Here’s an incredibly helpful checklist for configuring Google Analytics 4 (GA4). I hope you find it helpful. Get in touch if you need help with your Analytics setup.
Planning Checklist
- Website objectives have been defined
- Define business goals and website objectives
- Identify conversions that reflect the business goals and website objectives
- Identify any important reporting requirements to help guide tracking implementation
- Google Analytics features and configuration options have been selected based on business needs (for example, ecommerce tracking, custom definitions, user ID, etc.)
- A concise measurement plan has been created to ensure the Google Analytics implementation reflects business and website objectives
- New Google Analytics features and configuration options are reviewed periodically
Implementation Checklist
- If there is no existing Google Analytics property for tracking the website, then a new property has been created
- The Google Analytics account is only being used to track related websites (unrelated websites should be tracked in dedicated accounts)
- The tracking code has been implemented using Google Tag Manager
- If Google Tag Manager is not being used, then the latest version of the tracking code (the Google Tag) has been added to all the pages of the website
- If the Google Tag has been used, then the measurement ID matches the measurement ID in the GA4 data stream
- The implementation has been checked using Google Tag Assistant and the DebugView
Setup and Configuration Checklist
- Users who have access to the property are reviewed periodically
- The reporting time zone is correct
- The reporting currency is correct
- Rule(s) to specify internal traffic has been added to the data stream(s)
- Filter to exclude internal traffic has been applied
- An appropriate data retention period has been set for the property (for example, the retention period has been set to 14 months)
- Enhanced Measurement is tracking desired actions (for example, outbound links, scroll depth, etc.), and any actions you don’t want to track automatically have been disabled
- If actions are being tracked manually (for example, using Google Tag Manager), these actions have been disabled in Enhanced Measurement
- If automatic form tracking is enabled, form starts, and submissions have been tested using the DebugView to ensure the actions are tracked correctly
- Site search is being tracked (with Enhanced Measurement)
- Attribution is set to the data-driven model for the property (unless there is a specific reason to use the last-click model)
- Correct user-based reporting has been set (in ‘Reporting Identity’)
- The unwanted referral list for each data stream has been reviewed
- Personally Identifiable Information (or ‘PII’) like email addresses and full names are not contained in the reports (however, other identifiers, like from a CRM or email platform are allowed)
- Data redaction settings have been reviewed
- Audience lists have been created (for reporting and remarketing campaigns)
- Google Signals has been enabled for data to be available in any linked Google Ads accounts
- If appropriate, cross-domain tracking has been configured for the data stream(s) if users can travel between multiple domains
- Custom audiences have been created for user segments that are most likely to meet website and business objectives
- If appropriate, custom channel groups have been created to report on marketing channels
- If appropriate, custom metrics and custom dimensions have been configured
- If appropriate, calculated metrics have been configured
- Comparisons have been created to compare important audience segments in the standard reports [NEW].
- All of the pre-configured reports are available (for example, the Landing Pages report, the Search Console reports, etc.), these can be enabled in the reporting ‘Library’
- Custom insights, including recommended insights, have been created to monitor changes for KPI-related metrics [NEW] .
Technical Setup Checklist
- If Google Analytics data from European-based users will be used in any linked Google Ads accounts, then consent signals for Consent Mode have been implemented NEW .
- The tracking code hasn’t been accidentally duplicated on pages
- If appropriate, User ID has been implemented to track users across multiple devices
- If appropriate, user-provided data is being passed to Google Analytics for enhanced
- conversions [NEW].
- Content grouping has been implemented
- 404 error pages are being tracked
- If appropriate, testing platforms have been integrated with Google Analytics (for example, Crazy Egg, Zoho PageSense, VWO, etc.)
Campaign Tracking Checklist
- Google Ads and Google Analytics are linked
- All Google Ads accounts are linked
- Permissions for Google Ads users in Google Analytics have been reviewed NEW .
- Campaign tags are being used for non-Google Ads inbound marketing
- Campaign tags use a consistent naming convention
- Campaign tags include the ‘Campaign ID’ parameter if third-party cost data is being uploaded to Google Analytics
- No campaign tags are used for internal links within the website
Ecommerce Checklist
- Ecommerce tracking has been implemented
- To use the pre-configured ‘Purchase Journey’ report, all of the required ecommerce events are being collected, these are: view_product, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase
- To use the pre-configured ‘Checkout Journey’ report, all of the required ecommerce events are being collected, these are: begin_checkout, add_shipping_info, add_payment_info, and purchase
- Ecommerce data is accurate
Tracking Checklist
- If appropriate, recommended and custom events are being used to send additional data to Google Analytics
- If appropriate, parameters are being used to send additional information with events
- Parameters you would like to use in reports have been registered as custom dimensions or custom metrics
- A consistent naming convention is being used for events, parameters, and user properties
Key Events Checklist
- Key events have been configured to track conversion actions.
- Key events use the ‘Once Per Event’ counting method unless they need to reflect goals from Universal Analytics.
- Values have been assigned for each key event (for example, actual, calculated, or symbolic values) and the values are being passed to Google Analytics or have been assigned using the ‘Set Default Key Event Value’ option.
- Key events data is accurate.
- Macro and micro conversions are being tracked as key events.
Integration Checklist
- Google Search Console, Google Merchant Center, and any other Google platforms being used are linked
- If Google Search Console has been linked, the standard reports have been customised using the ‘Library’ to include the ‘Queries’ and the ‘Google Organic Search Traffic’ reports
- If appropriate, audience lists from Google Analytics are populating data into the linked Google Ads account (or accounts)
- If appropriate, key events have been imported from Google Analytics into Google Ads for optimisation and to view performance.
- Appropriate data is being imported (for example, advertising cost data from third-party platforms, refund data, etc.)
Analysis Checklist
- Emphasis is placed on analysis and insights, not just reporting
- Reports that provide the most value to the business have been identified or created
- Repetitive reporting tasks have been automated
- Opportunities for improvement have been identified (for example, landing pages, website content, website navigation, marketing campaigns, etc.)
- Experiments are continually being created and run
Copyright Benjamin Mangold, Loves Data
