Google Analytics 4 Setup

Get GA4 tracking a real conversion, verified end to end, so ad spend is measured against something trustworthy. GA4's model is different from old Universal Analytics, and the single most common failure is spending money before confirming the conversion event actually fires. This skill front-loads that.

Start where the user is

GA4 setup is a chain: account → property → data stream → tag on site → conversion event → mark as Key Event → verify. People arrive at different points in that chain. Guessing wastes their time and risks duplicate properties (which cannot be merged later). So always ask first what already exists, then jump in at the right link:

Ask (adapt to what they've said):

1. Do you already have a Google Analytics account / property? If yes, what's it called?
2. Do you have a data stream for this site yet, and a Measurement ID (looks like G-XXXXXXXXXX)? If yes, paste it.
3. What's the one conversion that matters most (a waitlist/contact form submit, a signup, a purchase)? Everything downstream optimizes for this.
4. What's the site — a framework (Next.js, plain HTML, WordPress, Shopify) and the domain? This decides how the tag goes in.

Then go straight to the relevant section below. Skip what they've already done. Do NOT re-create anything that exists.

Property and stream structure — decide once, correctly

Getting the hierarchy wrong fragments data permanently, so settle it before creating anything.