Every click, scroll, and pause a visitor makes on your website tells a piece of a story. User behavior analytics tools help you see that full story instead of just the summary.

For a long time, I focused only on that summary, which left me guessing about the plot. I wanted to understand the full narrative of a person’s journey on my site.

This is where user behavior analytics tools completely changed the game for me. They let you see the detailed story of each visit as it unfolds.

Instead of just a number, you get to see a path. You learn what caught their eye and what might have caused a moment of hesitation.

I’m going to walk you through my favorite tools for this. They’ll help you read these valuable stories and connect more deeply with your visitors.

Compare the Top User Behavior Analytics Tools

Here’s a quick side-by-side look at the tools I’ll be covering below. You can compare pricing and who each tool is best for at a glance.

How I Chose The Best User Behavior Analytics Tools

I wanted this list to be genuinely helpful, so I focused on tools that work well for beginners and small teams. Every option I included met these criteria:

• Beginner-friendly: You don’t need to be a developer to use them.
  Clear visual reports: Heatmaps, funnels, and recordings that are easy to understand at a glance.
• Affordable or free plans: Tools that fit most budgets without cutting essential features.
• Trusted performance: Either tested by me or widely recommended by site owners I trust.

These are the tools I’d feel confident using on any of my own websites.

Best User Behavior Analytics Tools

Now that you know what these tools do and how I chose them, let’s look at the ones I recommend most.

Some are simple and free. Others offer deeper insights if you want to invest a little more. I’ve organized them so you can start with the most essential options and work your way down, depending on what you need.

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics (GA4) is where I start with every site I work on. It gives me the big picture: how much traffic I’m getting, where it’s coming from, and which pages are pulling their weight.

One feature I use constantly is the Traffic Acquisition report. It shows me which channels (search, social, email, etc.) are driving visitors so I can double down on what’s working.

I also like being able to set up events to track conversions and micro-actions like form submissions or video plays.

The downside? GA4 can feel overwhelming. There are dozens of reports, and it’s easy to get lost if you only want a quick read on user behavior. That’s why I often pair it with simpler tools (like OnePageGA) to surface the insights I care about most.

Pros:

• Free and powerful
• Integrates with most platforms
• Excellent for tracking conversions and sources

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for beginners
  Limited visuals for click or scroll behavior

Verdict: GA4 is the foundation for understanding your audience. Use it for traffic trends and marketing attribution, then layer on other tools from this list for deeper behavior insights.

See my guide to learn how to set up Google Analytics on your website.

2. OnePageGA

OnePageGA is the tool I use when I want my GA4 data to make sense fast. It pulls in your Google Analytics data and organizes it on a single, clean dashboard. No more digging through reports to figure out which pages are holding people’s attention and which ones are losing them.

I like that I can toggle on specific metrics, like average session duration or engagement rate, and immediately see how they trend over time. This makes it much easier to catch problems early, like a sudden drop in scroll depth on a key page.

The interface feels approachable, even if you don’t know GA4 inside and out. But because it’s tied to GA4, you still have access to the depth of data if you want it.

Pros:

• Turns GA4 data into clear, simple visuals
• Shows engagement and funnel performance without custom setups
• Works great for small sites and busy teams

Cons:

• Only works with GA4 data
• Doesn’t include session replays or heatmaps

Verdict: If GA4 makes your head spin, OnePageGA is the fastest way to actually understand your user behavior data. It surfaces the insights you need in minutes instead of hours.

Here’s a guide on how OnePageGA’s easy Google Analytics works.

3. Microsoft Clarity

Microsoft Clarity is the first behavior analytics tool I recommend to anyone on a budget because it’s completely free, and surprisingly powerful.

I use it to watch session recordings, which show exactly how someone moved through a page. It’s amazing how quickly you can spot issues this way, like users repeatedly clicking on something that isn’t clickable or bailing halfway through a form.

The built-in heatmaps are also helpful. They show me which parts of a page get attention and which get ignored, so I know where to place my most important content or calls-to-action.

There’s no limit on the number of sessions you can track, which is rare for a free tool. The trade-off is that Clarity doesn’t have deep funnels or advanced integrations.

Pros:

• Completely free with no limits
• Heatmaps and recordings are easy to use
• Highlights frustration signals automatically

Cons:

• Lacks advanced reporting
  No direct eCommerce tracking

Verdict: If you want to start understanding user behavior today without spending a cent, Microsoft Clarity is your best bet.

4. Hotjar

Hotjar is one of the most well-known user behavior analytics tools, and for good reason. It combines heatmaps, session replays, and user feedback tools in one platform.

I’ve used Hotjar’s on-site surveys to ask visitors why they didn’t complete a signup form, and the answers were eye-opening. Pairing that direct feedback with the heatmaps and recordings makes it easy to figure out why people leave a page or where they get stuck.

The free plan is solid for smaller sites, but you’ll hit limits on the number of recordings pretty quickly. The paid plans open up more data and features like advanced targeting for surveys.

Pros:

• Combines visual behavior data with user feedback
• Heatmaps and recordings are intuitive
• Surveys and polls can run directly on your site

Cons:

• Free plan is limited
• Pricing can add up for larger sites

Verdict: Hotjar is a great all-in-one option if you want to combine behavioral data with user feedback to get the full picture.

5. Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is one of the easiest ways to add heatmaps and scroll maps to your site. I’ve used it to quickly see which elements get the most clicks and how far users are making it down a long page.

One feature I like is the built-in A/B testing. You can make small design tweaks, like changing a button color or moving a form higher, and see which version performs better without needing a separate tool.

The interface is straightforward, but Crazy Egg doesn’t go as deep as some of the others when it comes to funnels or advanced reporting. It’s best for quick, visual insights.

Pros:

• Simple to set up and use
• Heatmaps and scroll maps are clear and detailed
• Includes basic A/B testing

Cons:

• Limited analytics beyond heatmaps
• Paid plans only (beyond free trial)

Verdict: Crazy Egg is a solid choice if you want fast, visual insights about where people click and how far they scroll.

6. FullStory

FullStory is the tool I reach for when I want the most detailed look at how users experience a site. Its session replays are incredibly high quality. You can see every movement, click, and scroll almost exactly as the user saw it.

I’ve used FullStory’s error tracking to uncover bugs that would have been impossible to spot with other tools. It captures console errors and network issues alongside the session recording, so you can see what went wrong from both the user’s and the developer’s perspective.

The analytics side is also strong. You can build funnels, filter by user behavior, and analyze retention trends in detail. It’s more than most small sites need, but larger businesses and SaaS companies will appreciate the depth.

Pros:

• Extremely detailed session replays
• Powerful debugging tools for developers
• Advanced funnels and retention analytics

Cons:

• Pricing is custom and can get expensive
• Too advanced for very small sites

Verdict: If you need enterprise-level insights and debugging, FullStory is hard to beat. It gives you both the “what” and the “why” behind user behavior.

7. Mixpanel

Mixpanel is a great solution for product analytics. If you run a SaaS app or any site where user retention is key, its event-based tracking is invaluable. You can see exactly how users move through a funnel, which features they use most, and when they drop off.

I’ve used Mixpanel’s cohort analysis to spot patterns in churn. For example, I discovered that users who didn’t complete onboarding within the first 48 hours rarely came back. That insight helped me redesign the onboarding flow and boost retention.

The free plan is generous, but you’ll need a paid plan for more data history and advanced features. It’s also a bit more technical to set up compared to other tools on this list.

Pros:

• Excellent for tracking user journeys over time
• Cohort analysis gives actionable retention insights
• Real-time dashboards keep you updated

Cons:

• Learning curve for beginners
• Paid plans required for deeper data and features

Verdict: Mixpanel is perfect if you’re serious about understanding user retention and behavior in depth, especially for SaaS or product-based businesses.

8. Amplitude

Amplitude is a popular choice for teams that need advanced journey and retention analytics. While I’ve only tried the platform briefly, it’s easy to see why product-focused companies use it.

Its journey analysis tools let you visualize how users move through your product or site step by step. You can also build detailed funnels and retention reports to understand where people drop off and which actions lead to long-term engagement.

One standout feature is its predictive analytics, which can help you identify which users are most likely to convert or churn. This allows you to act before you lose customers, something many analytics tools can’t do.

Pros:

• Extremely detailed journey and retention analysis
• Predictive analytics for proactive action
• Scales well for larger products and teams
  

Cons:

• Can be complex for small teams or basic use cases
• Pricing can climb as you grow

Verdict: Amplitude is worth exploring if you’re running a growing product or app and want enterprise-level insights, but it’s probably more than you need for a simple website.

9. Heap

Heap is different from most tools because it automatically tracks every user action on your site or app. This includes clicks, taps, form submissions, you name it. You don’t have to set up events ahead of time.

I’ve found this auto-capture feature really useful when I want to analyze behavior I hadn’t thought about tracking before. For example, I was able to go back and see how many users clicked a non-essential element during onboarding and if that affected completion rates, without ever setting up a manual event.

Heap’s retroactive analysis is another big win. You can build funnels and segments after the fact and still get the full data picture. The trade-off is that it can feel like overkill for smaller sites with limited data.

Pros:

• Tracks all user actions automatically
• Retroactive analysis makes it flexible
• Excellent for detailed journey mapping

Cons:

• Pricing is higher than some alternatives
• Can feel complex for small sites

Verdict: Heap is a great option if you want to capture everything users do and dig into advanced funnels and cohorts later on.

10. Lucky Orange

Lucky Orange is a good all-in-one option if you want behavior analytics and live chat in the same tool. I like that it includes heatmaps, session recordings, and conversion funnels alongside features like surveys and real-time chat.

This makes it especially useful for ecommerce sites. You can watch where customers are dropping out of the checkout funnel and then use live chat to nudge them back before they leave.

It’s not as polished as Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity on the behavior side, but the built-in engagement tools give it an edge if you want to talk directly to your visitors.

Pros:

• Combines heatmaps, recordings, and chat in one platform
• Funnels help identify checkout or form drop-offs
• Affordable for the feature set

Cons:

• Interface can feel cluttered
• Behavior analytics features aren’t as deep as standalone tools

Verdict: Lucky Orange is worth a look if you run an ecommerce site and want to reduce abandoned carts with real-time support and feedback.

Bonus: MonsterInsights for WordPress Users

If your site runs on WordPress and you want an easier way to see your GA4 reports, MonsterInsights is worth a look. It pulls Google Analytics data right into your WordPress dashboard, so you don’t need to log into GA4 separately.

It’s not a full user behavior analytics tool, so you won’t get heatmaps or session replays, but it’s a great add-on if you want quick access to your core metrics.

What’s the Best User Behavior Analytics Tool for You?

If you just need a clear way to understand GA4, OnePageGA is the fastest way to see your key metrics on a single dashboard.

Microsoft Clarity is the strongest free option, especially if you want heatmaps and session recordings. If surveys and polls matter too, Hotjar or Lucky Orange combine those with behavioral data.

Crazy Egg is ideal for testing landing pages and layouts with quick A/B tests.

And if you’re running a SaaS or product-focused site, Mixpanel, Amplitude, and Heap will give you the deepest funnel and retention insights. For debugging alongside replays, choose FullStory.

Start with the tool that matches your biggest goal, then add others as your needs grow.

FAQs About User Behavior Analytics

Get Started with User Behavior Analytics

If you want to understand how people really use your site, these user behavior analytics tools will get you there.

I recommend starting with OnePageGA if GA4 feels overwhelming. It turns your analytics into a simple, single-page dashboard, so you can focus on what matters most.

From there, you can add tools like Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar for heatmaps and session recordings or Mixpanel and Heap for deeper funnel and retention analysis.

Want to keep learning? Check out these related guides:

• Best Ecommerce Analytics Tools
• Top Web Analytics Tools
• Engagement Rate vs Bounce Rate in GA4
• What Is a Metric in Google Analytics (And What to Track)

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

I poured so much of myself into my first website. I was sure that once I hit publish, people would just show up.

But for a long time, the only visitor was me, checking my own stats. It was a quiet and slightly lonely place to be.

That experience taught me something vital. The people who need what you have to offer are out there looking for you. You just need to build a clear path for them to find their way to your digital doorstep.

And that path is what organic search traffic is all about. In this guide, I’ll show you how to increase organic search traffic using clear, simple steps that actually work.

My Favorite Ways to Increase Organic Search Traffic

There’s no magic trick to growing organic search traffic. But there are a few key habits I’ve picked up that make a real difference.

Before you can grow what’s working or fix what’s not, you need to understand what your traffic looks like right now. That’s always where I start.

1. Check Your Current Organic Traffic

Before making changes, it’s helpful to know what’s already working. You might have pages bringing in search traffic right now without realizing it.

Use GA4’s Acquisition Report

To check your organic traffic in GA4:

1. Go to Reports » Acquisition » Traffic acquisition
2. In the table, click the row labeled Organic Search

You’ll see how many sessions, users, and conversions are coming from search. I usually compare this over the last 30 days versus the previous 30 to spot trends.

Later in this post, I’ll show you how to go deeper, like seeing which landing pages bring in organic visitors and what content leads to conversions.

Use OnePageGA for Simpler Reporting

If GA4 feels like too many clicks, this part is easier with OnePageGA.

OnePageGA is a simple dashboard that connects to your Google Analytics account. It shows your top traffic sources, landing pages, and conversions in one place. You can filter by “organic” to quickly see which content is bringing in search traffic.

For help with this, see my guide on how to find top converting traffic sources in GA4.

2. Fix SEO Fundamentals First

I used to think publishing good content was enough.

But I’ve learned that even the best post won’t bring in traffic if Google can’t find it or understand what it’s about.

So before I focus on new content, I always check the basics.

Make Sure Google Can Index Your Site

The first thing I check is whether my site is actually being indexed.

I’ve accidentally blocked whole sections of my site before thanks to a stray noindex tag or a plugin setting I didn’t notice.

Here’s what I do now:

• Use Google Search Console to inspect a few key URLs
• Make sure they’re listed as indexed
• If they’re not, I check for any noindex settings or robots.txt blocks
• And I always make sure I’ve submitted a sitemap

Even one blocked page can be the reason a post isn’t showing up.

Improve Site Speed and Mobile Friendliness

Next, I check how fast my site loads, especially on mobile.

I use PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to run a quick test. If it’s slow, it’s usually because of the following reasons:

Fixing those issues made a big difference in my bounce rate and rankings.

Optimize On-Page Elements

Once the technical stuff is sorted, I look at the page itself.

For each post I want to rank, I double-check:

• Is the main keyword in the title and first paragraph?
• Am I using proper H1, H2, H3 headings?
• Did I write a helpful meta description that makes someone want to click?

I also add 1–2 links to other helpful posts. We’ll cover more on internal linking later.

These are small changes, but they add up, especially if you’re updating older posts.

3. Create Content People Are Searching For

Good content isn’t enough if no one’s looking for it.

Instead of guessing what to write, I start by finding real questions people are already searching for. Then I build my content around those.

Target Long-Tail, Low-Competition Keywords

A keyword is just the word or phrase someone types into Google.

If you write a blog post called “How to Start a Podcast” and someone searches for that exact phrase, that’s your target keyword.

The trick is choosing the right ones. You don’t necessarily need those with the most search traffic, but the most realistic.

That’s why I focus on long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific phrases like:

• “best podcast mic for beginners”
• “how to promote a podcast without social media”

They don’t get huge search volume, but they’re easier to rank for and attract readers who are ready to take action.

I usually find them through:

• Google Autocomplete
• The “People Also Ask” box
• Keyword research tools like LowFruits which help spot easy wins

Use Helpful, Searchable Formats

The way you structure your content matters just as much as the topic.

I’ve had the best results with how-to guides, tutorials, checklists, and simple comparisons. These formats line up with how people actually search for help.

Instead of guessing, I ask: Would someone type this into Google? If the answer is yes, that’s a format worth using.

Clear, direct formats also make your content easier to scan and more likely to show up in AI search results.

Focus on Evergreen Topics

Some posts bring in traffic for a week. Others keep working for years. That’s the power of evergreen content, which are topics that stay useful over time.

Instead of chasing news or trends, I write about things people always need help with. For example:

• How to track website visitors
• What bounce rate means
• How to set up basic SEO

It pays off. According to Parse.ly, over half of the top 100 websites get more than 5% of their page views from evergreen content.

It’s these kinds of posts that build steady traffic and are easier to update when things change.

4. Improve Underperforming Content

Sometimes the fastest way to get more search traffic isn’t by writing something new. It’s by fixing something that’s almost working.

I check for pages that are showing up in search but not quite making it to the top results. A few small changes can often make a big difference.

Find Pages Ranking on Page 2

I open Google Search Console and sort my pages by impressions and average position.

Then I look for pages that:

• Are ranking between positions 6 and 20
• Have decent search volume
• Have a low click-through rate (CTR)

These are the easiest wins. They’re already showing up in search, just not high enough to get real traffic.

Once I’ve found a few, I pick one to update and improve.

Refresh and Expand the Content

When a post is close to ranking well, small updates can push it over the line.

I usually start by reading through the whole thing with fresh eyes. If something feels thin, outdated, or hard to follow, I fix it.

Here’s what I often add:

• Missing subtopics or steps the reader might expect
• A short FAQ section with real questions from search
• Updated stats or clearer examples

If the intro is weak, I rewrite it. If the formatting is dense, I break it up with headings and bullet points. I also make sure the content matches what people are actually searching for today, not what they needed two years ago.

Google’s People Also Ask section is a great place to learn what people are already asking questions about:

5. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are still one of the strongest signals Google looks at for ranking your content.

Studies show that pages ranking on the first page of Google typically have significantly more backlinks than those on page two or beyond. According to one analysis, the top-ranking page usually has nearly 4 times more backlinks than pages in positions 2 to 10.

To get results, I focus on quality over quantity.

Create Content Worth Linking To

I’ve seen backlinks earned more naturally when I publish things that others find genuinely useful, like:

• A template or checklist
• A simple tool or calculator
• A post with original data or real-world examples

If it helps others do their work better, there’s a good chance they’ll share it or link to it in their own content.

Do Outreach or Guest Posting

Sometimes good content needs a little nudge.

If I publish something link-worthy, I’ll send it to a few people who might genuinely find it helpful. For example, bloggers, newsletter writers, or site owners in my niche.

I also write guest posts or submit expert comments when I can. Not the spammy kind, but real articles for sites I read myself. It’s a win-win: they get free, useful content, and I get a link back to something relevant on my site.

I don’t push my homepage or sales pages. I usually link to a supporting blog post that adds context.

Build a Strong Internal Link Network

Not every link has to come from another site. The ones you add inside your own content matter too.

I make it a habit to link from older posts to newer ones and from high-traffic pages to ones that need a boost. It helps Google crawl my site better and gives readers more ways to explore related topics.

When adding internal links, I focus on:

• Link from older content to newer or underperforming pages
• Use clear, descriptive anchor text
• Link between posts on similar topics

It’s simple, but it works, and it’s completely in your control.

Optimize for AI Search Visibility

Search is changing fast. Tools like Google’s AI Overviews are pulling answers straight from content and showing them in the results.

That means it’s not just about ranking anymore. Your content needs to be easy for AI tools to understand and pull from.

Here’s how I format my posts so they actually show up in these new search features.

Use Clear, Descriptive Headings

I write every heading like it could stand alone.

That means I skip vague phrases like “More tips” or “Next steps”. Instead, I use headings that sound like real search queries:

• What is organic search traffic?
• How to fix bounce rate in GA4
• Best reporting tools for small business websites

Clear headings help readers scan faster and help AI tools find the exact part of your content to show.

Start Sections with Summary Answers

Right after each heading, I try to include a short, clear answer, like I’m writing a response for a search snippet.

Think of it as the takeaway in one or two sentences. Then I expand below if needed.

For example:

What is bounce rate in GA4?
Bounce rate in GA4 is the percentage of sessions that lasted less than 10 seconds and had no conversion or second page view.

That kind of clarity helps your content get picked up in AI Overviews and makes it easier for real people to get what they came for.

Use Chunked, Structured Formatting

AI tools (and human readers) don’t do well with giant walls of text.

So I break my content into small, self-contained chunks. Each section covers one idea, with clear headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points when they help.

This kind of formatting also increases the chances your content will be pulled into featured snippets or AI summaries.

Boost Engagement and Clarity

Once people find your content, the next challenge is keeping them there.

If someone lands on your post and bounces right away, that can hurt your rankings over time. So I focus on keeping readers engaged and making sure the content actually delivers on what they came for.

Keep Readers on the Page

Every section needs a strong opening, a clear takeaway, and a reason to keep reading.

I always:

• Start with a quick summary that answers the main question
• Link to deeper content when someone wants more detail
• Check that the post fully answers what the headline promised

If the page feels useful and easy to navigate, people stick around and that sends the right signals to search engines.

Use Visual Aids and Tables

People process visuals faster than text. I use charts, tables, and screenshots whenever they help explain something more clearly.

For example:

• A table comparing bounce rate vs engagement rate
• A screenshot showing where to find organic traffic in GA4
• A callout box summarizing next steps

Just make sure visuals are actually helpful. For example, I avoid decorative images and focus on things that add clarity or make a process easier to follow.

Tables should always be built in real HTML, not as images. That way, AI tools and screen readers can understand them too.

Reduce Bounce Rate with Better UX

If people land on your site and leave right away, that’s a signal something isn’t working.

I’ve found that bounce rate often improves with a few simple UX fixes:

• Clear navigation
• Fast load times
• No annoying popups or autoplay videos
• Mobile-friendly layout

In GA4, bounce rate is calculated differently than in Universal Analytics. It now means someone visited your site but didn’t stay at least 10 seconds or engage.

If you’re not sure where to find it, here’s my guide on how to find bounce rate in GA4.

Track What’s Working With Better Reports

If you’re putting effort into growing your organic traffic, you need to know what’s actually working.

I check my reports regularly to see which pages are bringing in search traffic, where people are landing, and what leads to conversions.

Use GA4 to Track Organic Landing Pages

In GA4, you can track which pages are bringing in organic traffic by going to:

1. Go to Reports » Engagement » Landing page
2. At the top, click Add comparison
3. Under Dimension, select Session source / medium
4. For the value, enter google / organic
5. Click Apply

This shows you which pages people are entering your site through and how those sessions perform.

Now, look for patterns. Are certain topics converting better? Are some pages getting traffic but no engagement?

Use OnePageGA for Easier Tracking

GA4 can be powerful, but it’s not always easy to use. That’s why I use OnePageGA to simplify things.

It connects to your Google Analytics account and shows your key metrics in one clean dashboard.

I can:

• Filter for organic traffic
• See top landing pages, bounce rate, and conversions
• Spot trends and drops without digging through menus

It saves me time and helps me catch what’s working, or not, before it becomes a bigger problem.

Set Up Event Tracking

To understand what’s working, I track what people actually do, not just whether they visited.

In GA4, you can track:

These give you a better sense of what content leads to action, not just views.

You can set up events manually in GA4, or use connected tools like Tag Manager or OnePageGA’s simplified dashboard. For a breakdown of options, see my guide on types of events in GA4.

FAQs About Organic Search Traffic

Make Organic Growth Easier to Track

Growing your organic search traffic takes time, but the steps in this guide actually work, especially if you stay consistent.

If you want a faster way to see what’s working, OnePageGA gives you clear, simple reports that show your top sources, landing pages, and conversions without the GA4 mess.

You might also find these guides helpful for growing your website:

• How to Find Average Session Duration in Google Analytics
• Content Marketing Metrics That Matter
• Simple Google Analytics Reports

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

I used to rely on bounce rate all the time in Universal Analytics. It was how I spotted underperforming pages quickly. Then GA4 came along and changed the rules.

Bounce rate got replaced by engagement rate, which tracks meaningful sessions, like someone spending time on your site or clicking around. At first, I wasn’t sure what counted or when I should still check bounce rate.

If you’ve wondered the same thing, this guide clears it up. I’ll explain how both metrics work in GA4, how they’ve changed, and when to use each one.

What Is Engagement Rate in Google Analytics 4?

Engagement rate tells you how many sessions actually mattered. Not just visits, but sessions where someone stuck around or interacted with your site.

In GA4, a session is a visit to your website that includes all the activity from one user during a short period of time. By default, GA4 ends a session after 30 minutes of inactivity, so if someone comes back later, it counts as a new one.

A session is counted as engaged if the user:

• Stayed on your site for 10 seconds or longer
• Viewed two or more pages or screens
• Triggered a conversion event (like a form submit or a purchase)

So if someone scrolls, clicks, or completes an action, GA4 sees that as real engagement. If they land and leave without doing anything, it doesn’t count.

You’ll find engagement rate under Reports » Engagement » Overview.

It shows up as a percentage, along with metrics like engaged sessions and average engagement time.

Key Takeaway: Engagement rate shows how many sessions involved real interaction, not just a visit.

What Is Bounce Rate in GA4? (And How It’s Different Now)

Bounce rate used to mean one thing: someone landed on your site and left without clicking or doing anything else. In Universal Analytics, that counted as a bounce.

In GA4, the definition changed.

Now, bounce rate is the percentage of sessions that had no engagement. That means the user didn’t stay for at least 10 seconds, didn’t view a second page, and didn’t trigger a conversion event.

Basically, bounce rate is the opposite of engagement rate. GA4 calculates it like this:

Bounce rate = 100% minus engagement rate

You won’t see bounce rate in GA4 reports by default. To add it:

Go to Reports » Engagement » Pages and Screens, click the pencil icon to edit the report, then add “Bounce rate” as a metric.

If you’re not sure where to find it, here’s a guide on how to find bounce rate in GA4.

Key Takeaway: In GA4, bounce rate shows sessions without engagement. It’s a reversal of engagement rate and is harder to interpret by itself.

Engagement Rate vs Bounce Rate: What’s the Real Difference?

Engagement rate and bounce rate are tied together in GA4, but they tell you very different things.

Engagement rate shows what users did.
Bounce rate shows what they didn’t do.

One focuses on positive behavior. The other flags a lack of activity.

Here’s a quick comparison:

Both metrics come from the same set of data, but engagement rate gives you more to work with. You can track what’s working, what content holds attention, and where users actually interact.

When Should You Use Engagement Rate?

If you want to know what’s working on your site, engagement rate is the metric to watch.

I use it when I’m testing landing pages, updating blog content, or checking traffic from paid campaigns. It tells me if people are actually interacting instead of loading the page and leaving.

It’s especially helpful for:

• Landing pages
• Blog posts
• Paid ads with UTM links
• Email campaigns
• Mobile vs desktop comparisons

For most blogs and landing pages, I aim for 60 percent or higher. If I see a drop below 40 percent, I take a closer look to see what’s not working.

You can segment by traffic source, page, or device in GA4. I like pairing this with the top converting traffic sources in GA4 to figure out which ones bring visitors who actually stick around.

I also usually check OnePageGA instead because it shows engagement rate alongside everything else in one view.

When Should You Look at Bounce Rate?

Even though bounce rate isn’t as useful as it used to be, I still check it when something feels off.

A high bounce rate can point to:

• Broken or slow-loading pages
• Bad-fit traffic from ads or social posts
• Misleading meta titles or descriptions
• Content that doesn’t match search intent

But it’s not always a problem. Some pages are meant to be quick. That includes a contact page, a thank-you page, or a single-page guide. In those cases, a high bounce rate might be completely fine.

If bounce rate is high and engagement rate is low, that’s when I dig in and look closer.

How to Track Engagement Rate and Bounce Rate the Easy Way

If GA4 feels like too much clicking and not enough clarity, OnePageGA can help.

It’s a single-page GA4 dashboard that shows your most important metrics, including engagement rate and bounce rate, all in one place. You don’t need to build custom reports or dig through menus. Just connect your site, choose what you want to see, and get a clear view of your data.

Here’s how to view both metrics in OnePageGA:

1. Click Edit Metrics
2. Select Engagement Rate and Bounce Rate
3. Apply filters by traffic source, page, or campaign

You can quickly spot what’s getting results and what needs attention, without clicking through multiple reports or trying to decode the data.

FAQs About Bounce Rate vs Engagement Rate

What I Focus On (and You Should Too)

I’ve moved away from bounce rate as a core metric. These days, I rely on engagement rate to understand what content is actually working — especially when I’m testing campaigns or updating older blog posts.

If you’re still stuck clicking through GA4 trying to compare the two, give OnePageGA a try. It shows both metrics side by side so you can make faster, clearer decisions without the guesswork.

Want to keep digging into GA4? These guides might help:

• How to Find Average Session Duration in Google Analytics
• How to Add Annotations in Google Analytics
• Types of Events in Google Analytics (With Examples)

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

Last year, I spent weeks writing a blog post I thought would be a hit. I checked my analytics the next day and saw a huge spike in pageviews — over 3,000 people in one weekend. I was thrilled.

But here’s the thing. Almost all of them bounced.

They didn’t click anything. No one signed up. No one shared it. For a while, I kept chasing pageviews, thinking that was the sign of success. It took me a while to realize I was tracking the wrong thing.

If you’ve ever opened Google Analytics 4 and felt completely lost, you’re not alone. It’s packed with data, but figuring out which numbers actually matter can feel overwhelming.

That’s what this guide is for.

I’ll show you the content marketing metrics that actually matter, how to track them in both GA4 and OnePageGA, and most importantly, how to use them to make better decisions about your content.

What Are Content Marketing Metrics?

Content marketing metrics are the numbers that show how your content is performing.

Content marketing isn’t a side tactic anymore. It’s a core part of most strategies — 73% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers use it to reach their audience.

These metrics tell you how people are finding your site, what they do after landing on a page, and whether your content is helping you reach goals like signups or sales.

Some common examples include:

• Traffic — how many people visit your content
• Engagement — how long they stay and what they interact with
• Conversions — actions like purchases, form fills, or email signups
• Behavior — things like scroll depth or which pages they visit next

I use these to answer simple but important questions. Is this post attracting the right audience? Are people actually reading it? Is it doing anything useful for the business?

Before I write something new or spend time promoting a piece, I always check these numbers. If something’s working, I want to know why. If it’s not, I want to fix it.

Here’s the part that took me a while to figure out. Some of these metrics matter more than others. A few will give you real answers. The rest just fill up space on a dashboard.

So instead of tracking everything, I focus on the ones that help me make better decisions.

Next, I’ll show you which metrics those are and how I use them.

The Content Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter

You don’t need to track everything. In fact, trying to monitor too many numbers can slow you down and make things more confusing than helpful.

What you really need is a small set of metrics that tell you what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. That’s what I rely on in my own content strategy.

Let’s start with the first one I always look at.

Traffic by Source

One of the first things I check is where my traffic is coming from. If most of my visitors are finding me through search, I know my SEO is working. If social or email is bringing in more clicks, that tells me where to focus next.

It also helps me spot gaps. I’ve seen campaigns where most of the effort went into social media — which makes sense, since 73% of content marketers use it. But when the traffic reports showed that search was performing way better, I knew I needed to shift my priorities.

You can track traffic sources in GA4 by going to Reports » Acquisition » Traffic acquisition.

In OnePageGA, just open the Sources report and filter by Channel or Source/Medium.

If you haven’t used OnePageGA yet, it’s a simple Google Analytics 4 dashboard that shows all your key metrics on one screen. It connects directly to your GA4 account but removes all the noise, so you can get answers fast without clicking through endless menus.

If you’re running any kind of campaign, I always recommend using UTMs. That way, you can see exactly which links are driving results without having to guess later.

Engagement Rate

GA4 doesn’t show bounce rate by default anymore, and honestly, I don’t miss it. These days, I use engagement rate instead. It tells me how many people are actually interacting with my content instead of just clicking and leaving.

In GA4, a session is counted as engaged if the visitor stays for more than 10 seconds, views at least two pages, or triggers a conversion event. So when I see a high engagement rate, I know people are sticking around and doing something useful.

This matters because attention is hard to earn. One study found that personalized content creates a 20% increase in sales opportunities, but only if people actually engage with what you’re publishing.

To check engagement rate in GA4, go to Reports » Engagement » Pages and screens, then click the pencil icon to customize the report.

From there, you can add Engagement Rate as a visible metric.

In OnePageGA, you can see it right on the main dashboard or drill into it in the Pages report.

I use this number all the time to spot weak intros or pages that need a clearer call to action.

Average Engagement Time

Average Engagement Time shows how long people are actively paying attention to your content. It’s not just how long the tab is open, it’s how long they’re actually scrolling, clicking, or interacting with the page.

I use this metric when I want to see if a piece is really holding interest. Low numbers usually mean something went wrong. Maybe the headline didn’t match the content, or the intro lost people before they got to the good stuff.

But when engagement time hits a minute or more, I know readers are sticking around. That usually means they’re reading, exploring, and getting value from what they’re seeing.

It lines up with what Nielsen Norman Group found. Most people leave a page within 10 to 20 seconds unless they find something useful.

In GA4, you can find this under Reports » Engagement » Pages and screens.

Key Conversions / Events

At the end of the day, this is the metric that matters most — are people taking action?

For me, that means tracking things like email signups, purchases, or contact form submissions. If a piece of content is getting views but not leading to any conversions, I know something’s missing. Maybe the CTA isn’t clear enough. Maybe the offer doesn’t match the reader’s intent.

GA4 lets you track these actions as either events or conversions. You can find them by going to Configure » Events, then mark the ones that matter most to you as conversions.

In OnePageGA, it’s much faster. Just open your Events report and filter by the conversion actions you care about — things like generate_lead, sign_up, or purchase.

This is how I connect content to actual results. Views are nice, but conversions show whether it’s doing real work.

Vies per Session

This metric, formerly called “Pages per Session” in Universal Analytics, shows how many pages someone views during a single session. I use it to get a feel for how engaging and connected my content is. If people are reading one post and then checking out more, that tells me I’m on the right track.

But if most sessions stop after one page, it might mean my internal links aren’t strong enough or the next step isn’t clear. Sometimes it’s just a layout issue. Either way, this number helps me spot it.

In GA4, you’ll need to use Explore reports to view Views per Session, since it’s not available in standard reports.

It’s a small metric, but it gives me useful clues about whether my site structure and content flow are doing their job.

Backlinks and Referral Traffic

Backlinks and referral traffic help you see which other websites are sending visitors your way. I check this to find out which partnerships, mentions, or guest posts are actually driving results.

It’s also a helpful way to spot content that’s building authority. When credible sites link to you, it often means the content is useful, and that can give your SEO a boost too.

In GA4, head to the Acquisition report and filter by Referral to view this traffic.

If you want to see exactly who’s linking to you, tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Semrush will give you the backlink data GA4 doesn’t show.

This is one of the ways I decide which posts are worth updating, promoting, or repurposing. If someone’s already linked to it, that’s a signal it’s worth keeping fresh.

Top Landing Pages

Your landing pages are the first thing people see when they visit your site. I always keep an eye on which ones bring in the most new users. These are the pages doing the most work, whether the traffic is coming from search, social, or other sites.

When a landing page is performing well, I ask a few simple questions. Is there a clear call to action? Does the content feel current? Can I add internal links to help people keep exploring?

In GA4, you can find this information by going to Engagement » Landing page.

In OnePageGA, open the Pages report and sort by Users to see which content is attracting first-time visitors.

If you want to improve conversions or get more value from your traffic, this is one of the best places to start.

How to Use These Metrics to Improve Your Content

By now, you’ve seen how each of these metrics can help you spot what’s working and what needs improvement. Here’s how I pull it all together when I’m reviewing content:

• Low engagement rate? Rewrite the intro or break up the layout.
• High time on page but no conversions? Add or improve your call to action.
• Top landing page? Update it, link to it more, or turn it into a lead magnet.
• Low scroll depth? If you’ve enabled scroll tracking, check where people drop off. I’ve used that to spot weak sections in tutorials and blog posts that lose readers halfway through.

I usually check these once a week for new content, then review everything else about once a month. It doesn’t take long, and it keeps my content moving in the right direction.

If you’re making changes, I also recommend adding annotations in GA4 or OnePageGA. It helps you see what changed and why performance shifted later on.

Want Content Marketing Metrics in One Place?

GA4 is powerful, but let’s be honest, finding your way around it can be a pain. Even simple questions take too many clicks, and important metrics are buried in different reports.

That’s why I started using OnePageGA.

It’s a clear, one-page dashboard that connects to your Google Analytics account and shows all your key content metrics in one place. You can filter by source, page, campaign, or event without having to dig through endless menus.

If you want to spend less time clicking around and more time improving your content, it’s worth a look.

Start your free 14-day trial — no credit card needed.

FAQs About Content Marketing Metrics

The Simple Metrics I Keep Coming Back To

Content marketing gets easier once you know what to measure. You don’t need fancy reports or dozens of charts — just a few key numbers that help you make better decisions.

Start with the basics, check them regularly, and use what you find to improve one thing at a time. That’s how I’ve grown my own sites, and it’s still the process I trust most.

If you want a simpler way to track what’s working, try OnePageGA. It shows all your key content metrics on one screen, no setup headaches or confusing menus.

Start your free 14-day trial

Want to keep improving your content strategy and get more from your analytics? Here are a few helpful guides:

• What Is a Metric in Google Analytics?
  A beginner-friendly breakdown of what counts as a metric — and why it matters.
• How to Track Website Visitors
  Simple steps to understand who’s visiting your site and where they’re coming from.
• Best Web Analytics Tools
  A curated list of analytics tools, including GA4 alternatives, to help you track what matters.

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

Some metrics in GA4 are so buried, it feels like you need a treasure map just to find them.

One of the most frustrating ones was average session duration. I used to rely on it all the time in Universal Analytics to spot weak pages and figure out what was keeping visitors engaged. But in GA4? It’s renamed, hidden, and way too easy to miss.

If you’ve been digging around and still can’t find it, you’re not alone. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to find average session duration in Google Analytics 4, what the updated metric actually means, and how I track it faster using OnePageGA.

What Is Average Session Duration in GA4?

In Universal Analytics, average session duration told you how long people typically stayed on your site. It was one of those quick-glance metrics that helped me spot which pages were holding attention and which ones weren’t.

In GA4, that metric has been replaced by average engagement time per session, and it works a little differently. I still call it session duration out of habit, but the above label is the correct name.

Instead of counting the total time someone spends from entry to exit, GA4 only tracks active time. If someone opens your site and walks away for five minutes, that idle time doesn’t count.

Even with that change, I still find it useful. If people are leaving after a few seconds, there’s usually a reason. It might be slow loading, poor content, or a mismatch between the page and their search intent. But when I see engagement time ticking up, especially past the one- or two-minute mark, that usually tells me visitors are sticking around, scrolling, reading, and maybe even converting.

On one of my own landing pages, the average session time was under a minute. After tweaking the headline and moving the CTA higher, people stayed longer and conversions doubled.

Most sites I work with average somewhere between 1 and 2 minutes per session. Databox reports a median of 77.61 seconds for B2B and 92.33 seconds for B2C, which lines up with what I’ve seen. In niches like fintech or SaaS, engagement times often reach 4 to 5 minutes.

If you’re not sure what counts, here’s a simple breakdown of what a metric is in GA4.

Steps for Finding Average Session Duration in GA4

Finding average session duration in GA4 isn’t hard, but it does take a few steps since it’s not included in your default reports.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open the Engagement Report

First, log into your Google Analytics account.

From the left-hand menu, go to Reports » Engagement » Overview.

This gives you a general view of how people are interacting with your site, including key metrics like engaged sessions, engagement rate, and engagement time.

If you haven’t used this report before, it’s also where you can track website visitors in GA4.

Step 2: Customize the Report

Once you’re in the Engagement Overview report, look for the pencil icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Click it to enter Edit mode.

This lets you add or remove metrics from the report, so you can manually include the session duration metric.

Step 3: Add a Session Duration Metric

In the report editor, click on Metrics in the right-hand panel. Then click Add metric.

Search for and select Average engagement time per session.

This is the GA4 version of average session duration. It shows how long users were actively engaging with your site during a session, not just how long the tab was open.

Once your report includes the metrics and dimensions you want, click the Save button in the top-right corner.

Choose Save as a new report, give it a name like “Session Duration Overview,” and click Save again.

This way, you won’t have to rebuild the report every time you log in. You can find it anytime under Library » Reports.

Step 4: (Optional) Export and Calculate

If you want to match the old Universal Analytics metric more closely, you can calculate it manually.

Click the Share icon at the top of the report, then choose Download file » CSV.

In your spreadsheet, divide the Total engagement time by the Number of sessions. This gives you a rough version of traditional average session duration.

For example, if your report shows 15,000 seconds of total engagement time and 500 sessions, the calculation would look like this:

15,000 ÷ 500 = 30 seconds

So your average session duration would be around 30 seconds.

It’s not perfect, but it can help if you’re comparing old data with your GA4 setup.

Step 5: Add a Secondary Dimension

To dig deeper into your session data, click the “+” icon next to the primary dimension in your report.

This lets you break down session duration by things like:

• Page path – see which pages are holding attention
• Traffic source – compare how users from search, social, or email behave
• Device category – check whether mobile or desktop users stay longer

Adding a secondary dimension helps you understand not just how long people stay, but also where and why they’re spending that time.

When I compared traffic sources, I noticed users from my newsletter were staying for over 3 minutes, while Facebook traffic dropped off in under 30 seconds. That helped me shift focus to channels that brought in more engaged visitors.

How to View Session Duration in OnePageGA

If you’re tired of jumping through hoops just to see how long people stay on your site, OnePageGA makes it much easier.

It’s a clean, beginner-friendly dashboard that connects to your GA4 account and helps you create simple GA4 reports without digging through menus. That includes session duration, which shows up right on your main dashboard without any extra setup.

You can also customize your view. Click the Edit Metrics icon and turn on Average Session Duration if it’s not already selected.

From there, you can filter the data by:

• Page
• Traffic source
• Campaign
• Device

I used this to check how different landing pages were performing. Visitors were spending more than 4 minutes on the pricing page, which gave me the confidence to increase my ad budget for that campaign. The numbers helped confirm that the page was doing its job.

With OnePageGA, it only takes a few clicks to see the data that matters most.

Smart Ways to Use Average Session Duration

It’s easy to assume that longer session times are always better, but that’s not always true. Sometimes people stay longer because they’re confused or stuck. Other times, a short session means someone found exactly what they needed right away.

Here’s what I’ve learned from using this metric on my own sites.

What Not to Do

• Don’t assume a longer session automatically means better performance
• Don’t compare GA4 session duration to old Universal Analytics reports — they use different tracking models
• Don’t look at session time on its own. It’s more useful when you pair it with bounce rate, conversion rate, or scroll depth.

What to Do Instead

• Use it to spot weak pages or traffic sources that aren’t bringing in engaged visitors
• Watch for changes over time when you update your content or layout
  
  The European Sealing Association made some key improvements to their site and increased their average session duration to 56 seconds. They also saw a 3% drop in bounce rate and a 51% increase in page views (source).
  
• Compare your numbers to others in your industry to see if you’re in a healthy range

Here are some average session duration benchmarks, based on data from Hike SEO:

I also like to pair session duration with scroll tracking. You can track scroll depth and other events to get a fuller picture of how people interact with your content.

If visitors are spending time and scrolling to the end, that usually tells me they’re reading and engaging, not just idling with the tab open.

FAQs About Average Session Duration

Wrapping Up: Make Session Time Work for You

Average session duration is still one of the clearest ways to understand how people engage with your website. Even though GA4 makes it harder to find, it’s a metric worth paying attention to.

It helps you see what’s working, where users might be losing interest, and how changes to your content or layout affect real behavior. The key is not just finding the number, but knowing how to use it.

If GA4 feels like too much effort, OnePageGA gives you a faster, simpler way to track session duration alongside all your other key metrics, with no digging required.

Try OnePageGA free for 14 days and see how much easier it is to understand your website performance.

Want to keep learning? Here are some helpful guides to explore next:

• GA4 Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Using?
• Easy Google Analytics 4: A Simple Guide on How It Works
• How to Add Annotations in Google Analytics 4
• How to Find Your Top Converting Traffic Sources in GA4
• Types of Web Analytics Every Website Owner Should Know

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

Last month, I opened Google Analytics to check on a friend’s campaign and saw zero users. Not one. My stomach dropped.

If you’ve been there, you know the feeling. You’re expecting to see a steady stream of data, and instead it looks like your entire website vanished. Google Analytics not working is more common than most people realize, especially with all the changes and limitations baked into the newer version.

The thing is, Google Analytics is used by over 83% of websites that track data. That’s a huge chunk of the internet relying on it to work every day. But when it doesn’t, it’s easy to panic.

In this guide, I’ll show you the exact steps I take when GA4 stops working, even if you don’t have any technical experience.

Common Reasons for Google Analytics Not Working

These are the first things I check when GA4 suddenly goes quiet. In my experience, it’s usually something small. But it’s easy to miss if you don’t know where to look.

1. The Tracking Code Isn’t Firing

When GA4 stops recording data, this is the first thing I check. If the GA4 tag isn’t firing, none of your tracking will work. Make sure it uses the gtag.js snippet, which is the recommended setup for GA4.

Your GA4 tag needs to be installed across your entire site, not just the homepage. Even missing it on one key landing page can throw off your reports. The tag should use the gtag.js snippet, which is the recommended setup for GA4 tracking.

The easiest way to check is by using the Google Tag Assistant extension or opening your browser’s developer tools.

You’re looking for your Measurement ID, which should start with G-. Make sure it matches the one listed in your GA4 data stream settings, which you’ll find under Admin » Data Streams.

If it’s not showing up, the tag might be missing, misconfigured, or blocked by another plugin or script.

2. You’re in the Wrong Property or Account

This has tripped me up more times than I care to admit. If you manage more than one site or work with clients, it’s surprisingly easy to open the wrong GA4 property.

The interface doesn’t make it obvious which property you’re looking at, especially if your sites have similar names. I’ve had moments where I thought tracking was broken, only to realize I was checking a staging site or someone else’s account entirely.

Before you panic, double-check the property name in the top left corner of GA4. It only takes a second and might save you a lot of time.

3. Ad Blockers and Cookie Banners Are Interfering

Sometimes GA4 is working just fine, but the data never makes it to your reports.

Ad blockers like uBlock, Ghostery, and Brave can block Google Analytics scripts completely. If your audience is even slightly tech-savvy, there’s a good chance some of them are invisible in your stats.

Some browsers also apply a content security policy that can block GA4 scripts from loading. If that’s the case, you may need to adjust your settings or whitelist analytics URLs.

On top of that, cookie banners can cause issues too. In the EU and other regions with privacy laws, GA4 won’t track visitors unless they give explicit consent. If your site’s cookie setup is missing consent mode or isn’t firing the GA tag properly after someone accepts, it can look like traffic has dropped when it really hasn’t.

This support thread from Google has a good breakdown of how cookie opt-ins can interfere with tracking.

4. Filters Are Hiding Data

GA4 gives you the option to filter out certain types of traffic, like bots or internal visits. That’s helpful, but it can hide real data if something’s misconfigured.

I’ve seen this happen when someone sets up an IP exclusion and forgets they’re using a VPN or shared network. Suddenly, all their team’s visits disappear, and it looks like the site has gone silent.

After a high-profile data breach, Blue Shield of California tried to tighten up their tracking setup. In the process, they ended up filtering out more than they meant to.

If your numbers look suspiciously low, check your filters. You can find them in GA4 under Admin » Data Settings » Data Filters.

5. You’re Checking the Wrong Date Range

I’ve had friends message me in a panic because their traffic “disappeared,” only to find out they were looking at future dates or an empty time period by mistake.

It happens more often than you’d think. Maybe the calendar didn’t update. Maybe someone clicked a custom segment and forgot to clear it.

Before diving into deeper fixes, double-check your date range in the top-right corner of GA4. Make sure you’re viewing the right time period and that no filters are hiding your data.

If everything looks right, but your numbers are still way off, the problem might not be with your setup. It could be that your events aren’t firing properly. Since GA4 is built around events, broken tracking can make your reports look completely empty.

GA4 Isn’t Tracking Events Properly

When GA4 stops showing conversions or other key actions, it’s usually an event issue. Here’s how I figure out what’s gone wrong.

Realtime Report

This is the fastest way to check if your tracking is working. Go to Reports » Realtime and open your website in another browser tab. You should see at least one user appear, even if it’s just you.

If the Realtime report stays blank while you’re visiting the site, something’s not connecting properly. Either the tracking code isn’t firing, or GA4 isn’t receiving the data.

DebugView

If your Realtime report is empty, DebugView is the next place I check. It shows you exactly what GA4 is picking up in real time. That includes page views, scrolls, clicks, form submissions, and more.

To open it, go to Admin » DebugView in your GA4 account.

To start seeing data, you’ll need to trigger a test session using debug mode. This lets GA4 know you’re actively testing and sends data to the DebugView panel.

There are two simple ways to do this:

• Google Tag Assistant is a free Chrome extension that helps you test your tracking setup. Once it’s installed, visit your website and it will show you which tags are active.
  
• Google Tag Manager preview mode lets you test events before they go live. If you’re using Tag Manager to manage GA4, click Preview, follow the prompts, and interact with your site to start a session.

As you click around your site, you should see a live feed of events appear in DebugView. If nothing shows up, the tracking code might be missing, blocked, or not set up correctly. In Google Tag Manager, make sure your GA4 configuration tag is firing on all pages and is not limited by a faulty trigger.

This tool has helped me catch everything from typos in event names to form triggers that silently failed. I’ve also seen issues where the event tag was set up incorrectly and never fired at all.

Advanced Problems That Can Affect GA4 Tracking

Most tracking issues come from things like missing tags, filters, or cookie banners. But if you’ve already checked the basics and GA4 still isn’t working, here are a couple of less common problems that could be affecting your setup.

Server-Side Tagging Setups

If you’ve switched to server-side tagging, your tracking works a little differently. Instead of sending data straight from the browser to Google Analytics, it routes through your own server first. This setup can help with performance and privacy, but it also adds more steps to get things working correctly.

GA4 won’t receive any data unless your server is forwarding events properly. You’ll want to double-check that:

• Your server container is connected to the right GA4 property
• Your Measurement ID is included in the configuration
• All your event tags are still firing from the server side

If something is missing, your reports might show zero users even though your site is getting traffic. Google Tag Manager’s server-side tagging guide walks through the full setup if you need help checking your configuration.

Google Analytics Property Suspensions

In rare cases, Google may suspend a GA4 property for violating its terms of service. This usually happens when personally identifiable information (PII) is sent to Analytics, which isn’t allowed.

If your tracking suddenly disappears, and you’ve ruled out every other issue, log into your Google Analytics account and check for any warning messages or suspension notices. You can also reach out to Google support if something looks off.

Why I Use OnePageGA to Track If GA4 Is Working

OnePageGA is a clean, beginner-friendly dashboard that connects to your GA4 account and shows all your key metrics in one place. It’s the easiest way I’ve found to spot tracking issues without digging through reports or switching between screens.

When I open it, I can quickly see:

• Real-time sessions, bounce rate, and conversions
• Which pages are getting the most traffic
• Whether my key events are being recorded
• Where visitors are coming from

Everything is laid out on one screen with no setup and no custom reports to build. It pulls the data straight from GA4 and organizes it in a way that actually makes sense.

One feature I rely on is annotations. I use them to leave notes when I launch a campaign, publish a new blog post, or update a landing page. For more details, you can see my guide on how to add annotations in Google Analytics.

Later, if my traffic changes, I can see exactly what happened that day without digging through my calendar or emails.

It also saves me time. If GA4 stops tracking, I can tell right away. I don’t have to guess whether something is broken or just slow. OnePageGA shows me what’s working and what needs attention.

FAQs About Google Analytics Not Working

Fix Google Analytics Not Working

When Google Analytics stops working, it’s stressful. Especially if you rely on it to track your traffic and conversions. The good news is that most problems come down to a simple setup issue, a blocked tag, or an event that isn’t firing correctly.

I’ve dealt with all of these on my own sites and learned exactly what to check and fix. Tools like Tag Assistant and DebugView can help, but they still take time to work through.

That’s why I use OnePageGA. It pulls all my GA4 data into one simple dashboard so I can see right away if something is broken or if everything’s running normally.

If you want a faster way to keep your tracking on track, start your free 14-day trial of OnePageGA. It’s the easiest way I’ve found to take the guesswork out of Google Analytics.

If you found this guide helpful, here are a few more resources that can help you get the most out of GA4:

• How to Track Website Visitors in GA4
• 4 Types of Events in Google Analytics + How to Use Them
• What Is a User in Google Analytics?
• GA4 Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Using?
• How to Create Simple Google Analytics Reports

The first time I opened GA4, I thought bounce rate was gone.

I was trying to figure out why one of my landing pages wasn’t converting. I went straight to where bounce rate used to live, but it wasn’t there. No column. No toggle. Nothing.

If you’ve had that moment of confusion too, you’re not imagining it. GA4 hides bounce rate by default, and it doesn’t work the same way it did in Universal Analytics.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to find bounce rate in GA4, how the new version works, and the faster way I check it now without customizing reports every time.

What Is Bounce Rate in GA4?

Bounce rate in GA4 works differently than it did in Universal Analytics. Instead of measuring how many people left your site without visiting another page, it now looks at engagement.

In GA4, bounce rate is the percentage of sessions that weren’t considered “engaged.” So a session counts as a bounce if the visitor:

• Stays on your site for less than 10 seconds
• Doesn’t trigger any conversion events
• Views only one page or screen

If none of those things happen, GA4 marks the session as a bounce.

Here’s the formula:

Bounce Rate = 100% minus Engagement Rate (Source: Google Support)

For example, let’s say someone lands on your homepage, scrolls a bit, but leaves after five seconds without clicking anything. That’s a bounce. But if they hang around longer, view another page, or submit a form, the session is marked as engaged and won’t count as a bounce.

Step-by-Step: How to Find Bounce Rate in GA4

GA4 doesn’t show bounce rate by default, so you’ll need to add it manually to your reports. You can add it in just a few clicks.

Step 1: Go to the Right Report

Log into your Google Analytics account, then go to Reports » Engagement » Pages and screens

This is where you’ll see how individual pages are performing.

Step 2: Click the Edit Icon

In the top-right corner of the report, click the pencil icon to customize the report layout.

Step 3: Add Bounce Rate

In the panel on the right, look for the Metrics section. Click into it, then search for “Bounce rate.”

Once you see it, click to add it to the report.

Step 4: Apply and Save

Click Apply, then hit Save at the top of the page.

Step 5: View and Explore Your Data

Now, scroll through the table to see the bounce rate for each page.

Click the Bounce rate column header to sort it from highest to lowest.

You can also click the + icon above the table to add a second dimension like traffic source, device type, or landing page path.

A Simpler Way: Track Bounce Rate with OnePageGA

GA4 makes it harder than it should be to find simple stats. That’s why I use OnePageGA to track my website analytics.

It connects to your Google Analytics account and shows your key metrics on a single page, including bounce rate, with no need to edit reports or click through menus.

Bounce rate is included by default, right alongside sessions, users, conversions, and revenue.

You can filter everything by:

• Page
• Source/medium
• Campaign
• Device

This makes it easy to spot pages with high bounce rates and start asking why. You might test a different layout or update your copy to keep people on the page longer.

With OnePageGA, there’s no need to change any settings or remember where to find things. All the key stats are waiting as soon as you log in.

Smart Ways to Use Bounce Rate in GA4

Bounce rate can be useful, but only if you know how to read it. A high number doesn’t always mean something’s wrong, and a low one doesn’t always mean everything’s working.

What to Avoid

• Don’t assume that a high bounce rate is always bad. Some pages are meant to be short visits, like a contact page or blog post. For example, blog posts often see bounce rates over 70%, which is considered normal in many industries.
• Don’t compare GA4 bounce rates to your old Universal Analytics data. GA4 uses a completely different definition based on engagement, so the numbers won’t match.
• Don’t rely on bounce rate alone to judge performance. It doesn’t tell you why someone left, just that they didn’t stay long or interact.

What to Do Instead

• Use bounce rate to spot pages with low engagement. Pages with bounce rates over 70–80% and little conversion activity are worth a closer look.
• Keep an eye on your top-exit pages. If visitors are consistently leaving from a particular page, it might point to friction or confusion. According to Hotjar, high exit rates can be a sign that users didn’t find what they were looking for or hit a dead end.
• Pair bounce rate with other metrics like time on page, scroll depth, and conversion rate. A low time on page and high bounce rate often means the content didn’t match what visitors were expecting.

Bounce rate is a starting point. It helps you spot red flags and test improvements. Most of all, it helps you ask better questions about how people are using your site.

FAQs About GA4 Bounce Rate

Track Bounce Rate the Easy Way

Bounce rate didn’t disappear in GA4, but it is harder to find. You can still access it with a few quick steps, and once you know where to look, it’s easier to track over time.

That said, GA4 isn’t always the most user-friendly. If you want a faster way to check bounce rate and all your other key metrics in one place, OnePageGA can help.

Start your 14-day free trial and take the guesswork out of GA4.

If you’re working on understanding GA4 or making your reports easier to read, these guides might help:

• Easy Google Analytics 4: A Simple Guide on How It Works
• How to Create Simple Google Analytics Reports
• What Is a Metric in Google Analytics (And What to Track)
• How to Find Your Top Converting Traffic Sources in GA4
• Types of Events in Google Analytics + How to Use Them

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

When I first started working with analytics tools, I remember how overwhelming it felt. There was so much data, and I just wanted a clear answer to simple questions. Where are people coming from? What’s actually helping them buy?

Over time, I figured out which tools are helpful and which ones just add more confusion. That’s what I want to share with you here.

In this guide, I’m walking through the best ecommerce analytics tools I’ve tried myself. Some are simple. Some go deeper. But all of them can help you get a better handle on what’s really going on in your store.

Quick Summary of the Best eCommerce Analytics Tools

How I Tested the Best eCommerce Analytics Tools

I didn’t put this list together by reading feature lists or copying what other blogs say. I actually spent time exploring each of these tools to see how they work in real life.

Here’s what I looked for:

• Setup process: Was it quick, or did it feel like jumping through hoops?
• Ease of use: Could I find the important stuff without clicking through ten menus?
• Ecommerce-specific reports: Things like revenue, conversions, and cart activity.
• Dashboard clarity: How easy it is to check stats at a glance.
• Pricing and value: What you get on the free plan, and whether the paid versions are worth it.

I tested each tool from the perspective of someone running an online store, not a data analyst. My goal was to figure out which tools make it easier to understand what’s working and what needs fixing.

Best eCommerce Analytics Tools (Reviewed)

There are a lot of tools out there claiming to help you track your store’s performance, but not all of them are built with ecommerce in mind. I’ve tested each of the tools below myself to see how well they actually work, what they’re like to use, and whether they’re worth your time.

Let’s start with one you’ve probably already heard of, Google Analytics 4.

1. Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the new standard for tracking website data, but it’s not exactly beginner-friendly. I’ve used it across several projects, and while it’s powerful, it takes some time to get used to, especially if you’re trying to track ecommerce data like product views, add-to-carts, and purchases.

My Experience

Setting up GA4 wasn’t the easiest. You have to manually create events to track things like revenue or checkout steps, and there’s a learning curve if you’ve never used it before.

Once it’s set up, though, the reporting is detailed and really useful. I liked the Monetization reports, especially when I needed to see how individual products were performing over time.

One thing that helped was using Google’s own documentation, but I still found myself going back and forth a lot just to figure out how to build a simple ecommerce report.

Pros:

• Free to use, even with advanced features
• Really detailed reports once you know where to look
• Works well with Google Ads and other Google tools

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for new users
• Setup is manual and takes time to get right
• Some reports feel buried under too many clicks

Pricing & Plans

Google Analytics 4 is completely free, which makes it a popular choice for a lot of ecommerce stores. There’s a paid version called GA360, but most smaller stores won’t need it.

My Review

GA4 is a great tool if you’ve got the time (and patience) to learn how it works. It’s packed with features and works for just about any kind of store. But if you’re brand new to analytics or short on time, you might want to pair it with a simpler tool that makes the data easier to understand.

For a more detailed overview, see my guide: Is Google Analytics 4 Worth It? The Pros and Cons

2. OnePageGA

OnePageGA is a simple, beginner-friendly dashboard that pulls your Google Analytics data into one clean, easy-to-read screen. I started using it because I was tired of digging through GA4 to find the info I actually needed, like where sales were coming from or which pages were performing best.

My Experience

The setup was super quick. I just connected my Google account and the dashboard was ready in seconds. No settings to configure and no custom events to set up.

Everything was already organized in a way that made sense for ecommerce. I could see traffic, conversions, top pages, and revenue all in one place.

One thing I really liked is how easy it is to spot patterns. If I ran a promo or changed something on a product page, I could quickly see if it made a difference in traffic or sales.

There’s also a built-in way to add notes, which makes it easy to keep track of changes without digging through old messages or emails.

Pros:

• Fast and easy to set up
• Can easily see ecommerce data
• Lets you add notes to explain traffic spikes or drops
• Great if you want a clearer view of your GA4 reports
• Includes conversion funnel tracking

Cons:

• Only works with GA4 data

Pricing & Plans

You can try OnePageGA free for 14 days. After that, pricing starts at $9 per month, which is affordable if you want something easier than GA4.

My Review

If GA4 feels too complicated, OnePageGA is a great way to get the data you care about without the hassle. I like using it when I want quick answers and a clean view of what’s working. It’s ideal for solo store owners or small teams who don’t need a full-blown analytics setup.

3. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is a WordPress plugin that makes Google Analytics a lot easier to understand, especially if you’re using WooCommerce. I’ve used it on several WordPress sites where I wanted to skip the GA4 setup headache and just see the numbers that matter, right inside the WordPress dashboard.

My Experience

Setting up Google Analytics was straightforward. I installed the plugin, connected my Google account, and right away I could see reports without needing to open GA4. It pulled in ecommerce data like revenue, conversion rate, and top products, which saved me a lot of clicks.

What I liked most was being able to view key metrics on the WordPress dashboard without jumping between tools. That said, you still need to have Google Analytics running in the background.

MonsterInsights doesn’t track data on its own. It just makes GA4 easier to use, especially if you’re not confident navigating the default reports.

Pros:

• Beginner-friendly setup inside WordPress
• Shows GA4 ecommerce data without leaving your site
• Works well with WooCommerce
• Lets you track clicks, forms, and custom events with no code

Cons:

• Requires GA4 to work, it’s not a standalone analytics tool
• Some features, like advanced reports, are locked behind the paid version

Pricing & Plans

There’s a free version with basic tracking, which is great for simple stores. If you want ecommerce tracking, though, you’ll need the Pro plan, which starts at $199.50 per year.

My Review

If you use WordPress and want your GA4 data to be easier to access, MonsterInsights is a great option. I recommend it for WooCommerce stores in particular. Just keep in mind that it depends on GA4 behind the scenes, so you’ll still need to set that up first.

4. Mixpanel

Mixpanel is more advanced than the other tools I’ve covered so far. It’s designed for businesses that want to track detailed customer behavior, not just pageviews and traffic sources.

I’ve used it on projects where we needed to follow what users were doing after landing on the site, like how many people clicked certain buttons or dropped off during signup.

My Experience

Right away, I could tell Mixpanel wasn’t built for beginners. The setup took more time, and I had to plan out which events I wanted to track. But once that part was done, the reports were incredibly detailed. I could build funnels, compare user segments, and even track what actions led to higher customer lifetime value.

What stood out the most was the level of flexibility. I could create custom reports based on very specific behavior, like which blog posts led to purchases or how long someone stayed before converting.

It’s not the tool I’d recommend for your first store, but it’s great for bigger teams or stores that are scaling.

Pros:

• Very detailed event-based tracking
• Great for funnel analysis and customer retention reports
• Lets you create custom dashboards and compare segments
• Works for web and mobile apps

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve compared to beginner tools
• Takes more time to set up and configure
• Can feel like overkill for small or new stores

Pricing & Plans

Mixpanel has a free plan that gives you up to 1 million monthly events, which is more than enough for most small stores. Paid plans start at $.00028 per event after the free cap.

My Review

Mixpanel is a solid choice if you’ve outgrown basic analytics and want to understand exactly how people use your store. I’d recommend it for growing ecommerce businesses with more complex sales journeys, or teams that want deeper data to make decisions.

5. Kissmetrics

Kissmetrics is built specifically for ecommerce, which makes it a little different from general analytics tools like GA4. I tried it on a test store to see how it handled things like customer lifetime value and repeat purchases, areas where GA4 tends to fall short without extra setup.

My Experience

The first thing I noticed is that Kissmetrics focuses more on people than sessions. Instead of just tracking visits or clicks, it builds a profile around each user, so you can see their full journey, from the first visit to their most recent order.

It was really useful for understanding how often customers came back, how long it took them to buy, and what they bought next. The dashboard isn’t flashy, but the data is actionable. I could easily track metrics like revenue by traffic source or which campaigns brought in the most loyal customers.

Setup wasn’t instant, and it works best if you have a developer who can help you add custom events. But once it’s in place, it’s a great tool for stores that want to grow based on customer behavior, not just traffic spikes.

Pros:

• Built specifically for ecommerce businesses
• Tracks customer lifetime value, repeat purchases, and full user journeys
• Great for segmenting users and tracking retention
• Offers reports GA4 doesn’t handle well without customization

Cons:

• Not as beginner-friendly as some tools
• Requires more setup and possibly developer help
• More expensive than some other platforms

Pricing & Plans

Kissmetrics doesn’t have a free plan. Pricing starts around $299 per month, so it’s more suited to established stores that are ready to invest in long-term growth.

My Review

Kissmetrics is a powerful eCommerce analytics tool if you’re focused on customer retention and long-term value. It’s probably not the first analytics tool you’ll use, but it’s a strong option once you’re ready to go deeper. I’d recommend it for growing or established stores that want more than just traffic data.

6. Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is a behavior analytics tool that shows you exactly how people interact with your website. I’ve used it when I wanted to go beyond the numbers and actually see what visitors were doing. For example, where they clicked, how far they scrolled, and what they ignored completely.

My Experience

Setting it up was simple. I added a small tracking script to the site, and within a few hours, I could start viewing heatmaps and scrollmaps. The heatmaps were especially helpful for spotting dead zones, parts of a product page that weren’t getting any attention, and figuring out which buttons or sections people were actually using.

One of my favorite features was the ability to compare desktop and mobile behavior. It helped me fix a few design issues that were hurting mobile conversions without me even realizing it.

Crazy Egg doesn’t give you traffic or revenue numbers like GA4 or OnePageGA, but it’s a great companion tool for understanding what your visitors are doing once they land on your site.

Pros:

• Easy to set up and start using right away
• Heatmaps, scrollmaps, and click tracking
  Great for spotting user experience issues
• Helpful mobile vs desktop comparison

Cons:

• Doesn’t track sales or traffic, it’s a behavior layer only
• Works best alongside a standard analytics tool

Pricing & Plans

Crazy Egg offers a 30-day free trial. Paid plans start at $29 per month and scale based on your traffic and pageviews.

My Review

Crazy Egg is a great add-on if you want to understand how people are actually using your store. I’d recommend it for store owners who are focused on improving their site’s layout or boosting conversions through design changes. It won’t replace your main analytics tool, but it adds insights you can’t get from numbers alone.

7. Hotjar

Hotjar is similar to Crazy Egg, but it comes with a few extra features that make it even more useful for ecommerce. I’ve used it when I wanted to see how visitors were using a site in real time and get direct feedback through surveys or feedback widgets.

My Experience

It only took a few minutes to set up. Just drop the tracking code on your site and it starts collecting data right away. The session recordings were the standout feature for me. I could watch real visitor sessions, see where people got stuck, and figure out why they were leaving certain pages.

Hotjar also lets you add surveys or quick questions on your pages. I’ve used these to ask things like “Was this page helpful?” or “What stopped you from checking out?” The responses gave me ideas I wouldn’t have thought of just by looking at analytics reports.

Compared to Crazy Egg, Hotjar feels a bit more all-in-one. You still don’t get full traffic or revenue reporting, but it gives you a lot of insight into what your customers are doing and thinking.

Pros:

• Session recordings, heatmaps, and scroll tracking
• On-page surveys and feedback widgets
• Easy setup and clean interface
• Great for finding UX issues and improving conversion rates

Cons:

• Doesn’t include ecommerce metrics like revenue or AOV
• Recordings can take time to review manually
• Best used with another analytics tool for the full picture

Pricing & Plans

Hotjar has a free plan that includes heatmaps and basic session recordings. Paid plans start at $32 per month if you want access to more recordings, surveys, and user feedback tools.

My Review

Hotjar is one of my go-to tools when I want to understand what’s getting in the way of a sale. It’s especially useful for improving product pages, checkout flows, and mobile layouts. I recommend it for any store that wants real-world insight into how visitors behave, not just what they clicked.

8. Woopra

Woopra is a customer journey analytics tool that focuses on tracking the full lifecycle of your users, from first visit to final purchase and beyond. I tested it out to see how well it handled ecommerce funnels and repeat customer behavior, and it surprised me with how much detail it offers.

My Experience

Woopra took a bit more time to set up than tools like OnePageGA or MonsterInsights, but once it was connected, I could see individual user journeys in a way most tools don’t offer. It gave me a clear view of how people moved through the store, what brought them in, what they clicked, and what made them convert or leave.

It also let me build custom funnels and retention reports without needing any code. That part was especially helpful for spotting where returning customers were dropping off or which products led to second purchases.

Woopra feels like a mix between a standard analytics tool and a lightweight CRM. You can track behavior, but also dig into user profiles and automate follow-ups based on what someone did or didn’t do on your site.

Pros:

• Tracks the full customer journey from first visit to repeat purchase
• Powerful funnel and retention reporting
• User profiles and segmentation built in
• Integrates with tools like Shopify, HubSpot, and Mailchimp

Cons:

• Setup takes longer than beginner tools
• Interface can feel overwhelming at first
• Free plan is limited for ecommerce use

Pricing & Plans

Woopra has a free plan with basic features, but you’ll need a paid plan for deeper ecommerce tracking and automation. Pricing starts at $49 per month, which makes it better suited for growing or mid-sized businesses.

My Review

Woopra is a solid choice if you want more than just traffic data. It’s built to help you understand how people move through your store and where you’re losing or keeping customers. I’d recommend it for teams that are ready to dig deeper into lifecycle tracking and want to tie analytics to their marketing efforts.

Important Metrics to Track (No Matter What Tool You Use)

It doesn’t matter which analytics tool you choose. The most important thing is knowing what to look at. Here are a few key ecommerce metrics I always keep an eye on, no matter what platform I’m using.

👉 For a deeper explanation of what metrics are and how to use them, check out this guide on what is a metric in Google Analytics.

Top Ecommerce Analytics Tools Picks

Best for beginners: OnePageGA
If you want something simple that shows you the numbers that actually matter, OnePageGA is a great place to start. The setup is quick and the dashboard is easy to understand.

Best for behavior tracking: Hotjar
Hotjar is my go-to when I want to see how people are actually using a site, not just where they came from. It’s great for improving layouts and spotting friction.

Best free option: Google Analytics 4
GA4 is packed with features, and it doesn’t cost anything to use. Just be ready to spend a little time learning how to get the most from it.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on Ecommerce Analytics Tools

There’s no perfect analytics tool that works for everyone. The best one is the one you’ll actually use. Whether you want a quick snapshot of your sales or deep insights into customer behavior, there’s something on this list that can help.

Start simple with something like OnePageGA, get comfortable with the basics, and build from there. The more you understand your data, the easier it becomes to make decisions that actually grow your store.

Want to get better at tracking and understanding your store’s data? Here are a few helpful guides:

• Easy Google Analytics 4: A Simple Guide on How It Works
• 4 Types of Events in Google Analytics + How to Use Them
• What Is a User in Google Analytics? Total vs Active vs New vs Returning
• How to Create Simple Google Analytics Reports for Beginners

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

When I started using Google Analytics to track my website, I often wished I could mark important changes on my reports. Like when I redesigned my homepage or started a new ad campaign, I’d see a big jump in traffic but couldn’t remember what caused it.

That’s when I found out about notes in Google Analytics. They’re called annotations, and they make a big difference. I run several WordPress sites, and adding these notes right on my reports helps me see what’s working and why my traffic goes up or down.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to add annotations in Google Analytics. It’s easy, only takes a minute, and you don’t need any special tech skills.

You can use annotations to track things like:

• When you launched a new marketing campaign
• Website updates, like a redesign or new feature
• Big events in your industry that might affect traffic
• Google algorithm updates

If you work with a team, annotations are also a great way to keep everyone on the same page. Instead of guessing why traffic went up or down, your team can just check the notes.

For me, annotations have been a huge help. A few months ago, I saw a big spike in traffic on one of my sites and couldn’t figure out why.

Then I looked at my annotation. I had added a note that day saying I sent out a newsletter.

That reminder saved me a lot of time trying to figure it out.

The Basics of Adding Annotations in GA4

In Google Analytics 4, annotations work a bit differently than they did in the older version. They’re still simple to use, but there are a few things you should know.

To add an annotation, just right-click on a data point in one of your reports. A small menu will pop up, and you can choose “Add annotation.” You can learn more in Google’s official help guide.

From there, you’ll be able to fill in the details:

• A short title
• A longer description if you want to explain more
• The date or date range
• A color to help you spot it quickly

After you save a note, it’s visible across all reports that use line graphs. It’s an easy way to keep track of changes without digging through your calendar or email.

There are, however, a few limits to keep in mind:

• You need to have Editor access or higher to add annotations
• Each GA4 property can hold up to 1000 annotations
• Annotations only show up on reports with line graphs

Even with these limits, I’ve found that using annotations this way makes it much easier to stay organized, especially when managing multiple sites or campaigns.

There are also Chrome extensions that let you add annotations to GA4, like Crystal Ball, but I prefer using built-in tools. It keeps things simple and reliable.

Adding Annotations with OnePageGA

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to make sense of GA4 reports, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I started using OnePageGA.

It’s a simple, user-friendly dashboard that shows all your key metrics in one place. You can finally understand what’s happening on your website without clicking through different reports.

One of my favorite features is how easy it is to add annotations. You don’t need to right-click or scroll through menus. OnePageGA makes it a one-step process, right at the top of your dashboard.

All you have to do is click + Create new note, pick a date, add your note, and click Save.

That’s it.

Compared to GA4’s multi-step process, this is much quicker and easier. And once your note is added, it appears across all your metrics, so you can immediately see how that change impacted your traffic.

Best Practices for Using Annotations in GA4

Once you start using annotations in GA4, it’s easy to forget just how helpful they can be. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up that make them even more useful:

• Keep your notes short and clear. A few words are usually enough to jog your memory.
• Use consistent colors. For example, green for campaigns, red for site issues, and blue for blog posts.
• Add notes right away. It’s easy to forget details later, so I try to add a note the same day something happens.
• Stick to meaningful events. Focus on changes that could impact your traffic, like marketing pushes or site updates.
• Review your notes regularly. They’re a great way to spot patterns or figure out what’s working.

These small habits can help you get even more value from your reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts on Using Annotations

Annotations are a simple way to connect changes on your site with your traffic data. While GA4 now includes this feature, the process is still a bit clunky and limited to certain reports.

With OnePageGA, adding notes is much quicker. You can add an annotation in one step, and it shows up across all your key metrics. It’s faster, easier to manage, and a lot more beginner-friendly.

If you’re looking for a better way to understand your website data, I recommend giving OnePageGA a try. You can start with a 14-day free trial and see how much easier it is to track what’s working on your site.

If you found this guide helpful, here are a few more articles to help you get the most out of Google Analytics:

• Easy Google Analytics 4: A Simple Guide on How It Works
• How to Create Simple Google Analytics Reports
• How to Track Website Visitors The Easy Way
• Is Google Analytics 4 Worth It? The Pros and Cons
• Types of Web Analytics Every Website Owner Should Know

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.

When I started using Google Analytics 4, I had no idea what I was looking at. All the event tracking options were new to me, and I felt lost trying to figure out what to track on my website.

I spent months learning GA4 the hard way, through trial and error on my own sites and by helping other website owners set up their tracking. Now I know exactly which events you need to watch and which ones don’t matter for your website’s growth.

That’s why I put together this simple guide to GA4 events. You’ll learn what each event means and how it can help you grow your website. Don’t worry if you’re new to analytics or just moving to GA4 – I’ll walk you through everything step by step.

What Are Events in Google Analytics?

GA4 events are like a visitor’s digital footprint on your website. While a pageview just tells you someone looked at a page, events show you exactly what they did there, like clicking a button, watching a video, or filling out a form.

In the old Universal Analytics, we had to set up different types of “hits” like pageviews, events, and transactions separately. But GA4 makes things simpler by treating everything as an event, even basic actions like when someone views a page or starts a new session on your site.

I learned this lesson the hard way with my first online store. When I only tracked pageviews, I couldn’t figure out why people weren’t buying. Once I started tracking events like “add to cart” clicks and form abandonments, I knew where customers were getting stuck and could fix those issues.

Types of Events in Google Analytics 4

Now that you understand what events are, let’s look at the four main types of events in GA4. Each type serves a different purpose, and knowing when to use each one will help you track exactly what matters for your website.

1. Automatically Collected Events

These are the events GA4 tracks for you right out of the box. You don’t need to set up anything, as they start working as soon as you add the GA4 tracking code to your website.

In my experience, automatic events give you a good base level of data about how people use your site. For example, GA4 automatically tracks when someone starts a new session, clicks on a file download, or scrolls down your page.

Here are the most useful automatic events I rely on:

• first_visit: Shows when someone visits your site for the first time
• session_start: Tells you when a new viewing session begins
• page_view: Records each time someone looks at a page
• user_engagement: Shows if visitors are actually engaging with your content
• file_download: Tracks when someone downloads your files

2. Enhanced Measurement Events

Enhanced Measurement events are a step up from automatic events, but they’re still easy to use. Think of them as bonus tracking features you can turn on with just one click in your GA4 settings.

I use these events on most sites I manage because they tell me more about how visitors interact with specific parts of my pages. For example, I can see if people are watching my videos or clicking on outbound links to other websites.

Here’s what Enhanced Measurement can track for you:

• Scroll tracking: Shows how far people scroll down your pages
• Outbound clicks: Records when visitors click links to other websites
• Site search: Tracks what people look for using your website’s search box (but only if your site uses standard search URLs with query parameters like “?s=” or “?search=”)
• Video engagement: Measures if people play, pause, or finish watching your videos
• Form interactions: Shows when visitors start filling out your forms

To turn these on, you just need to visit your GA4 settings and check a few boxes. I’ll show you exactly how to do this in the setup section later.

3. Recommended Events

These are events that Google suggests you set up based on what kind of website you have. Unlike automatic events, you’ll need to add some code to track these, but Google provides clear guidelines on how to set them up.

For example, here are the parameters Google suggests using for the add-to-cart event:

I started using recommended events when I noticed gaps in my tracking data. For example, on my online store, I wanted to know more than just my final sales, I needed to see the whole buying journey. 

Recommended events helped me track things like when people viewed products or added items to their cart.

Here are some popular recommended events I often use:

• sign_up: Tracks when someone creates a new account
• purchase: Records when someone buys something
• generate_lead: Shows when someone fills out a contact form
• view_item: Tracks when someone looks at a product
• add_to_cart: Records when items are added to shopping carts

The nice thing about using recommended events is that they work with GA4’s built-in reports and tools. This means you’ll see your data in the right places without extra setup.

4. Custom Events

Custom events are like building your own tracking system. When the automatic, enhanced, and recommended events don’t track exactly what you need, that’s when custom events come in handy.

On my blog, I wanted to know when people clicked on specific buttons or reached certain spots in my articles. These weren’t actions GA4 tracked automatically, so I created custom events. While this takes more work to set up, it gives you the exact data you need.

Some useful custom events I’ve created include:

• Reading progress (25%, 50%, 75% of an article)
• Newsletter popup interactions
• CTA clicks on landing pages (as seen in the screenshot below)
• Time spent on pricing tables
• PDF document views

Just remember to keep your custom event names simple and consistent. I learned this the hard way – messy event names make it really hard to find the data you need later.

Setting Up and Tracking Events in GA4

When I first set up event tracking on my own website, I was overwhelmed by all the options. But after learning GA4 and seeing what actually matters for growing my site, I can now show you the simplest way to get started.

The first thing you’ll need is a GA4 property and your tracking code installed on your website. If you haven’t done this yet, check out my guide on how to add Google Analytics to your website.

Setting up Automatic and Enhanced Measurement Events

To turn on Enhanced Measurement in GA4, first log into your Google Analytics account and click on Admin in the bottom left corner.

Next, look for Data Streams in the middle column and click on your website’s data stream.

You’ll see Enhanced Measurement settings with a gear icon, so click that to see all your tracking options.

I started by turning on all enhanced measurement options on my site. This gave me a good baseline of data, and I could always turn off the ones I didn’t need later.

Setting Up Recommended and Custom Events

To set up recommended events in GA4, you’ll need to add some code to your website. The easiest way to do this is with Google Tag Manager.

First, log into your Tag Manager account and click on Tags in the left menu. Then click New to create a tag for each event you want to track.

Here’s how I set up purchase tracking on my website using Tag Manager:

Click on “Tag Configuration” and choose “Google Analytics: GA4 Event” from the list. 

Next, type “purchase” as your event name. Under Event Parameters, add important details like value, currency, and items. These help GA4 understand what was purchased.

The tricky part is setting up the right trigger. For purchase events, you’ll usually need to set up a custom trigger that watches for specific checkout completion signals from your website.

For custom events, the process is similar, but you get to choose your own event names.

On my site, I wanted to track when people clicked my newsletter signup button. I created a custom event called “newsletter_click” and set it to trigger whenever someone clicks that specific button.

Remember to test your events after setting them up. You can use GA4’s DebugView to make sure everything is working correctly.

How to Simplify GA4 Event Tracking

Having spent hours digging through GA4’s complex reports to find my event data, I knew there had to be a better way. With all the automatic, enhanced, recommended, and custom events we just set up, I needed a simpler way to see what was actually working. That’s why I started using OnePageGA.

OnePageGA turns all your event tracking data into simple, easy-to-understand reports, all on one page. You don’t need to install any plugins or touch any code. Just connect your GA4 account, and you’ll see all your events in a way that actually makes sense.

I love using OnePageGA because it saves me so much time checking my events. Instead of clicking through GA4 menus, I can instantly see which events are firing, how many conversions I’m getting, and where people are dropping off in my funnel. It shows me exactly how visitors interact with my site without the technical analytics language.

Another big plus is that unlike other GA4 alternatives, OnePageGA doesn’t charge based on how many events you track or how many page views you get. Your cost stays the same even as your tracking needs grow.

You get access to everything: event tracking reports, conversion funnels, eCommerce events, and even multiple website tracking from one dashboard.

Ready to make your event tracking simple again? Try OnePageGA free for 14 days.

Frequently Asked Questions About GA4 Events

Get Started With GA4 Event Tracking

Event tracking in GA4 might seem complicated at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Start with the automatic events, turn on enhanced measurement, and slowly add recommended and custom events as you need them.

Want to make event tracking even easier? Try OnePageGA free for 14 days and see all your event data on one simple dashboard.

No complicated menus, no technical jargon, just clear insights about how people use your website.

And if you’re looking for more ways to understand your website’s traffic, see our other guides and resources:

• How to Find Your Top Converting Traffic Sources in GA4
• What Is a User in Google Analytics? Total vs Active vs New vs Returning
• Types of Web Analytics Every Website Owner Should Know
• What Is a Metric in Google Analytics (And What to Track)

If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X and Facebook.