Common Mistakes in GA4 Parameter Setup and How to Avoid Them

Common mistakes in GA4 parameter setup include inconsistent or unclear naming conventions, exceeding parameter limits, not registering custom parameters, and ignoring recommended parameters. To avoid these:

• Use descriptive, consistent, and lowercase parameter names without spaces (replace spaces with underscores). Avoid abbreviations or ambiguous terms to ensure clarity across teams and reports.

• Limit the number of parameters per event to 25 (100 for GA4 360 accounts) to prevent data overload and processing issues. Focus on parameters that align directly with your analytics goals.

• Leverage GA4’s recommended event parameters (e.g., item_id, item_name, currency) whenever possible for standardization and better reporting support. Create custom parameters only when necessary.

• Register custom parameters as custom definitions in GA4; otherwise, these parameters won’t appear in standard reports, making them effectively invisible for analysis.

• Verify correct syntax and data types for parameters following Google’s GA4 implementation guides to avoid data collection errors.

• Avoid double-installing tracking codes or placing them incorrectly, as this can corrupt data quality.

• Ensure proper data retention settings are configured to avoid losing important historical data.

• Verify your domain ownership to prevent inaccurate data collection and security risks.

By following these best practices, you can ensure your GA4 parameter setup is accurate, efficient, and useful for meaningful analytics insights.