GA4 Event Tracking & Setup
Design events and parameters that still read cleanly two years later. Naming, scopes, key events, custom dimensions, and the quotas that quietly bite.
Naming Conventions for GA4 Events
One house style for event and parameter names, so your reports stay readable as your tracking grows. With a copy-paste cheat sheet.
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EventsRecommended vs Custom Events in GA4: Which to Use
When a Google recommended event beats a custom one, and why the choice changes what GA4 can do for you.
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EventsHow Many GA4 Events Is Too Many
Event and parameter quotas, the hidden cost of sprawl, and how to audit and prune without losing signal.
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ParametersGA4 Event Parameters: The Hidden Key to Useful Reports
Parameters are what separate a generic event from actionable data. What they are, how they work, and what you'll regret not setting up early.
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Event scopeSession, User & Item Scopes: When to Use Each
Why the same metric gives different numbers depending on the scope you pick, and how to choose the right one for your question.
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Custom dimensionsEvent-Scoped vs User-Scoped Custom Dimensions
Pick the wrong scope and half your rows read "(not set)". How to choose event, user, or item before you register.
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Key eventsHow to Choose Your GA4 Key Events
Picking the three to five events that actually represent business value, and leaving everything else as a plain event.
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ConversionsGA4 Conversions vs Key Events: What Changed and Why It Matters
GA4 renamed "conversions" to "key events" in 2024, but the change affects more than the label. What it means for your reports.
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ImplementationImplementing the dataLayer for Optimal GA4 Reporting
The dataLayer is GTM's source of truth. Get the structure wrong and no amount of tagging will fix it. Here's what a clean implementation looks like.
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Channels, Content & Conversions
Make GA4 match how you talk about the business. Group raw channels, pages, and events into the handful of rows anyone actually asks about.
GA4 Default Channel Groupings, Explained
What each default channel really means, how GA4 picks one from source and medium, and why good traffic lands in Unassigned.
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ChannelsBrand vs Non-Brand Traffic in GA4
Splitting branded search out of Organic, so a brand spike stops masquerading as SEO success and real growth stops getting buried.
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ContentContent Grouping in GA4
Bucket pages into Pricing, Blog, and Product instead of reading four hundred URLs one row at a time.
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ConversionsGrouping GA4 Events Into Conversions
Bundling lead_form_header, learn_more_a and friends into one "Leads" number, without re-tagging and without losing history.
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Data Quality & Trust
The settings that decide whether you can believe a number before you report it.
Filter Internal Traffic Out of GA4
The IP rule, the two-part mechanism, and the Testing-state gotcha that leaves your own visits in every metric.
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Data qualityGA4 Sampling and Thresholds: When Your Data Isn't Your Data
GA4 applies sampling and thresholds silently. Here's how to spot it, what triggers it, and how to work around it.
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GA4 Updates & What's New
What changed in GA4 lately, and whether it changes how you report.
Tracking the GA4 release notes, so you don't have to.
First guides landing soon: measuring AI assistant traffic (ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude referrals), the new Source Group dimension for cross-channel analysis, and the cross-channel budgeting beta. Each one explained the same way as the rest of the library: what changed, whether it matters for your reports, and what to do about it.
Cross-Source & Attribution
GA4 is one source. Tie it to your campaigns, Search Console, and Ads without chasing a phantom discrepancy.
UTM Parameters: The Right Way to Tag Your Campaigns
Inconsistent UTM tagging is the most common source of broken channel attribution. A complete reference for teams who want clean data.
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AttributionGA4 Attribution Models Explained: From Last Click to Data-Driven
How you credit conversions changes which channels look effective. A plain-English breakdown of each model and when to use it.
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Search ConsoleWhy Search Console Clicks Never Match GA4 Organic Sessions
The two numbers will never be equal, and that's expected. Understanding why stops you (and your clients) chasing a phantom discrepancy.
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Google Ads Best Practice
Build Ads reports a client understands, connect the account to GA4 cleanly, and keep pace with where the platform is heading.
Connecting Google Ads to GA4: What Flows and What Doesn't
Linking the accounts unlocks auto-tagging, imported conversions, and audience sharing, but some data still doesn't cross over. Here's the map.
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Client reportingBuilding Client-Ready Google Ads Reports
Campaigns, ad groups, keywords: what to show, what to hide, and how to structure reports that tell a clear performance story.
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Meta Ads Strategy
Getting the most out of Meta's Advantage+ era, for marketers who also live in GA4.
Practical Meta Ads guides, landing soon.
First topics on the list: the Advantage+ unified campaign flow now that manual and AI are merged, the drop to 25 conversions per week, reading the new Opportunity Score, and putting the 730-day retargeting window to work. Same approach as the rest of the library: the wrong way, the right way, and how to read it in a report.
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