How to Track Events with Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager // Google Analytics 4 Events

When Google Analytics 4 was introduced, it was announced as the event-based analytics tool where everything is an event. A pageview, a purchase, etc. And there are many things to know about them that eventually materialized into this video tutorial.
In today's video, I will show you how to track events with Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager. This tutorial will show:
* What events are tracked in Google Analytics 4 automatically
* What is Enhanced Measurement in Google Analytics 4
* How to track recommended events in Google Analytics 4
* How to track custom events in Google Analytics 4
* How to create new events based on other events (directly in GA4 interface)
* How to modify incoming events and fix typos in them
* How to plan your event structure and naming convention
* How to test your events in Google Analytics 4
* And where to find your events in Google Analytics 4 reports.
There are many things that need to be covered (hence the length of it is longer than usual). But this is the core of GA4 and you MUST understand everything I teach in this video.
=== TIMESTAMPS ===
00:00 - Intro
02:53 - Overview of topics
03:48 - How events worked in Universal Analytics
05:04 - Automatically tracked events in Google Analytics 4
06:10 - Enhanced Measurement
11:35 - Test your Enhanced Measurement events
15:29 - Recommended events in Google Analytics 4 + example
25:39 - Custom events in Google Analytics 4 + example
38:14 - Register custom parameters in Google Analytics 4
41:54 - Create events and modify events (in the GA4 interface)
47:44 - Summary
48:58 - Migration and planning of events
49:38 - Final words
=== LINKS ===
Subscribe to our KZbin channel / @analyticsmania
📕 FREE E-book: Getting Started with Google Analytics 4: Installation, Events, Conversions
www.analyticsmania.com/p/gett...
⭐⭐ Google Analytics 4 course ⭐⭐
www.analyticsmania.com/course...
✭ Blog post: How to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 (includes the spreadsheet)
www.analyticsmania.com/post/u...
✭ Blog post: How to Install Google Analytics 4
www.analyticsmania.com/post/h...
✭ Blog post: How to track events with Google Analytics 4
www.analyticsmania.com/post/h...
✭ Spreadsheet: event plan example
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
✭ Google Analytics Debugger (Chrome Extension)
chrome.google.com/webstore/de...
✭ Recommended Google Analytics 4 event names
support.google.com/analytics/...
✭ A guide to Google Tag Manager Data Layer
www.analyticsmania.com/post/w...
✭ A guide to Custom event trigger in Google Tag Manager
www.analyticsmania.com/post/g...
✭ Collection and configuration limits in Google Analytics 4
support.google.com/analytics/...
=== CONNECT WITH JULIUS & ANALYTICS MANIA ===
✭ Facebook / analyticsmania
✭ Twitter / fedorovicius
✭ Linkedin / fedorovicius
Subscribe to our KZbin channel / @analyticsmania
#googletagmanager #googleanalytics4 #googleanalytics

[@AnalyticsMania]

If you want to learn more about Google Analytics 4, I have a free e-book that you can download here www.analyticsmania.com/p/getting-started-with-google-analytics-4/

[@Summersoulster]

How do we find the UTM code reports? Can find it anywhere. do you have a video? Thanks

[@jameskadavan]

The page says submit the form to download the free e book. Unfortunately, I dont find any forms there!!

[@AnalyticsMania]

You might have a browser extension that is blocking the form. Disable the extension (temporarily)

[@palakmehta6498]

@@AnalyticsMania Hey Julius, thanks for this informative video. I got an issue that Purchase Tracking Event tag fired in GTM but doesn't show up in GA4.

[@dangchanpen22]

Julius- you are a gifted communicator and educator. I finally have clarity. Thank you!

[@pinehurstbust6289]

I want to thank you for taking the time to really break this down and explain it. As a part time web guy for some fun this was so helpful. Great stuff please keep all the new G4 stuff coming.

[@alliemcfadyen7663]

EXACTLY what I was looking for thank you for creating this video. I will need to check the Data Layer article as the push was the piece that I was a little confused by.

[@alvar_p4l543]

Bookmarked! This is one hell of a good tutorial. Congratulations Julius for condensing all this information for us, much better than Google's own documentation. Keep the good work on.

[@PhilosophyFirm]

Way better than Google's lousy documentation for a product that's not very intuitive

[@neevensleman7108]

Finally I found someone that can explain Google analytics in an easy and actionable way! Thank you!

[@mfabulaz]

Thanks Man! that was super detailed, Really appreciate all the efforts.You've got new follower!

[@elizabethsalgado3202]

Fantastic tutorial as usual. Great explanation, great sources and tips. Thanks a mill!

[@ParthaSharman]

Thank you. This is the best tutorial on GA 4. The Modify and Create Events feels like Processing Rules in Adobe Analytics

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@skyrhymer]

Tip: video is at its best in 1.25x Thank you so much for the video. Great tips about ga4 and tag manager as well.

[@emanuelrodriguezbedeman5344]

This tutorials are really helping me understand GA4 and GTM. Thank you very much.

Amaaaaazing a unbelievably HELPFUL video! Thank you Julius! :) You are real guru! :) THANK YOU A LOT! :)

[@carinebardawil5106]

Super duper amazing tutorial, thumbs up! Thank you Julius!

[@faisalmmian]

Very nicely explained and informative. Thank you for sharing such a nice content.

[@serenkardenavdan9434]

Hi there, thank you for explaining deep dive. everyone just explaining limited info finally understand some points. Thanks

[@mahirasgarov9227]

Awesome tutorial. Thank you, man!

[@inai.5336]

exactly the video I was looking for. Thank you !

[@masterofbrutality6464]

Cool tutorial. Many thanks Julius, this is big deal. Bear hug!

[@jackwang7640]

That is amazing,Julius, thanks for sharing.

[@soumavoo]

Great Tutorial, loved it! Thanks,👍💚

[@meskiukasz1]

Thank you, this is what we need, much better than Google's info! Wonderful channel, keep it up! Liked, subcribed.

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@learnwithcode4211]

Thanks for this tutorial I was struggling with this issue. Subscribed

[@christophercedano8687]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Julius appreciated 🙏!!!

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@jensw2981]

Thanks - this is a great dive in - I'm wondering how to manage tracking site search, when the key-value pairs are in other way than ?key1=value1&key2=value2 definded? i.e. as: key1/value1/key2/value2 and so on - is there a way to specify such a url-logic, that GA is automatically able to track this?

[@oscarvillar1871]

Hi... The most full and useful information about this settings. Unfortunately in my language not enough information like yours exist.

[@loading.express]

Great video! Please do it more!

[@benjaminko7812]

Hi! The course It's really helpful! I was wondering if you could provide the source that you use in 26:32 for the demo? Thanks!

[@asevero]

Hi Julius! Thanks for the tutorial. I have a question, I did the same as you to track custom events (25:39). I am tracking outbound clicks that send the user to message me in WhatsApp (event I called 'click_whatsapp'). By default, GA4 already tracks outbound clicks so when I check GA4 debug mode, I have two click events (the default 'click' + the custom 'click_whatsapp'). I can get the parameters I need just with the default outbound clicks. The issue is, I want to make the 'click_whatsapp' a conversion in GA4 but I am not sure if it is a problem to have these two click events (doubled) running at the same time or if its better to create this custom event (click_whatsapp) based on the default event as you show in your tutorial "How to track conversions... (10:54)". In other words, I want to make the 'click_whatsapp' a conversion but GA4, with enhance measurement, already tracks outbound clicks. What is the best practice to make this click a conversion? (not sure if it is clear to understand haha) Thank you!

[@nopla7398]

Hi! This tutorial is honestly amazing. Thanks a lot. However (I am really sorry if this is obvious) for some reason, both my Tag Manager and Analytics see what I believe are my Recommended Events as "user_engagement". Am I missing a piece of code in my back end? My guess is that Data Layers are not put in right. Any tips?

[@dmland7779]

Thank you for your amazing tutorial videos 😊

[@Edysamaha]

Awesome vid, thanks!

[@rayali8958]

Great job! Thanks for creating this!

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@MrPhenomenomTV]

Such a great tutorial Julius, can’t thank you enough! Any plans to make a video on cross domain tracking?

[@AnalyticsMania]

No plans for now

[@Lucasamirati]

Amazing work. Thanks.

[@hanyanbar2138]

That's terrific; thanks always for the stellar work

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@vjekoslavvnucec326]

Great and professional content!

[@icemedia1606]

Fantastic stuff! keep up the good work!

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@Guilopes99]

Amaaazing guide! How can I find out the source that sent me users which entered in a specific page of my website on a given day?

[@MDMEHEDIHASAN-fo8oi]

Thank you for such a nice tutorial

[@sensedatalab5091]

very good tutorial thank you

[@_natureheal]

Julius thanks for all your great videos. So when setting up a Custom Event for Click URL and Click Name - as in your tutorial - I can see that Click Classes under the Variables tab does not return a value, just empty quotation marks, "". Why isn't click classes returning a value and how do I get it to return a value? I selected all of the Click variables on Tag Manager and when I select Variables on Tag Manager it displays in the listing. Without a value returned from Click Classes I'm unable to view nav bar clicks i.e. url's and names. Any ideas? : )

[@setarehakhavan7318]

It was wonderful. thanks

[@theoekstrand5395]

This was amazing!!!

[@paolaa.6975]

This is awesome thank you so much!

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@ana-mariaparaschiv4909]

Many thanks! Very useful! Is there any video for form fills events, as well? Thank you!

[@AnalyticsMania]

Google any video about form tracking and apply new things you learned about ga4

[@dashlook8378]

Thanks Julius for this amazing video please create video on eommerce tracking in ga4

[@ashkanahmadi]

Excellent info thanks a lot. I have used GA for 3 years now and I can't get my head around GA4. It looks like a very dumbed down version of the old GA. Does it still have all the functionalities but the UI is different or has it actually lost a lot of its functionalities? Thanks

[@AnalyticsMania]

A lot of features of GA3 are missing in GA4 unfortunately

[@DownToEarthMind]

Hi Julius, How can I 'enrich' existing events (e.g. outbound link click) with additional parameters? Should I use 'modify event'?

[@AnalyticsMania]

You can't enrich existing events. If you want to have more data with outbound link click, disabled it in enhanced measurement and implement it via GTM by yourself (and then add whatever you want additionally)

[@candios333]

So if I run a small website, its enough to just create the events within the G4 Interface? With simple page URL events?

[@theawais116]

Thanks a lot, your tutorial are really blessings

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@anastasiapavlova6787]

Thank you for this tutorial! It's very useful! I have a question about content grouping. Have you had a chance or need to setup Content Grouping in GA4? I can't find any manual or articles about that. What do you think does it have the same steps in GA4 or smth new? Thank you!

[@AnalyticsMania]

Such a feature does not exist. Use custom parameters for that.

[@anastasiapavlova6787]

@@AnalyticsMania Thanks

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@user-sh3xy9tc6w]

Very nice

[@nicholaslalonde7662]

I am currently migrating from UA to GA4. I have many custom events on GTM for my UA properties. Is there a way to transfer these custom events to GA4 without recreating them one by one?

[@diegofernandosanchezmelo484]

Nice tutorial! When you create an event using GA4 interface as you did it in the final part of the video, is it necesary an extra code implementation?. Thanks in advance

[@AnalyticsMania]

I haven't shown any extra code implementation because there is none.

[@girishkadam7121]

Hi there, I am working wordpress website and using GA4 for analytics. My problem is, I like track user language and I am not able see any data container or in dom section to track same. I seen ur page on language tracking for UA. Can you make short video which variable, trigger have to set for same also I doubt that my theme is not supporting default event name so have to configure somehow.and we don't have any developer for that. Thx. I think u understand my question .Language tracking using GA4

[@Kokarevich]

Thanks! It is really useful

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@Abilash1able]

Hey Julius. Thanks for the tutorial. Do you have experience using mixpanel analytics?

[@AnalyticsMania]

That was long time ago. No recent experience.

[@MartinUlbrich2]

Hey, what a great guide, thanks! However ... Can I still write a note somewhere in the acquisition graph for a specific day, for example, when I start tracking a new event? I didn't find anything like that in GA4. :/

[@AnalyticsMania]

Annotations are not available yet. There are still many features missing.

[@24hrprtyppl8]

Great Tutorial. been such a huge help. Apologies if I've missed it but have you managed to set up virtual pageviews yet? If so would you be able to confirm how? I tried via a second configuration tag with field name page_path and the value being set to the URL I wanted to fire but it looks like the homepage still fires and the VPV is secondary... confused :S

[@AnalyticsMania]

Remember, everything is an event in GA4. If you want to track additional pageview, you need to send an event called "page_view"

[@24hrprtyppl8]

@@AnalyticsMania Thanks for confirming. :) final question, do I need to put anything into the parameter name? I can see the pageview event is now firing but my VPVs are not being populated in the pages and screens report. Is there a way to ensure they exist in there with the rest of the pages? Thanks again in advance. :)

[@SEOEmmental]

Hi! What can I do with the Trigger Link Click - menu item if my CMS specifies the variable string '' instead of Nav_site_link etc?

[@florianughetto1182]

Nice video!

[@dmarketingacademy619]

You are awesome

[@YitzhakErezKarat]

Very helpfully

[@juanignaciotreviso9010]

Brilliant, as always! Thanks for share your knowledge.

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@gabi99]

Great video, one question from me. If for a button I have the following html code: SIGN UP, instead of using in the trigger something like: Click classes equals: btn btn-arc-primary-new and Click Text equals Sign UP (which generates issues with translations, changing of copy text, etc), can I somehow use the data-cy="signup" identifier when setting the Trigger Configuration?

[@AnalyticsMania]

yes, use auto-event variable

[@denismuhuri4436]

Thanks for the video! Where can I find the spreadsheet you mentioned in the video?

[@AnalyticsMania]

In the blog post (check the description)

[@zobecookingcorner4391]

Great

[@rayd2906]

Great tutorial. Just to confirm - if i create a tag in GTM, the event will show in GA4 without me having to create an event in GA4?

[@AnalyticsMania]

If that tag is event tag, yes

[@mohamedshalabiali4319]

Thank you bro

[@ivansusnic5955]

Hei, great guide. When I made some custom tags without any tag parameters, just a tag name connected to a trigger. They get recognized in the live view under the events box but in the event tab they are not in the list. Will they appear after 24 hr. or do I have to make a custom event, if so how does one do that when no tag parameter us used?

[@AnalyticsMania]

You need to wait 24 hours

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@flecker5328]

thank you so much

[@Metallik86]

Thanks for a great video! Is it possible to set up Universal analytics tracking code on the website via newly created Google account (without no data in google analytics). I tried to do that but I didn't find such an opportunity (It is suggested to set up GA-4 property, but I get used to use Universal analytics interface) If it is possible please, discover that method in your next video or post.

[@AnalyticsMania]

Yes, possible. Check my channel, I already have a video about that.

[@digitaldebashreedutta]

Good

[@wmafendi]

big thanks

[@pimadavide90]

Hi, you are very good and very good. I wanted to ask you something, why in the "CLIcl class" I find myself as a name: "" instead of the usual "nav ..." ??

[@AnalyticsMania]

Because every website is different. You have to adapt. Maybe other variables are available. If. Not, you will need to learn advanced techniques like CSS selectors. I explain how to use them here www.analyticsmania.com/courses/intermediate-google-tag-manager-course/

[@tonyruiz8729]

Great video man! I've learnt a lot from you, but I can't find my custom parameters in my G4 report, still no way to see them? Thanks

[@AnalyticsMania]

Custom parameters must be registered as dimensions. Then wait 24 hours.

[@juliehuet9249]

Thanks !!!!

[@theycallmetheboss]

Link tracking is good, bit complex to setup, question though: how do you look at data that shows ctr on these links?

[@AnalyticsMania]

You would need to use data studio for that

[@tyshailahmack859]

guide! How can I find out the source that sent me users which entered in a specific page of my website on a given

[@utkarshpande6462]

You make life very pleasant Mr Julius. Godspeed. I wonder how you developed such knowledge of GA and GTM initially. Were you building a site?

[@AnalyticsMania]

Reading blog posts, documentation, watchin videos, on my own websites, on other websites. In yhe company I used to work in and any other way that you can think of.

[@utkarshpande6462]

@@AnalyticsMania you seem like a man after my own heart. Only that I do all of the above in a very wide variety of fields and never gain the kind of expertise you have on the subject. RESPECT. But I get by..!!

[@AnalyticsMania]

It's my work and my hobby. I spend a lot of time on it.

[@utkarshpande6462]

@@AnalyticsMania no wonder it has yielded so well. your accounts are much better and comprehensive than google's own support.

[@utkarshpande6462]

I have one question though - can we use the GTM tags to build remarketing lists? Like event driven rather than URL driven.

[@usmankhalid2082]

Please do a session a session as to how we can track events on Firefox and Safari. The recent privacy update has barred the GTM to track third party cookies due to which we are unable to track events happening on safari, Firefox etc.

[@kalilluccaelhajjar8191]

Perfect!

[@provvisorio100]

great!

[@matthewjohn8973]

Hi, does setting up all this tracking in GA4 effect the original data in UA account at all?

[@AnalyticsMania]

not at all

[@hannajahde6741]

best video!

[@geosesame6162]

At 20' there is a data.layer push. Was it implemented by you on the login page ?

[@AnalyticsMania]

Yes, but just for demonstration. Let's pretend that a developer did that.

[@agenciarmdigital1343]

haven't i said that i loves u? Thanks a lot

[@megamachinecoding3436]

please teach how to import data(or track) for value in e commerce menu thankyou

[@bradydecker9779]

When I try to find my event id by checking the data layer I cannot find my form submission id. How do you get it to be sent to the data layer?

[@bazaryabweb5889]

Thank u

[@leolauretti762]

Would love if you could update your post about connecting KZbin to GA4

[@AnalyticsMania]

No plans for that. Also, I have doubts that GA4 supports youtube integration now.

[@ruslanahmadov9676]

Как с нуля возможно дойти до минимального вывода kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep20aYuOnMtkmLc luckyfish.io/?c=fcwl

[@3sidesofeve711]

I was expecting a tutorial on tag manager.. this video like a lot of others have assumptions that the user has all this configured.

[@AnalyticsMania]

Hi, thanks for the feedback. If I did a full intro to GTM, then every video of mine would be more than 1-2 hours long and other users who already know GTM fundamentals would be bombarded with same information. Here is a tutorial on GTM if you are not familiar with it kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5XanJKbp710odE

[@AbdulRashid-zm2xq]

Hi Analytics mania , can you make one tutorial for ecommerce tracking using GA4 ,with checkout, product views , add to cart ,and others event

[@AnalyticsMania]

The entire process in very great detail is explained here www.analyticsmania.com/courses/intermediate-google-tag-manager-course/

[@sivaprakas2830]

How to track SPA with GA4, I have created account and configured with site url. I created container in GTM, added Tag with GA4 settings and configured with GA4 code with All Pages settings. I published the current setting. I tried with preview it can track history, but when i check GA real time tracking it shows one one page( home page ), not showing ( tracking )other pages

[@AnalyticsMania]

Hi, I don't have public content on that but I teach how to track SPA with GA in my course here www.analyticsmania.com/courses/google-tag-manager-course-for-beginners/

[@pipsrios8897]

how can we check the data for outbound clicks? what I can only see is that I have number of clicks, but no data what the user click and what domain or url.

[@AnalyticsMania]

Please read the accompanying guide to learn a bit more www.analyticsmania.com/post/how-to-track-events-with-google-analytics-4-and-google-tag-manager/ but in general, you will need to register custom definitions to see the data

[@DmytroKaralkin]

thanks for your video, can you add subtitles please

[@AnalyticsMania]

Hi, done

[@DmytroKaralkin]

Grand mercy

[@gui-mendes-nomad]

Is it possible to connect Google Attribution wiht GA4?

[@AnalyticsMania]

Not at the moment

[@pennyvenhuizen6262]

I have installed and set up Google Analytics but when I visit the site and then go to Google Analytics, it doesn't show up in "users in last 30 minutes". How do I know it is working properly?

[@AnalyticsMania]

Check the debugview

[@zayanhiin8950]

Hi I'm Zayn It was my major manager assistant But I did not work in my field I worked part time jobs Different as well / office receptionist I am taking courses in my field of study I want a job as an Administrative Assistant Part-time (volunteer / free) In return for experience and development of my skills Note: My primary language is Somali / Arabic / English is good

[@sotnas31]

Whats chrome extension GTM recommend ?

[@AnalyticsMania]

Extension for what?

[@sotnas31]

@@AnalyticsMania what extension you use in chrome for GTM ?

[@AnalyticsMania]

I use many extensions. What exactly are you looking for? What an extension should do for you?

[@sotnas31]

in your video have a extension of GTM whats her doing

[@AnalyticsMania]

@@sotnas31 read more here chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adswerve-datalayer-inspec/kmcbdogdandhihllalknlcjfpdjcleom (if this is the extension that you talk about)