Set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Zest supports GA4, the fourth major release of Google Analytics, free website tracking software. GA4 is becoming the default version of Google Analytics and will be the sole option for analytics tracking come July 1st 2023
 

How to set up Google Analytics 4 on your Zest website

GA4 tags enable Google to collect data from your website. This data is compiled into Analytics reports, which you can use to perform in-depth analysis to understand your customers and their purchase journey better. Ecommerce businesses can use it to understand customers’ online purchasing behaviour and better market their products and services.

You can create a GA4 property for the first time or you can Migrate your existing GA3 to the new GA4.

Adding a GA4 tag to your ZEST will remove all the GA3 tags. Your website will no longer use your GA3 settings and your GA4 tags will start collecting data moving forward. You can check your GA3 historical data in your Google Analytics account.
 

Set up GA4 Property  for websites that have existing GA3 property

1. Go to your Google Analytics account and click on GA4 Setup Assistant on the Property tab.
   This will guide you through the process of migrating your Universal Analytics(GA3) configuration to your new GA4 account
   
2. Once you have successfully created your new GA4 Property, follow the steps on 2 - Setup Google Tag Manager

Set up GA4 Property  for websites that don’t have an existing GA3 property

1. Login to your Google Analytics account and  click Settings Admin (lower left)
   
    
2. In the Property column,  click Create Property
   
    
3. Fill in the details and click on Next
   
    
4. Enter your Business Information and click Create
   
5. Choose Web as the platform for your site
   
    
6. Type in your Website URL, Stream Name and Click on Create Stream
   
    
7. This will create your stream, take you to the Web Stream page, and load your Web Stream details. Copy and take note of the Measurement ID because you will need it when configuring your Google Tag Manager account.
   

2 -  Setup Google Tag Manager

Configuring your Analytics setup can be time-consuming. Google Tag Manager (GTM) simplifies the process of installing GA4 on your Zest website. The process is the same for websites with or without existing GA3 property.
These steps will assist you in setting up your GTM account and getting your GTM-ID that you will use to allow Google to collect data from your Zest website.
 

1. On your Google Analytics page, Click on the four small squares and click on Tag Manager or go to Google Tag Manager
   
    
2. Click on Create account
   
    
3. Fill in the details, choose Web in the target platform and click on Create
   
    
4. Accept the terms  of service agreement by clicking Yes
   
    
5. This will take you to your Tag Manager workspace. Click on Tags and click on New to create a new tag
   
    
6. Click on the tag configuration window and choose GA4 Configuration
   
7. Get your Measurement ID by going to Analytics>Admin Settings>Properties>Data Streams
   
8. Paste the Measurement ID, select All pages on Triggering and click Save
   
    
9. Copy your GTM ID
   
    

3 - Add the Google Tag Manager ID to your ZEST Website

1. Login to your Zest  website as an administrator, go to Preferences and click on Content
   
    
2. For websites that do not have an existing GA3 tags, Paste the GTM-ID on the  Google Tag Manager ID  under Advanced settings and click on Save at the bottom of the page
   
    
3. For websites with existing GA3 tags, remove your existing Google Analytics Account Code under Advanced settings, Paste the GTM-ID on the  Google Tag Manager ID  and click on Save at the bottom of the page
   
4. If you do not see the Google Tag Manager ID option, go to Preferences and click on Experimental Features
   
    
5. Look for Enable Google Tag Manager set it to Yes and Save
   

4 - Enable Ecommerce Order Tracking in Google Analytics

1. Download the GTM-MWG5N2M.json file and save it on your device.
   This file contains the presets needed for Google to track your eCommerce Orders.
   This will create a custom event of saveTransaction which will be used by Zest GTM tools to push events.
    
2. Go to your Google Tags Manager and click on the gear Icon of your website
   
    
3. Click on Import Container
   
    
4. Choose the file that you downloaded, Click Existing>Default Workspace
   
    
5. Click on Confirm
   

FAQ

Why do I need to switch to GA4?

Google announced All Universal Analytics (GA3) properties will stop collecting data on July 1, 2023. To ensure that your analytics data remains un-interrupted you need to switch to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible.

Will my account data from GA3 automatically work with my new GA4 account? Or does it start from scratch?

Zest uses your Google Analytics Account Code(UA-XXXXXXXXX-X) when using your GA3 property while it uses your Google Tag Manager ID (GTM-XXXXXXX) when using your GA4 property
Your website will no longer use your GA3 settings and your GA4 tags will start collecting data moving forward. You can check your GA3 historical data in your Google Analytics account.

How do I know if I am using a GA3 or a GA4?

You can check which Google Analytics version you are using by looking at Preferences>Content>Advanced Settings
 

GA3
You will see UA-XXXXXXXXX-X on the Google Analytics Account Code

GA4
You will see GTM-XXXXXXX on the Google Tag Manager ID