
Google Analytics 4 Ecommerce is a game-changer for online retailers. It provides a more accurate and comprehensive view of customer behavior, allowing you to make data-driven decisions to boost sales and revenue.
With Google Analytics 4 Ecommerce, you can track every step of the customer journey, from initial awareness to conversion. This includes tracking events like purchases, refunds, and even cart abandonment.
To get started, you'll need to set up Google Analytics 4 Ecommerce on your website. This involves adding a small piece of code to your site, which will start collecting data on your customers' behavior.
Getting Started
To begin with WooCommerce Google Analytics integration, start by visiting the Google Analytics website and signing up for a free account. If you already have a Google Analytics account, you can log in and proceed to the next step.
Getting set up is a straightforward process, and it's free.
Create an Account
To get started with integrating Google Analytics with WooCommerce, you'll need to create a Google Analytics account. This can be done for free by visiting the Google Analytics website and signing up.
If you already have a Google Analytics account, you can log in and proceed to the next step.
What Is?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, a free website analytics tool provided by Google. It officially replaced Universal Analytics in July 2023.
GA4 has a new interface, tracking code snippet, and underlying data model compared to Universal Analytics. This is a significant upgrade from the previous version, which was based on software created in 2005.
Ecommerce tracking is at the core of GA4, making it a more streamlined and user-friendly experience for online businesses. This is a major improvement over Universal Analytics, which added ecommerce tracking as an afterthought.
Here are some key features of GA4:
- Configuration
- Event tracking
- Reporting
Integration and Setup
Setting up Google Analytics 4 ecommerce tracking can be a relatively straightforward process, especially when using a content management system (CMS) like Shopify. Shopify was the first to offer an automated, one-click solution for setting up GA4 ecommerce tracking, and it comes with any Shopify plan.
To set up GA4 on Shopify, you'll need to create a Google Analytics 4 property at analytics.google.com and name it after your website. You'll also need to select the property from the dropdown menu in Shopify. Once you've done this, Shopify will begin sharing your data with GA4.
Some common ecommerce events that Shopify tracks by default include page views, searches, view items, add to cart, begin checkout, add payment info, and purchase. However, Shopify's integration doesn't track every possible ecommerce event, so you may need to customize your site's codebase or tag manager to collect additional data.
Here are some specific ecommerce events that Shopify doesn't send via its integration:
- Remove_from_cart
- View_cart
- Refund
To collect ecommerce data related to these events in GA4, you'll need to take extra steps.
Step-by-Step Setup
Setting up Google Analytics with WooCommerce is a relatively straightforward process that can yield invaluable insights into your eCommerce store. By following these steps, you’ll be able to track and analyze key metrics, helping you make informed decisions for optimizing your store and boosting revenue.
To start, you'll need to generate a Measurement ID from your Google Analytics account. This is the unique identifier that enables tracking on your website or mobile app.
Once you have your Measurement ID, you can add it to your WooCommerce settings. This is where you'll find the Google Analytics Tracking ID field, where you can paste the Measurement ID.
Before you begin, make sure you have the correct Measurement ID entered in the WooCommerce settings. Verify that the Measurement ID is correct, as incorrect data can lead to inaccurate tracking.
Here are the steps to add the Measurement ID to WooCommerce:
1. Open your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the WooCommerce section.
2. Click Settings > Integration > Google Analytics.
3. Paste the Measurement ID in the Google Analytics Tracking ID field and save your changes.
If you're using Shopify, setting up GA4 tracking is a bit different. Shopify has an easy ecommerce integration system using the Google & Youtube Channel app and adding the Google Tag ID to your Shopify admin page. After setting up GA4 tracking, Shopify will track ecommerce events automatically using the Google Channel app.
If you're not using Shopify or WooCommerce, you can follow the steps to set up e-commerce tracking using Google Tag Manager and your site’s data layer. Here are the general steps:

1. Add ecommerce tracking to data layer.
2. Confirm that data layer events are tracking using Google Tag Assistant.
3. Add ecommerce events as GA4 tags to Google Tag Manager.
4. Use DebugView in GA4 to ensure that Google Tag Manager Events are tracking.
Integrating Google Analytics with WooCommerce enables store owners to track eCommerce-specific data and gain comprehensive insights into their online store’s performance. This integration provides several key benefits:
- Track eCommerce-specific data
- Gain comprehensive insights into online store performance
- Make informed decisions for optimizing store and boosting revenue
Here are some common ecommerce events that are tracked by Shopify:
- Page_view
- Search
- View_item
- Add_to_cart
- Begin_checkout
- Add_payment_info
- Purchase
To collect ecommerce data related to other events, such as Remove_from_cart, View_cart, and Refund, you may need to customize your site’s codebase or tag manager.
Universal Analytics
Universal Analytics is a tracking system that allows you to monitor your website's traffic and behavior.
It's worth noting that Universal Analytics ecommerce tracking differs from Google Analytics 4 in three key ways. This is important to consider when setting up your integration.
To set up ecommerce tracking with Universal Analytics, you'll need to configure your data accordingly. This might involve setting up separate ecommerce tracking codes for your website.
Universal Analytics ecommerce tracking allows you to track transactions and revenue, which can be incredibly valuable for businesses.
Understanding Google Analytics 4 Ecommerce
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers a robust ecommerce tracking system, allowing you to analyze your online store's performance and customer behavior.
You can access ecommerce data by clicking on reports, then monetization, then ecommerce purchases in GA4. This will give you a breakdown of items on your site.
To track standard ecommerce events, you'll need to set up tags for events like view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, and purchase using Google Tag Manager (GTM).
Here are the steps to set up event tracking in GA4 using GTM:
- Install GTM on your WooCommerce site.
- Create a new tag in GTM.
- Choose Tag Configuration and select Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
- Enter your GA4 Measurement ID.
- Set the trigger to All Pages.
- Save and publish the tag.
GA4 can track many kinds of ecommerce events, including viewing an item, adding an item to cart, removing an item from cart, making a purchase, applying a promotion, and item revenue.
To troubleshoot missing ecommerce events, ensure that Enhanced eCommerce tracking is enabled in GA4 and verify that the correct event parameters are being sent with each ecommerce action.
GA4 uses the language of "item" instead of "products", which allows for tracking of non-product items like services, memberships, or app upgrades.
Here are some ecommerce events that GA4 can track:
- Viewing an item
- Adding an item to cart
- Removing an item from cart
- Making a purchase
- Applying a promotion
- Item revenue
To set up Enhanced eCommerce tracking, go to Admin > Data Streams > Web > Enhanced Measurement and ensure that Enhanced Measurement is enabled.
Tracking and Analysis
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers a range of tools to help you track and analyze your ecommerce data. With GA4, you can create tailored reports that focus on specific data points and metrics relevant to your business needs. This customization allows for more precise and actionable insights.
You can track various ecommerce events with GA4, including viewing an item, adding an item to cart, making a purchase, and more. Here are some examples of ecommerce events GA4 can track:
- Viewing an item
- Adding an item to cart
- Removing an item from cart
- Making a purchase
- Applying a promotion
- Item revenue
By analyzing your ecommerce data, you can gain valuable insights into your customers' behavior and preferences. For instance, you can see a breakdown of items on your site, and the path of users making purchases on your site. This can help you identify areas for improvement to increase conversions.
Session Length and Engagement
Measuring session length and user engagement is crucial for understanding how users interact with your site. This can help you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.
High session lengths and engagement levels often indicate a more compelling and user-friendly shopping experience. Engaged users are more likely to convert, so understanding their behavior can help improve site design and content.
To measure session length, you can use Google Analytics. By analyzing session length and user engagement, you can identify strengths and weaknesses in your site's design and content.
Here are some key metrics to track:
By tracking these metrics, you can get a clear picture of how users are interacting with your site. This can help you make informed decisions to improve user experience and increase conversions.
Traffic Sources
Understanding your website's traffic sources is crucial to refining your marketing strategies. By discovering where your traffic is coming from, you can focus on the most effective channels.
Organic search is a key traffic source, driving visitors to your site through unpaid search engine results. Paid advertising is another significant source, bringing in targeted traffic through sponsored listings.
Social media is a powerful driver of traffic, with many users discovering new sites through their online networks. Email campaigns can also be a highly effective source of traffic, especially for businesses with a loyal customer base.
Referral sites can also play a significant role in driving traffic to your site, often through word-of-mouth recommendations. By knowing which channels drive the most traffic and conversions, marketing efforts can be better targeted and more cost-effective.
Advanced Features
Integrating Google Analytics with your WooCommerce store provides you with access to several advanced features that can give you deeper insights into your store's performance.
One of the most important features you can set up is Google Analytics for WooCommerce, which allows you to track and analyze your store's data in a more detailed way.
With this integration, you can gain a better understanding of your customers' behavior, such as their purchase history, cart abandonment rates, and more.
Custom
Custom tracking is a must for some websites. Custom tracking requires an understanding of HTML and JavaScript and should involve a web developer.
To implement custom ecommerce tracking, you'll need to define your events and parameters. Reference Google's list of recommended events for online sales, which includes events like "view_item", "add_to_cart", "begin_checkout", and "purchase."
These four events are the most important for populating GA4's default Ecommerce purchases report. You'll need to define the parameters that go alongside each event, such as the product's name, price, and payment method.
Some event parameters are mandatory, and some are optional for ecommerce. Google provides full documentation on defining your ecommerce parameters.
Here are the three steps to custom ecommerce tracking:
- Define your events and parameters.
- Implement code for each event.
- Decide whether to use gtag or Google Tag Manager.
- Test and iterate.
You'll need to insert custom code in your website wherever you want to fire an event. For example, for "add_to_cart", the code should fire whenever an item gets added to a cart.
Google Tag Manager is best for websites that track ecommerce parallel in other places, such as Google Ads, Meta, or Heap, because it can send the data to other platforms. Google tag ("gtag") code sends the event directly to GA4, which is likely best for websites that only track ecommerce through GA4.
Custom tracking can be tricky to implement—it is rarely perfect from the start. Review your data in GA4 and compare it to your sales records. In a good custom tracking implementation, the two data sets should be no more than 10% different in total purchases in a given week.
Advanced Features
Integrating Google Analytics with your WooCommerce store unlocks advanced features to help you gain deeper insights into your store's performance.
You can set up a sales funnel to track your customers' checkout journeys and identify where they're dropping off. This allows you to fine-tune your store to encourage users to make a purchase.

To set up a sales funnel, follow these steps: click Explore in the left-hand menu, choose Funnel Exploration from the Template Gallery, define your funnel steps, configure each step by selecting the corresponding event, and adjust the funnel settings as needed.
A closed funnel requires users to follow the defined sequence, while an open funnel allows users to enter at any step. Analyzing user drop-offs between steps, conversion rates, and other important metrics can help you identify where users are dropping off.
To set up a new audience in GA4, click Configure in the left-hand menu, select Audiences, and click on New Audience to start creating a new segment.
You can use pre-defined templates or create a custom audience from scratch. Set up the conditions for your audience by adding multiple conditions and sequences to refine the audience further.
Audience triggers allow you to trigger an event when users join an audience. Set up a trigger if you want to track when users enter or leave the audience segment.
Here's a quick rundown of the steps to create a new audience:
- Click Configure in the left-hand menu
- Select Audiences
- Click on New Audience to start creating a new segment
- Use pre-defined templates or create a custom audience from scratch
- Set up the conditions for your audience
- Add audience triggers to track when users join or leave the audience segment
Give your audience a descriptive name and save it. Your new audience will now be available for analysis and use in reports, as well as for creating targeted campaigns in Google Ads.
Plugins

Plugins can make a huge difference in getting the most out of your data reporting in Google Analytics, especially when using GA4 with WooCommerce.
While plugins aren't required, there are plenty of them available.
Plugins like the ones mentioned in the article can help you get the most out of your data reporting in Google Analytics with GA4 and WooCommerce.
The most popular plugins include those for using GA4 with WooCommerce.
These plugins can be a game-changer for e-commerce businesses looking to optimize their analytics.
Dynamic Remarketing
Dynamic Remarketing is a powerful tool that allows you to show custom tailored ads to customers who have visited your store on web or mobile.
These ads can include both products and services, making them highly relevant to the customer's past interactions with your store.
By using Dynamic Remarketing, you can bring back visitors and improve sales performance, as seen with Google Adwords.
Custom ads can be created to show customers the products they've previously viewed or interacted with, increasing the chances of conversion.
This feature can be particularly effective for businesses with a wide range of products or services, where customers may have shown interest in multiple items.
Machine Learning
Machine learning in GA4 is a game-changer for businesses. These advanced features can automatically generate insights and predictive metrics.
With machine learning, you can get a better understanding of your users and make more informed decisions. For instance, you can predict potential revenue from specific user segments, such as users who have shown interest in a particular product.
The likelihood of users making a purchase is also something that machine learning can help with. This can be a huge advantage for businesses, as it allows them to focus on the users who are most likely to convert.
Machine learning in GA4 can automatically generate predictive metrics, giving you a clear picture of what to expect from your users. This can be a huge time-saver, as you won't have to spend hours analyzing data to get the insights you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to enable ecommerce in Google Analytics 4?
To enable ecommerce in Google Analytics 4, tick the "Send Ecommerce data" option and select "GA4 E-commerce Event" as the trigger. This will allow you to track ecommerce data and events in your Google Analytics 4 account.
Does GA4 have enhanced ecommerce?
Yes, GA4 offers enhanced ecommerce features that provide valuable insights into product performance and shopping behavior. This allows businesses to optimize their product offerings and marketing campaigns for better results.
What is the ecommerce metric in GA4?
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), ecommerce metrics track ecommerce events, including event-scoped metrics that count event triggers and item-scoped metrics that count item interactions. Learn more about how ecommerce metrics work in GA4 to optimize your online sales.
Sources
- https://wpengine.com/resources/google-analytics-4-wordpress/
- https://www.scommerce-mage.com/magento-2-ga4-google-tag-manager.html
- https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/blog/google-analytics-ecommerce-tracking
- https://gofishdigital.com/blog/how-to-use-ga4-for-ecommerce-analytics/
- https://www.oncord.com/resources/learning/tutorials/website/setting-up-google-analytics-4-ecommerce-tracking/
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