Before you start8 steps · about 7 minutes
Before you start
- Google Analytics 4 installed and collecting data (our GA4 guide covers this)
- Editor access to your GA4 property
- A list of the website actions that make you money
- Optional: Google Tag Manager, for tracking phone and email clicks
Good to know: Key events used to be called conversions in GA4. Google renamed them in 2024. Google Ads still calls them conversions, and you can import your GA4 key events straight into Ads.
Step 1 of 8
1List what counts as a win
Start with the actions that lead to money: enquiry form sent, phone number tapped, booking made, purchase completed, quote requested. Aim for a handful. If everything's a key event, nothing is.
Step 2 of 8
2See what GA4 already tracks
Go to Admin → Data display → Events. With enhanced measurement on, GA4 already records page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, file downloads and form interactions. Shops set up through Shopify's or WooCommerce's Google integrations usually send a purchase event too.
Step 3 of 8
3Track form enquiries
The most reliable way is a thank-you page. Send people to one (like /thank-you) after they submit your form, then create an event for views of it: Admin → Data display → Events → Create event, where page_location contains /thank-you. GA4's automatic form_submit event doesn't suit every form plugin, so test it before relying on it.
Step 4 of 8
4Track phone and email clicks
GA4 doesn't track taps on phone numbers and email addresses out of the box. The simplest route is Google Tag Manager: a click trigger for links starting tel: or mailto:, sending an event like phone_click or email_click. Your web developer can set it up quickly.
Step 5 of 8
5Mark them as key events
Once an event has data, go to Admin → Data display → Events and click the star next to it. For an event you're creating, switch on Mark as key event as you create it. GA4 marks purchase as a key event for you.
Step 6 of 8
6Test before you trust it
Send your own test enquiry and tap your own phone number, then check Reports → Realtime to watch the events come in. Once you're happy, make sure your own visits are filtered out as internal traffic.
Step 7 of 8
7See which channels bring them
In Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition, look at the key events column (you can pick a single key event) to see which channels bring enquiries, not just visits.
Step 8 of 8
8Share them with Google Ads
If you run Google Ads, link your GA4 property and create Ads conversions from your key events, so Google optimises towards real enquiries rather than clicks.
All 8 steps done
Guide complete. Nice work.
Royal flush! Now you're tracking what matters. Keep a copy of the whole guide, with every step, tip and source, for next time.
Stuck on anything? Tell us where and we'll pick it up from there.
Events vs key events
Every interaction GA4 records is an event: a page view, a scroll, a click. Key events are the few you tell GA4 matter most. Marking one doesn't change what's collected, it changes what GA4 highlights, so you can see which channels, pages and campaigns lead to results.
Best-practice tips
- Fewer is betterThree to five solid key events beat twenty vague ones. GA4 allows up to 30, but you won't need that many.
- Name them clearlyPick names you'll understand in a year, like generate_lead or phone_click. Use Google's recommended event names where they fit.
- Scrolls aren't salesPage views and scroll depth are useful, but they aren't key events. Save the star for actions that lead to money.
- Give leads a valueIf you know roughly what an enquiry is worth, add a default value. It makes comparing channels much easier.
- Once per session for leadsSet enquiry key events to count once per session, so one keen customer sending the form twice doesn't count double.
- Retest after site changesNew form plugin, thank-you page or theme? Test your key events again. Website changes quietly break tracking all the time.
Questions, answered
Are key events the same as conversions?
In GA4, yes: same idea, new name. Google Ads still calls them conversions, and you can create Ads conversions from your GA4 key events.
Do I need Google Tag Manager?
Not for the basics. Thank-you page tracking can be set up inside GA4. Tag Manager makes phone and email click tracking much easier, though.
Why don't the numbers match my inbox?
Cookie consent choices and ad blockers mean GA4 won't see every enquiry. Use it to compare trends and channels, not as an exact count.
How many key events can I have?
Standard GA4 properties allow up to 30. Most small businesses only need a handful.