multi-domain setups (app.example.com + www.example.com):

gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXX', {
  linker: {
    domains: ['example.com', 'app.example.com', 'checkout.example.com']
  }
});

Verify in GA4 DebugView — sessions should NOT restart across domains.

7. Attribution Settings

GA4 Admin → Attribution settings:

• Reporting attribution model: Data-driven (default, recommended)
• Lookback window: 30 days for acquisition, 90 days for other conversions
• Cross-channel: Enable for accurate multi-touch attribution

8. Looker Studio Reporting

Connect GA4 as data source. Key dashboard pages:

Overview dashboard:

• Sessions, users, new users (line chart, 30d trend)
• Conversion rate by channel (bar chart)
• Top landing pages by sessions and conversion rate (table)
• Device category breakdown (pie chart)

Acquisition dashboard:

• Users by source/medium (table with sparklines)
• Campaign performance (sessions, conversions, CPA)
• Organic vs paid trend (combo chart)

Engagement dashboard:

• Events per session by page (heatmap)
• Feature adoption funnel (custom funnel chart)
• User retention cohort (built-in cohort table)

9. Debugging

GA4 DebugView: Enable with:

gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXX', { debug_mode: true });

Or install GA Debugger Chrome extension.

Common issues:

• Events not showing → check real-time report (24-48h processing delay for standard reports)
• Duplicate events → check for double gtag installation (GTM + hardcoded)
• Missing conversions → verify event is marked as conversion AND firing correctly
• Cross-domain breaks → check linker config and excluded referrals

10. GA4 Data API

Query data programmatically:

from google.analytics.data_v1beta import BetaAnalyticsDataClient
from google.analytics.data_v1beta.types import RunReportRequest, DateRange, Dimension, Metric

client = BetaAnalyticsDataClient()
request = RunReportRequest(
    property=f"properties/{PROPERTY_ID}",
    date_ranges=[DateRange(start_date="30daysAgo", end_date="today")],
    dimensions=[Dimension(name="sessionSource"), Dimension(name="sessionMedium")],
    metrics=[Metric(name="sessions"), Metric(name="conversions")],
)
response = client.run_report(request)
for row in response.rows:
    print(row.dimension_values[0].value, row.metric_values[0].value)

Weekly Audit Checklist

• Check real-time for expected event flow
• Verify conversion counts match backend data (±5% tolerance)
• Review (not set) and (other) values in reports — indicates taxonomy gaps
• Check data freshness in Looker Studio dashboards
• Review audience sizes for remarketing — flag if dropping unexpectedly
• Audit new events in DebugView before production rollout