Introduction

Google Analytics 4 has revolutionized the way marketers analyze data and make decisions. It has provided them with more comprehensive insights into their audience, allowing them to craft more effective marketing campaigns. GA4 stands out from its predecessors because of its event-based data model, which offers marketers greater flexibility when it comes to collecting data. This approach has made it easier for businesses to track user behavior on their websites, understand what content resonates with their audience, and identify opportunities for optimization.

GA4 offers four types of events that can be tracked on a website: page views, user actions, system events, and recommended events. The latter is a unique feature of GA4, which provides businesses with event suggestions based on their website’s specific needs. Recommended events make it easy for businesses to identify and track the metrics that matter most to them. By tracking these events, businesses can gain deeper insights into their audience’s behavior, including what content they engage with most and what actions they take on the website.

This short blog will dive deeper into the recommended events available in GA4. We will discuss why recommended events are crucial for businesses looking to maximize their ROI and how they can use these events to optimize their marketing strategies. By the end of this guide, you will have a solid understanding of how you can use Recommended events  to improve your website’s performance.

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What are Recommended Events?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers four categories of events, namely recommended events, custom events, enhanced measurement events, and automatically collected events. Each of these categories provides users with a range of events to choose from depending on their requirements.

Automatically collected events are triggered through simple actions such as clicking or viewing an ad, while enhanced measurement events allow users to have additional events without configuring Google Tag manager. Custom events, on the other hand, are events that can be personalized with customized names and parameters to gather specific information that is relevant to users.

Recommended events, however, are events that Google provides automatically based on the user's needs. By adding recommended events to their website or mobile app, users can measure additional features and behaviors and generate more useful reports. Unlike automatically collected events, recommended events require additional context to be meaningful. Therefore, sending recommended events with their prescribed parameters allows for more detailed reports and the ability to benefit from future features and integrations as they become available in GA4.

To benefit from the recommended events feature, users can refer to the Recommended Events List provided by GA4. By implementing these events, users can gain valuable insights into their website or mobile app's performance and user behavior. Overall, GA4's event categories offer users flexibility and the ability to gather specific information that is relevant to their needs.

Google has released the following recommended events for different property types:

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The list of All recommended events (in alphabetical order)

For those looking for the full list of all recommended events in Google Analytics 4, here it is. I have combined all lists from Google’s documentation into a single list for convenience.

• add_payment_info (when a user submits their payment information).

• Parameters: coupon, currency, items, payment_type, value.

• add_shipping_info (when a user submits their shipping information).

• Parameters: coupon, currency, items, shipping_tier, value.

• add_to_cart (when a user adds items to a cart).

• Parameters: currency, items, value.

• add_to_wishlist (when a user adds items to a wishlist).

• Parameters: currency, items, value.

• begin_checkout (when a user begins the checkout).

• Parameters: coupon, currency, items, value.

• earn_virtual_currency (when a user has earned virtual currency (coins, gems, tokens, etc.)).

• Parameters: virtual_currency_name, value.

• generate_lead (when a user submits a form or request for information).

• Parameters: value, currency.

• join_group (when a user joins a group).

• Parameters: group_id.

• level_end (when a user completes a level in the game).

• Parameters: level_name, success.

• level_start (when a user starts a new level in the game).

• Parameters: level_name.

• level_up (when a player levels up in the game).

• Parameters: character, level.

• login (when a user logs in).

• Parameters: method.

• post_score (when a player posts his or her score).

• Parameters: level, character, score.

• purchase (when items are purchased by a user).

• Parameters: affiliation, coupon, currency, items, transaction_id, shipping, tax, value.

• refund (when a refund is issued).

• Parameters: affiliation, coupon, currency, items, transaction_id, shipping, tax, value.

• remove_from_cart (when a user removes items from a cart).

• Parameters: currency, items, value.

• search (when a user searches your content).

• Parameters: search_term.

• select_content (when a user has selected content).

• Parameters: content_type, item_id.

• select_item (when an item is selected from a list).

• Parameters: items, item_list_name, item_list_id.

• select_promotion (when a user selects a promotion).

• Parameters: items, promotion_id, promotion_name, creative_name, creative_slot, location_id.

• share (when a user has shared content).

• Parameters: content_type, item_id.

• sign_up (when a user has signed up).

• Parameters: method.

• spend_virtual_currency (when a user has spent virtual currency (coins, gems, tokens, etc.)).

• Parameters: item_name, virtual_currency_name, value.

• tutorial_begin (when a user begins a tutorial).

• No parameters.

• tutorial_complete (When a user completes a tutorial).

• No parameters.

• unlock_achievement (when a player unlocks an achievement).

• Parameters: achievement_id.

• view_cart (when a user views their cart).

• Parameters: currency, items, value.

• view_item (when a user views an item).

• Parameters: currency, items, value.

• view_item_list (when a user sees a list of items/offerings).

• Parameters: items, item_list_name, item_list_id.

• view_promotion (when a promotion is shown to a user).

• Parameters: items, promotion_id, promotion_name, creative_name, creative_slot, location_id.

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Now, classifying it the way Google has:

For all properties

Google recommends these events to all customers in all business verticals. Later sections in this article include some of these events when we recommend sending the events for the given use case.

For online sales

Google recommends these events when you want to measure sales on your site or app. They're useful for retail, ecommerce, education, real estate, and travel. Sending the events populates the Ecommerce purchases report. To learn more about these events, see Measure ecommerce.

For games

Google recommends these events for games properties. Sending these events populates the games reports.

The events listed above are recommendations, not rules that must be followed (aside from a few situations). It is possible to swap out the events and use them elsewhere, however keep in mind that some events will only fill specific reports, but nothing prevents you from borrowing them elsewhere.

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How to Set Up Recommended Events

To set up recommended events, first generate a data stream from your website and then insert Google tags on it. Next, to prepare for the event, (Are you unfamiliar with the gtag.js API? Call us and one of our professionals will gladly assist you.)

With the Realtime reports and Debugview reports features, you can then view each event and its related parameters. These reports will notify you of any events that have occurred as a result of user actions.

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Implement Recommended Events Properly with Tealbox Digital

GA4’s recommended events feature will make it much easier for marketers to collect valuable information from their target audience. However, implementing this feature properly is the key to utilizing its full potential. If you need assistance with setting up recommended events on GA4, please contact our experts at Tealbox Digital.

You can also check out our blogs on the key features of GA4 and GA4- From a Business owner’s perspective to better understand GA4 and adapt timely as well as effectively to GA4.