Google Analytics

"Without data, you're just another person with an opinion." — W. Edwards Deming

TL;DR

Guides Google Analytics 4 implementation — from initial setup through custom event tracking, conversion configuration, Google Tag Manager integration, and actionable reporting. Use when adding analytics to a web application or migrating from Universal Analytics to GA4. [EXPLICIT]

Procedure

Step 1: Discover

• Check existing analytics implementation (GA4, UA, other tools)
• Identify key user actions to track (sign-ups, purchases, feature usage)
• Review consent management requirements (GDPR, CCPA)
• Determine GTM vs direct gtag.js implementation preference

Step 2: Analyze

• Define measurement plan: business goals → KPIs → metrics → events
• Design event taxonomy with consistent naming (snake_case, verb_noun)
• Plan custom dimensions and metrics for business-specific data
• Evaluate enhanced measurement events vs custom events needs

Step 3: Execute

• Install GA4 via GTM or direct gtag.js snippet
• Configure enhanced measurement (scroll, outbound clicks, site search)
• Implement custom events: gtag('event', 'sign_up', { method: 'google' })
• Set up conversion events in GA4 admin
• Add user properties for segmentation (plan_type, account_age)
• Implement consent mode for GDPR compliance (gtag('consent', 'update', {...}))
• Configure GTM triggers and tags for complex tracking scenarios

Step 4: Validate

• Use GA4 DebugView to verify events fire correctly with expected parameters
• Check GTM Preview mode for tag firing sequence
• Confirm conversions appear in GA4 reports within 24-48 hours
• Verify consent mode blocks tracking when consent is denied

Quality Criteria

• Measurement plan documents all tracked events and their parameters
• Event naming follows consistent convention (snake_case recommended by GA4)
• Consent mode implemented for GDPR/CCPA compliance
• Conversion events configured for key business actions
• Evidence tags applied to all claims

Anti-Patterns

• Tracking everything without a measurement plan (data overload, no insights)
• Using event names with spaces or mixed case (inconsistent reporting)
• Loading analytics scripts without consent management in regulated regions

Related Skills

• landing-pages — conversion tracking is essential for landing page optimization
• recaptcha-integration — bot traffic skews analytics data

Usage

Example invocations:

• "/google-analytics" — Run the full google analytics workflow
• "google analytics on this project" — Apply to current context

Assumptions & Limits

• Assumes access to project artifacts (code, docs, configs) [EXPLICIT]
• Requires English-language output unless otherwise specified [EXPLICIT]
• Does not replace domain expert judgment for final decisions [EXPLICIT]

Edge Cases

Scenario	Handling
Empty or minimal input	Request clarification before proceeding
Conflicting requirements	Flag conflicts explicitly, propose resolution
Out-of-scope request	Redirect to appropriate skill or escalate