Short answer: A store without proper GA4 enhanced e‑commerce tracking is guessing. Send these events with the right parameters: `view_item_list`, `view_item`, `add_to_cart`, `begin_checkout`, `add_shipping_info`, `add_payment_info`, `purchase`. Mark `purchase` (and usually `begin_checkout`) as conversions. Then check the funnel in DebugView and the reports — most stores have at least one event that never fires.
Why the default install isn't enough
Dropping the GA4 tag on the site gives you pageviews and basic engagement. It does not give you the shopping funnel, revenue by product, or where checkout drops off — unless the enhanced e‑commerce events are sent with structured data.
On Shopify, the native GA4 channel covers most of it; verify it's complete. On WooCommerce, use a maintained GA4 plugin or GTM with a dataLayer.
The events to send
| Event | When | Key params |
|---|---|---|
| collection/category page | |
| product page | |
| click a product in a list | |
| add to cart | |
| cart page | |
| checkout start | |
| shipping step | |
| payment step | |
| order confirmation | |
| refund issued | |
Always include and monetary . Keep consistent with your product IDs across every event.
What to mark as a conversion
- `purchase` — always.
- `begin_checkout` — usually, as an upper‑funnel signal for ads.
- For lead‑gen elements (newsletter, wishlist), mark those too if they matter to you.
Don't mark everything — conversion inflation makes reports useless.
Verify it
- DebugView (GA4 → Admin → DebugView) with the GA Debug extension on — walk the full funnel and watch each event land with its params.
- Realtime report — confirm events appear.
- After 24–48h, check Monetisation → Ecommerce purchases and the funnel exploration for
. - Reconcile GA4 revenue against your store's own numbers — expect a small gap (ad blockers, consent), not a large one.
Consent
If you serve the EU/UK, wire GA4 to Consent Mode v2 so analytics respects the cookie banner. Data is modelled where consent is denied.
Key takeaways
- Enhanced e‑commerce events with structured
data are the whole point of GA4 for a store. - Send the full funnel; always include
and. - Mark
(and usually) as conversions — not everything. - Verify in DebugView before trusting any report.
FAQ
Shopify already has GA4 — do I need more?
GTM or direct tag?
Why is GA4 revenue lower than my store's?
Alamin Sultan
Web developer for real estate and e‑commerce. WordPress · Next.js · MERN.