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'GA4 and GTM: Event Tracking for your Website'
Hey, I’ve been sending custom events from GTM to GA4 and created some custom dimensions/definitions in GA4, just to see my event parameters from GTM in the reports. But got into a little problem here. Some unrelated custom dimensions/definitions are showing up on events. Weird right?
So here’s an example:
Over at the GTM Event Config — [link to GTM – GA Config], [link to GTM Event – “Header -Custom Event1”], [link to GTM Trigger – “Just header links”], [link to GTM Event – “Updated Footer – Custom Event 2”], [link to GTM Trigger – “Just footer links”]
Got two events here, one’s Named: Updated_Header_Menu_event with parameters –
Updated_PagePath1 : {{Page Path}}
Updated_Hostname1 : {{Page Hostname}}The other’s Named: Updated_Footer_Menu_event with parameters –
Updated_Footer_Menu_event : {{Page Path}}
Updated_Hostname2 : {{Page Hostname}}Now in GA4 Config, created custom definitions for each of these parameters, like [link to GA – Custom definitions]. When I click the “Updated_Header_Menu_event” event, I can see definitions for its parameters, but also for “Updated_Footer_Menu_event”. Dunno why I’m seeing definitions from events that don’t even contain those parameters?
So I thought, I’d only get definitions for events that really have these parameters. Confused here! Can ya help?
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2 Replies
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In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), custom parameters get attached to events to which they are relevant, but can appear within other events too. Essentially, when you generate custom definitions for any parameters in GA4, you’re making these parameters universal and they can appear across different events, even when they’re not directly associated with those events. This is why you’re observing “Updated_Footer_Menu_event” definitions when you click on “Updated_Header_Menu_event”.
So, these custom dimension/definition aren’t technically unrelated to these events, they’re simply universal because they were created as custom definitions in GA4. They may not be relevant but they will continue to appear regardless. This function allows for the cross-analysis of data across different event types which might be useful in certain analytics settings.
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In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), once a custom parameter has been registered as a custom dimension or metric, it becomes available to all the events that are recorded in your property, not just the events it was originally associated with. Even though you registered those parameters with specific events, GA4 doesn’t retain any association between the events and the parameters once they’re registered; they’re essentially seen as being applicable to all events from that point forward.
This is why when you click “Updated_Header_Menu_event”, you are seeing not only its own definitions but also the definitions from “Updated_Footer_Menu_event”. Even though “Updated_Header_Menu_event” doesn’t contain those parameters, they are still available to all events once registered in GA4. This behavior might seem confusing but it’s actually by design to provide maximum flexibility in the way you can use custom dimensions or metrics with your events.
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