Tracking eCommerce Metrics in GA4: item_id, item_name, price, and More

To track eCommerce metrics in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) such as item_id, item_name, price, and more, you need to implement ecommerce events with specific parameters sent via your website or through Google Tag Manager (GTM).

Key points for tracking these metrics in GA4:

• Required item parameters:

  • item_id: The unique identifier for the product (e.g., SKU or product code).
  • item_name: The product’s name or title.
    These two are mandatory for GA4 to recognize and report on products correctly.

• Optional but recommended parameters:

  • price (or value): The monetary value of the product.
  • item_brand: Brand of the product.
  • item_category: Product category.
  • item_variant: Variations like size or colour.
  • currency: The currency code (e.g., SGD, USD), usually a string parameter.

• These parameters are typically sent as part of an items array within ecommerce events such as view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, and purchase. Even if only one product is involved, the items must be structured as an array of objects.

• The price or value parameter usually represents the product price or total value and is often sent alongside currency.

• Ecommerce tracking in GA4 is event-based, meaning you configure specific events to capture user interactions with products and transactions.

• Common ecommerce events to implement include:

  • view_item (when a user views a product)
  • add_to_cart (when a product is added to the cart)
  • begin_checkout (when checkout starts)
  • purchase (when a transaction completes)

• You can use Google Tag Manager to push these ecommerce events and parameters into GA4 by configuring tags, triggers, and variables that pull data from your website’s data layer.

• GA4 ecommerce data can be analysed in reports under Monetization > Ecommerce purchases and Monetization > Purchase journey, as well as in acquisition and conversion reports enriched with ecommerce data.

In summary, to track item-level ecommerce metrics like item_id, item_name, and price in GA4, you must send these parameters within the ecommerce event payloads, structured properly as arrays of product objects, using GA4’s event-based tracking model and optionally leveraging GTM for implementation.