Tracking and attribution guides: GA4, server-side tagging, consent and ad conversions
These guides are for marketers and analysts who need numbers they can trust from GA4, Google Tag Manager and the ad platforms. Start with the tracking plan, because every later fix depends on agreed events, names and UTMs; the same section covers testing new tracking before release and tools that monitor it afterwards. The GA4 and Tag Manager section covers key events, cross-domain tracking, unassigned and (not set) traffic, thresholds, refunds and what GA4 360 and GTM 360 cost. The server-side section explains when server-side tagging is worth it, how to set it up and what hosting costs, and the consent section covers Consent Mode, cookie banners by country, choosing a consent platform and tracking under HIPAA and COPPA rules. Ad platform conversions covers offline imports, enhanced conversions, the Meta and LinkedIn Conversions APIs and why each platform's numbers differ from GA4. The last two sections cover attribution models against MMM and incrementality, and tracking traffic from AI assistants. If you want tracking audited or rebuilt, see our analytics and tracking service.
Start here
- Tracking plan: what it is, why every product team needs one, and a template
- GA4 key events: what they are, how to mark them and which to send to Google Ads
- Server-side tracking: when it is worth the cost for a small company
- Consent Mode v2: basic vs advanced, modelling limits and a working setup
- Attribution vs marketing mix modeling vs incrementality: which does a small team need?
Tracking plans, naming conventions and journey tracking
Start with the guide
Tracking plan: what it is, why every product team needs one, and a template
A tracking plan is the agreed spec for every event your product sends: trigger, properties, owner and destination. See a worked example and copy the template.
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Event naming conventions for Mixpanel, Amplitude, PostHog and GA4
Create consistent events across Mixpanel, Amplitude, PostHog and GA4. Define meanings, map destinations, detect collisions and rename without double counting.
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UTM naming conventions that keep GA4 clean
Create consistent UTMs that support GA4 channels and cost imports. Includes an allowed-values registry, CSV template, Python URL builder and launch checklist.
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GA4 and Google Tag Manager: setup, fixes and pricing
Start with the guide
GA4 key events: what they are, how to mark them and which to send to Google Ads
A GA4 key event is an event you mark as important. Learn how to mark one, the 30 event limit, event count vs key events and what to send to Google Ads.
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GA4 setup for SaaS and apps: the events and settings that matter
Set up GA4 for a SaaS acquisition journey. Define events, test consent and cross-domain tracking, choose Ads goals and verify revenue, identity and export.
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Why is GA4 so hard to use? Diagnose the problem before changing the setup
Diagnose GA4 report differences, missing events, retention, consent and export gaps. Fix the cause and choose the right tool for the business question.
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GA4 cross-domain tracking: set it up and prove sessions survive the journey
Set up GA4 cross-domain tracking in Admin or Google Tag Manager, then prove client and session IDs survive links, forms, redirects and consent.
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GA4 Single-Page App Tracking Without Duplicate Page Views
Choose one GA4 pageview owner for your single-page app. Validate route readiness, titles, referrers, back navigation and duplicate callbacks with a QA fixture.
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GA4 Unassigned traffic: what it means and how to fix it
GA4 shows Unassigned when no channel rule matches a session. Find the cause in source and medium, tag order, consent or server events, then fix it.
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GA4 "(not set)": diagnose the cause and fix the right report
Diagnose GA4 missing values by dimension. Check consent, page views, Ads links and custom parameters, then verify the fix with the right denominator.
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GA4 data thresholds and sampling: why numbers are hidden and what to do
Separate GA4 privacy thresholds, sampling, (other) rows and retention limits. Choose the right fix, preserve valid comparisons and know when BigQuery helps.
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Why GA4 purchases don't match Shopify, and how to reconcile them
Reconcile Shopify orders with GA4 by transaction ID. Find missing purchases, duplicates, checkout failures, value differences and refund gaps.
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GA4 Refund Tracking: Reconcile Purchases, Returns and Revenue
Track full and partial refunds in GA4 with correct order IDs, incremental item values, duplicate controls and a practical revenue reconciliation method.
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Google Tag Manager implementation: common mistakes and how to fix them
Fix GTM problems across event ownership, firing order, consent, server routing and checkout. Includes current changes and an end-to-end validation checklist.
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GA4 Pricing: When Analytics 360 Is Worth Evaluating
Know when GA4 Standard is enough and when to evaluate Analytics 360. Forecast event volume, property-routing charges, BigQuery costs and the business case.
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Google Tag Manager pricing: is GTM free, what 360 costs and what you actually pay for
Google Tag Manager is free, and Tag Manager 360 is quoted by Google sales. See what server hosting, setup work and upkeep cost, with first-year budgets.
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Server-side tracking: setup, hosting and cost
Start with the guide
Server-side tracking: when it is worth the cost for a small company
Understand what server-side tracking improves and what it cannot recover. Compare implementation routes, costs, consent handling and a measurable pilot.
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Server-side GTM setup: a practical implementation sequence
Set up server-side GTM in a verifiable sequence: hosting, domain, event routing, clients, tags, consent, deduplication, rollout and monitoring.
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GA4 Measurement Protocol: Send Server Events With the Right Context
Send useful GA4 server events with correct identity, timestamps, consent and validation. Understand session attribution deadlines and reconcile eligible outcomes.
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Stape vs Elevar for Shopify: Choose by Implementation Responsibility
Compare Stape and Elevar for Shopify by event coverage, consent, operating responsibility and total cost. Includes current prices and a practical pilot plan.
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Server-side GTM hosting cost: Stape, Cloud Run, Usercentrics and Google tag gateway
Compare current server-side GTM hosting prices, request limits and operating costs. Learn when Google tag gateway is enough and how to budget a rollout.
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Stape Implementation Mistakes: Domains, Clients and Event Delivery
Trace Stape-hosted events from browser to destination. Diagnose domain, client, consent, duplicate and release problems with a practical reconciliation example.
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Consent, privacy and cookieless measurement
Start with the guide
Consent Mode v2: basic vs advanced, modelling limits and a working setup
Understand Consent Mode v2 signals and basic versus advanced implementation. Test defaults, updates, tags and modelling without mistaking consent mode for consent.
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Do you need a cookie banner for GA4? A six-country decision guide
Compare GA4 consent, notice and opt-out requirements across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ, then turn the assessment into working controls.
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Cookiebot vs OneTrust vs Usercentrics: choose a CMP your team can run
Compare CMP billing models, current prices and realistic site costs. Test consent behaviour, integrations and maintenance before choosing a platform.
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Cookieless tracking: what still works, what changes and what to measure
Understand what cookieless tracking preserves and loses in GA4, PostHog and Plausible. Choose the right identity horizon and validate useful measurement.
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Cookiebot Implementation Mistakes: Consent State and Tag Behaviour
Diagnose late consent defaults, missing updates, duplicate Cookiebot installs and unmanaged embeds. Use six concrete journeys to verify actual tag behaviour.
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Cookiebot Pricing: Domains, Pages and Plan Requirements
Cookiebot Core bills by domains and scanned pages. Understand Small-plan eligibility, subdomains, automatic upgrades and the work behind the subscription.
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Ad platform conversions: Google Ads, Meta and LinkedIn
Start with the guide
Offline conversion import: send qualified leads and revenue back to Google Ads and Meta
Send qualified leads and customer outcomes back to ad platforms. Design stable IDs, consent handling, upload monitoring and a controlled bidding rollout.
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B2B Form Conversion Tracking: Connect Submissions to Qualified Pipeline
Track accepted B2B form submissions through CRM delivery, qualification and pipeline. Prevent duplicate leads, protect form data and reconcile funnel metrics.
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Google Ads enhanced conversions: setup for web and for leads
Set up Google Ads enhanced conversions with current web, CRM and Data Manager requirements. Verify hashing, consent, delivery coverage and diagnostics.
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Google Ads conversion diagnostics: "setup is incomplete" and "needs attention" explained
Diagnose incomplete setup, inactive tags and enhanced-conversion alerts. Verify campaign goals, event delivery, offline uploads and the 2026 API changes.
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Why Google Ads and GA4 conversions do not match, and how to reconcile them
Reconcile Google Ads and GA4 conversions by aligning dates, actions, attribution and counting rules. Use a worked example and a practical comparison checklist.
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Meta Conversions API setup, with deduplication done correctly
Implement Meta Conversions API with reliable purchase events, matching and deduplication. Compare setup routes and validate browser and server records.
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Event Match Quality: what it is and how to improve it
Improve Meta Event Match Quality with valid identifiers, correct hashing and reliable field delivery. Check consent, deduplication and actual event coverage.
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Why Meta reports more conversions than GA4
Reconcile Meta and GA4 conversions. Check 2026 attribution changes, dates, collection gaps, identity and Pixel/CAPI deduplication before changing budgets.
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LinkedIn Conversions API for B2B SaaS: connect campaigns to qualified outcomes
Connect LinkedIn campaigns to qualified CRM outcomes. Choose a setup route, map events, prevent duplicates and reconcile long-cycle B2B attribution.
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Attribution and measurement
Start with the guide
Attribution vs marketing mix modeling vs incrementality: which does a small team need?
Choose the right marketing measurement method. Compare attribution, lift tests and MMM using data requirements, statistical uncertainty and business economics.
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Marketing attribution models explained for small teams
Compare first touch, last touch, linear, time decay and data-driven attribution. Use one worked path, current platform rules and a practical reporting contract.
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Your attribution may be flattering your ads: check before changing the budget
Check whether ads create additional business or claim existing demand. Use research, credible holdouts and break-even contribution to guide the budget.
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AI search traffic, llms.txt and AI visibility ROI
Start with the guide
How to track ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity traffic in GA4
GA4's AI Assistant channel counts visits from ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and other chat tools. Where to find it, how to catch the assistants it misses, and how to measure the rest.
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How to Measure AI Search ROI With Your CRM
Connect AI search visibility and traffic to qualified leads, revenue and contribution. Includes current GA4 reporting, CRM joins and an honest ROI example.
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What llms.txt Can and Cannot Do for Your Website
Understand llms.txt version 2, Google Search limitations, crawler controls and practical publishing tests. Build a useful guide without promising ranking gains.
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