How to Set Up Conversion Tracking in GA4?
So, you’ve heard that GA4 is the future of analytics—but you’re still not sure how to actually track conversions with it? You’re not alone.
Since the shift from Universal Analytics, many marketers and business owners have been left scratching their heads. GA4 does things differently, especially when it comes to tracking what matters: signups, purchases, form submissions—you name it.
This guide will walk you through how to set up conversion tracking in GA4, step by step. Whether you prefer using Google Tag Manager or going the gtag.js route, you’ll have a working setup by the end of this post.
What is GA4?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) helps you track what visitors actually do on your website—like clicking buttons, filling out forms, or making purchases. It focuses on real user behavior, not just traffic, so you can see what’s driving results and make better decisions for your business.
What Even Counts as a Conversion in GA4?
In the old Universal Analytics world, you set up “goals.” In GA4, there’s no such thing. Instead, everything revolves around events.
A conversion in GA4 is basically an event that you decide is important. That’s it.
Here are a few examples:
- Someone fills out your contact form
- A user makes a purchase
- A newsletter signup happens
- Someone clicks a call-to-action button
- A lead is generated
If it matters to your business, you can track it. The key is knowing how to set that up correctly.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Quick checklist to make sure you’re not missing anything:
✅ GA4 must be installed on your site (and collecting data)
✅ You need admin access to the property
✅ Optional, but using Google Tag Manager makes this way easier
Still setting up GA4? No worries—you might want to get that done first. Check out our full guide to getting started with GA4 and tracking insights before diving into conversion tracking.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Conversion in GA4
1. Figure Out What You Want to Track
This part is easy. Ask yourself: “What action on my website counts as a success?”
That might be:
- A submitted form
- A purchase
- A phone number click
- A button that triggers a lead-gen action
Once you know the event, you’re ready to track it.
2. Add the Event to GA4
You can do this in one of two ways:
Option A: Google Tag Manager
If you’re using GTM (and you should be—it’s cleaner), here’s how:
- Log in to GTM
- Go to Tags > New
- Choose “GA4 Event” as the tag type
- Select your GA4 config tag
- Name your event (e.g., form_submit)
- Add a trigger (like a form submission or click)
- Save and publish
Option B: Create an Event Directly in GA4 (No Code Needed)
If you’re not using Google Tag Manager or custom code, you can still set up events right inside GA4.
Here’s how to do it:
- Log in to your GA4 property
- Click on the Admin gear (bottom-left corner)
- Under the Property column, select Events
- Click the “Create event” button
- Choose the data stream where you want the event to be tracked
- Click “Create” again
- Name your event (e.g., form_submit)
- Set up matching conditions
For example:
- If event_name equals page_view
- And page_location contains /thank-you
- Click Create to save it
Once it’s created, wait for the event to trigger at least once, then go to the Events list and mark it as a conversion by toggling the switch next to the event name.
✅ Tip: This method works best when you’re using thank-you pages or clear URLs that follow a pattern after an action.
3. Mark That Event as a Conversion
Now that the event is tracked, it’s time to tell GA4 that it matters.
- Head to the Admin section in GA4
- Click on Events
- Find the event (after it fires once)
- Flip the switch to “Mark as conversion.”
Yep, that’s it. You’ve officially set up a conversion in GA4.
4. Check That It’s Working
Don’t just assume it’s running properly—test it:
- Use Preview mode in GTM
- Open DebugView in GA4
- Check Real-Time Reports for your event
Do a test submission or click, and you should see the event fire. If not, something’s probably off in the trigger or event name.
Wrapping It Up
GA4 isn’t as scary as it seems. Once you understand that everything runs through events, and that you decide what counts as a conversion, the rest becomes pretty manageable.
Need help getting GA4 set up the right way? Contact us here and we’ll get it working—no tech headaches involved.