GA4 Setup Guide — Events and Conversions That Matter
GA4 measures events, not pageviews. The essential events to track: page_view, session_start, scroll, click, form_submit, and your key conversions.
GA4 measures events, not pageviews. The essential events to track: page_view, session_start, scroll, click, form_submit, file_download, and your key conversion actions like purchase or quote_request. Set up conversion tracking for the actions that directly impact your business.
What GA4 Changed
GA4 replaced Universal Analytics' session-and-pageview model with a flexible event-based system. Every interaction is an event with parameters. This means more accurate tracking, cross-platform measurement, and built-in machine learning insights. But it also means re-learning how to set up reports and conversions. This GA4 setup guide walks through the essential configuration every site needs.
Essential Events for Every Business Site
These are the events every site should track. GA4 automatically collects some; others require manual configuration.
| Event | Auto-collected? | What it measures | Mark as conversion? |
|---|---|---|---|
| page_view | Yes | Each page load | No |
| session_start | Yes | Beginning of each visit | No |
| first_visit | Yes | First-time visitor | No |
| scroll | Yes (enhanced) | User scrolls 90% deep | Depends |
| click | Yes (enhanced) | Outbound link clicks | Depends |
| form_submit | Manual | Form completions | Yes |
| file_download | Yes (enhanced) | PDF, DOC, etc. downloads | Depends |
| video_start / video_progress / video_complete | Yes (enhanced) | YouTube embed engagement | Depends |
| purchase | Manual (e-commerce) | Completed purchase | Yes |
| quote_request | Manual | Quote form submitted | Yes |
| contact_form_submit | Manual | Contact form sent | Yes |
Setting Up Conversion Tracking
In GA4, a conversion is any event you designate as important. Go to Configure > Events and toggle "Mark as conversion" for the events that represent business value — purchases, quote requests, contact forms, and signups. For events not auto-collected, create them using Google Tag Manager or gtag.js. Test each conversion with the DebugView tool before relying on the data.
Custom Dimensions and Metrics
Custom dimensions add context to events. For example, add a "page_category" dimension to page_view events to segment traffic by content type. Or add "user_type" (new vs returning) to conversion events. Create custom dimensions in Configure > Custom Definitions. Be careful not to exceed the quota of 50 user-scoped and 50 event-scoped custom dimensions.
UTM Parameters: The Foundation of Campaign Tracking
UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, utm_term) are critical for understanding which marketing channels drive traffic and conversions. Without them, GA4 attributes traffic to "Direct" or miscategorises it. Use the Google Campaign URL Builder for consistent tagging. Never use UTM parameters on internal links — they reset the session source.
Linking Google Search Console to GA4
Linking Search Console to GA4 gives you search query data, landing page performance, and click-through rates directly in your analytics reports. Go to Admin > Product Links > Search Console Links and follow the connection flow. Once linked, you can see which search queries drive traffic to which pages and how those pages convert. Read our Google Search Console guide for detailed setup instructions.
Common GA4 Setup Mistakes to Avoid
- Not marking key events as conversions. If it matters to your business, mark it as a conversion. Don't assume GA4 knows what's important.
- Inconsistent UTM tagging. Using different names for the same channel (e.g., "google" vs "Google") fragments your data.
- Not excluding internal traffic. Your own team's visits inflate metrics. Use an internal traffic filter.
- Ignoring data retention settings. GA4 defaults to 2 months of user-level data. Change it to 14 months in Admin > Data Settings.
For a complete marketing measurement strategy, read our guide on how to measure marketing ROI and our Google Search Console guide.
Frequently asked questions
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics. It uses an event-based data model instead of the session-and-pageview model of Universal Analytics, giving more flexible and accurate measurement across websites and apps.
GA4 offers more flexible event tracking, cross-platform measurement, machine-learning insights, and better privacy controls. However, it has a different reporting interface and requires re-learning how to set up tracking.
Essential events include page_view, session_start, scroll, click, form_submit, file_download, and video engagement. For conversions, track purchase, quote_request, signup, and contact_form_submit depending on your business.
In GA4, go to Configure > Events and mark events as conversions. You can also create new events based on existing ones using the event modification tool. For e-commerce, enable enhanced measurement.
No. Universal Analytics stopped processing new hits. You must start fresh with GA4. Export your historical UA data before it is deleted.