Configuring GA4 Events and Conversions for Tracking User Interactions

To configure GA4 events and conversions for tracking user interactions, you typically use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to create and manage event tags that send interaction data to your GA4 property. The process involves:

1. Set up GA4 Property and Data Stream: Create a GA4 property in Google Analytics and set up a data stream for your website to start collecting data.

2. Create GA4 Event Tags in GTM: In Google Tag Manager, create a new tag of type "Google Analytics: GA4 Event." Enter your GA4 Measurement ID and specify the event name (e.g., button_click, form_submit).

3. Configure Triggers: Define triggers in GTM that specify when the event tag should fire, such as clicks on a specific button, form submissions, or page views of a thank-you page.

4. Use Data Layer for Custom Parameters: Optionally, push additional event parameters to the data layer to capture more detailed interaction data, which can be sent with the event tag.

5. Create Custom Events in GA4 (if needed): You can also create custom events directly in GA4 by defining matching conditions (e.g., page_location contains /thank-you) to track specific user actions without GTM.

6. Mark Events as Conversions: In GA4, mark important events as conversions (formerly called "key events") by toggling them in the Events section. This allows GA4 to treat these events as conversion goals for reporting and optimisation.

7. Test and Publish: Use GTM’s Preview mode to test that your event tags fire correctly on the intended user interactions before publishing changes.

8. Review and Manage Events: Monitor your events in GA4 reports and adjust event definitions or conversion settings as needed.

This setup enables detailed tracking of user interactions, such as button clicks, form submissions, and page views, which can be analysed to improve user experience and conversion rates.

In summary, the core steps are: create GA4 property and data stream, configure GA4 event tags and triggers in GTM, optionally define custom events in GA4, and mark key events as conversions for tracking user interactions effectively.