Setting up GA4
The two methods used to configure Google Analytics 4 are as follows:
● Google Tag Manager
● Configuration changes with the Setup Assistant
Take the Google Tag Manager approach if you are a new user. Existing users should take the
second approach.
Method 1: Google Tag Manager
Since this method is meant for new users, let’s start by downloading Google Analytics 4.
1. Visit the Google Analytics home page.
2. Click on Get started today.
3. Log in with your Google account.
4. Click on Start Measuring.
5. Use the account name you will be using as your profile to fill out the details under
Account Setup.
6. Under Account Data Sharing Settings, enable or disable the configuration functions by
checking your preferred options.
7. Click on Next.
8. Make a property in Property Setup to measure your data. Click on Next once you have
finished configuring your property.
9. Since you might use several properties to measure your data, choose a name that is easy
to remember. By navigating to the Admin tab > Property column, you can edit property
specifics and add new properties.
10. Add the required details about your company.
11. Then, click on Create to finalise your account setting.
12. The Terms of Service window will appear. Before checking the GDPR box, select your
region and country from the drop-down list and read the terms.
13. To complete the process of setting up the account, click on I Accept.
14. Click on the Admin tab on your dashboard.
15. Next, select Data Streams from the Property menu.
16. To enable data collection for your website, select Web.
17. Enter your website URL and create a stream name. Then, click on Create stream.
18. When a web data stream is ready for data collection, it can be found in the Data Streams
section. If you want to enable tracking across various platforms, do not hesitate to add
more data streams.
The process of creating a Google Analytics account is now complete. Adhere to the instructions
given below to set up a Google Tag Manager account.
1. Visit the Google Tag Manager home page.
2. Log in with your Google account.
3. Go to Account Setup. Enter the name of your business and choose the country it
operates in.
4. Create a container name and select your target platform under Container Setup. If you
want to measure your websites data, for instance, type the name of your website and
click on Web. Next, select Create. (Note: A container is a collection of tags, triggers,
variables and related configurations installed on a given website or mobile app).
5. Now, the Google Tag Manager Terms of Service Agreement will appear. Check the
GDPR condition and then click on Yes.
6. You will see code snippets to paste on the <head> and <body> tags on your website. As
an example, let’s discuss how to add these code snippets to a WordPress website.
7. Click on the Copy icon on each tracking code and head to your WordPress admin page.
8. Go to Appearance and then click on Theme File Editor.
9. Under Theme files, you will find header.php. Paste your snippets here.
10. Go to your Google Tag Manager dashboard and add a new tag.
11. Click anywhere in the Tag Configuration section to view the available Google Tag
Manager tag types.
12. When you select the Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration option, the configuration
window will appear.
13. The tag configuration asks you to enter your Measurement ID. It can be found under
Admin > Property > Data Streams. Your ID will appear when you select the data stream
you have created. Copy and paste it into the Tag Configuration window.
14. Implement the Triggering setup. To select the triggers, click anywhere in the Triggering
section. In this illustration, we will use All Pages.
15. Create a name and click on Save.
16. To check if it is working, check the Preview option.
17. The Tag Assistant window will open once you click on it. Enter your website’s URL and
then click on Continue.
18. The successful installation of the tag on your website will be indicated by the Tag
Assistant connected message appearing in a new window. To end the preview mode,
click on Finish and then on Continue.
19. On the summary page, some statistics will be visible. In this instance, the tag has
successfully fired.
20. Use DebugView to verify that Google Analytics 4 is gathering the data. Go to your Google
Analytics dashboard, and click on Configure > DebugView on the sidebar to accomplish
this. Along with the event name, time and duration information, you will view this data.
21. Click on Submit.
22. Create a version name and then click on Publish.
Method 2: Setup Assistant
For those who already have a Google Analytics account, the GA4 Setup Assistant makes
configuration easier.
1. Go to Admin on your Google Analytics dashboard. Select the Universal Analytics
property you want to migrate from the drop-down menu after choosing your preferred
account.
2. Click on GA4 Setup Assistant.
3. Choose the option to duplicate your current Universal Analytics property in a GA4
property.
4. Click on Get started.
You will view your property and data stream details once the GA4 property setup is finished. You
can now start tracking your website by adding a new tag. In method 1, we described how to
accomplish this.
