How do I add Google Analytics 4 to my website?

Without analytics, you are guessing which pages bring visitors and which turn them into customers. Google Analytics 4, often called GA4, is Google’s free analytics tool. Setting it up takes less than an hour, and the data helps you make better decisions about content, ads and design.

Here is how to add it and the settings worth doing on day one.

Step 1: create a Google Analytics 4 property

1. Sign in at analytics.google.com with a Google account the business controls.
2. Create an account and a property with your business name, time zone and currency.
3. Add a web data stream with your website address.
4. Copy the measurement ID, which starts with “G-“.

Google’s help article on setting up Analytics for a website covers these steps.

Step 2: add the tag to your site

Use only one method. Adding the tag twice doubles your data.

Step 3: check data is arriving

Open your site in another browser, then check the Realtime report in Google Analytics 4. You should see your visit within a minute or two. If not, check the measurement ID and that ad blockers are off while testing.

Step 4: set up key events

• Contact form submissions.
• Clicks on phone numbers and WhatsApp buttons.
• Bookings or quote requests.
• Purchases for stores.

Mark the most important ones as key events so you can see which pages and channels bring results.

Step 5: useful first reports

• Acquisition: where visitors come from.
• Pages and screens: which pages get attention.
• Key events: which channels bring enquiries or sales.

Link Google Analytics 4 with Google Search Console and Google Ads for a fuller picture.

Example: data that changed decisions

A tuition centre added Google Analytics 4 and tracked form submissions and WhatsApp clicks as key events. Within two months, it saw that one subject page brought most enquiries, while an expensive social media campaign brought visits but almost no enquiries. The centre moved budget to search ads for the strong subject and improved the weaker pages. Decisions that used to be guesses were now based on data.

Privacy and consent

Analytics uses cookies. Add a privacy policy that explains what you collect, and use a consent banner where required by law in your target markets. Keep ownership of the GA4 property in a business account, not a developer’s personal account.

Keep access organised

Add at least two people from your business as administrators of the Google Analytics 4 property, so access is never lost if someone leaves. Give developers and agencies access through their own Google accounts with the lowest role they need. Remove access when projects end. Organised access keeps your data safe and makes it easy to share reports with anyone who needs them, such as an SEO partner or advertising agency.