analytics

Set up GA4 event tracking by creating a data stream, installing gtag.js or GTM, enabling enhanced measurement, and pushing custom events with gtag('event', ...) calls. Mark key events as conversions in GA4 Admin and validate them with DebugView.

Use utm_source for the platform (google, meta, newsletter), utm_medium for the channel type (cpc, paid-social, email), and utm_campaign for the campaign name. Keep everything lowercase, use consistent separators, and document all values in a shared spreadsheet.

Duplicate events usually come from multiple containers on one page, overlapping triggers, or a tag firing on both page view and a custom event. Use GTM Preview mode to inspect which tags fired per event and check trigger conditions and tag firing options.

GA4 and database numbers diverge due to consent mode filtering, ad blockers, client-side versus server-side tracking gaps, and session timeout differences. Debug with GA4 DebugView and GTM Preview, and consider server-side tagging for critical conversions.

Make tracking GDPR compliant by integrating a consent management platform, setting GA4 consent mode defaults to denied, and conditionally loading tags like Facebook Pixel only after consent. Also configure data retention settings and avoid sending PII in event properties.

An e-commerce store should track product_viewed, product_added_to_cart, cart_viewed, checkout_started, checkout_step_completed, and purchase_completed as core events. Include enhanced e-commerce parameters like item_id, item_name, price, quantity, and transaction_id.