Events let you measure user interactions on your website or app; for example, you can measure when someone loads a page, clicks a link, and makes a purchase. Google Analytics uses data from events to create reports with information about your business. [Learn more](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9322688) ## Event types Google Analytics events are grouped into four categories: | Event Type | Link | Setup Needed? | Description \& Use Case | |---|---|---|---| | **Automatically collected** | [Learn more](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9234069) | **No** | Collected by default when you set up the Google Analytics tag on your site or app. Examples include `first_visit`, `session_start`, and `user_engagement`. | | **Enhanced measurement** | [Learn more](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9216061) | **No** (typically) | Collected automatically when enhanced measurement is enabled in the Google Analytics UI. Measures common web interactions like `scroll`, `click`, and `file_download`. | | **Recommended** | [Recommended Events Reference](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/reference/recommended-events) | **Yes** | Standardized events for different business verticals (e.g., retail, travel, games) that unlock prebuilt reporting panels. Examples: `purchase`, `login`, `sign_up`. | | **Custom** | [Learn more](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12229021) | **Yes** | Events that you define yourself because no prepopulated automatic, enhanced, or recommended event fits your needs. Accessible using custom reports. | This guide shows you how to set up [recommended events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9267735) and [custom events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12229021) on your website using the Google tag (gtag.js) or Google Tag Manager. You don't need to set up [automatically collected](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9234069) and [enhanced measurement](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9216061) events. ## Audience You've set up Google Analytics and are starting to see data in your reports, but you want to collect more information than what Analytics collects automatically, or you want to unlock certain features and capabilities in Analytics. > [!NOTE] > **Note:** For information on events in 360, see [Google Analytics > 360](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11202874).
## Before you begin This guide assumes that you've done the following: - [Create a Google Analytics account and property](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9304153#account) - [Create a web data stream for your website](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9304153#stream&zippy=%2Cweb) - [Place the Google tag on your website](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9304153#add-tag&zippy=%2Cadd-the-google-tag-directly-to-your-web-pages) It also assumes that you have the following: - Access to your website source code - The [Editor](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9305587), or higher, role to the Google Analytics account ## Google tag (gtag.js) overview Use [the Google tag (gtag.js) API](https://developers.google.com/tag-platform/gtagjs/reference) to send events to Google Analytics. The API has one function called `gtag()`, and whenever you want to send an event to Google Analytics, you use the following syntax: gtag('event', '', { }); In this example, the `gtag()` function includes the following: - An `event` command that tells Google that you are sending an event - The name of the recommended or custom event - (Optional) A collection of [parameters](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/event-parameters) that provide additional information about the event For example, the following is a recommended event called `screen_view` with two parameters: gtag('event', 'screen_view', { 'app_name': 'myAppName', 'screen_name': 'Home' }); ## Add events to your JavaScript `gtag()` is a JavaScript function so you need to add the function to the JavaScript on your web page. For example, you could add the function within your ` Title of the page

Welcome to my website!

\ /\*\* \* The following events are sent when the page loads. You send \* recommended and custom events the same way. You could wrap \* the events in JavaScript functions so they are sent when \* users perform specific actions. \*/ gtag('event', 'screen_view', { 'app_name': 'myAppName', 'screen_name': 'Home' }); gtag('event', 'signup_newsletter', { 'method': 'web' }); \ If you want to send the event based on a button click (or some other user action), you can add some additional JavaScript to your event. ## Set up multiple events Tracking various user interactions involves implementing multiple `gtag('event', ...)` calls throughout your website's JavaScript, each triggered by a specific action or condition. The examples use both [recommended events](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/like%20'%20and%20%5B%60share%60%5D) and [custom events](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/like "tutorial_complete"). For example, to track different activities such as user logins, content sharing, and tutorial completions, implement separate `gtag('event', ...)` calls: ### Example: Tracking logins This snippet would be included in the JavaScript function that handles successful user logins. // Send a 'login' event when a user signs in gtag('event', 'login', { method: 'Email' // Example parameter indicating login method }); ### Example: Tracking content shares This snippet would be tied to the click event of a share button. // Send a 'share' event when a user clicks a share button gtag('event', 'share', { method: 'Facebook', content_type: 'Article', item_id: 'C12345' // Example parameter for the shared item }); ### Example: Tracking a custom event This snippet would be called when a user successfully completes an on-site tutorial. // Send a custom event gtag('event', 'tutorial_complete', { tutorial_name: 'Introduction to GA4' }); You embed these `gtag('event', ...)` calls at various points in your website's code to capture the data at the right moment. Each event is sent to Google Analytics as it occurs. There is no special syntax or single call to define or send multiple *different types* of events in a batch with `gtag.js`; you call `gtag('event', ...)` for each event you want to send. ## See your events in Analytics You can see your events and their parameters using the [*Realtime*](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9271392) and [*DebugView*](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7201382) reports. Note that the *DebugView* report requires some additional configuration before you can use the report. These two reports show you the events users trigger on your website as the events are triggered. ## Next steps - [Set up event parameters](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/event-parameters) to add more information to your events. - [Mark events as key events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9267568#mark).