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Generating a Tracking Pixel with the Latest Google Analytics Measurement Protocol
“Hey there, I’m kind of stumped with something. So, I’ve been reading up on how to create a tracking pixel with Google Analytics 4. It seems you can only send a POST to create events, right? Like this example I found. But here’s the kicker, I want to make a tracking pixel that tracks stuff like email opens via an HTTP GET. You know, the good ol’ <img />’s src method? Now, with the previous version of google analytics this was a piece of cake. But GA v4? Not so much. Is it just me or did they remove the ability to create a tracking pixel like this? I even stumbled upon a thread on Google’s support page about this same issue but there’s just crickets there. I gave it a shot myself but no dice. And using ‘https://www.google-analytics.com/mp/collect’ in the img src gave me errors. So do you know if I’m missing something here or are tracking pixels just not a thing in GA v4?”
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2 Replies
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You’re right, the way Google Analytics 4 is structured, it uses what’s called the Measurement Protocol for sending events server-side. This actually doesn’t involve a tracking pixel, just a POSTed message that includes a secret key. Important thing to remember – that key is secret, it’s a no-go for client side use!
For stuff that’s client-side on an HTML page, like what I think you’re looking for, you should pivot to using the regular gtag for sending those events. I know it’s a bummer the set up is different from what we’re used to with the previous version of Google Analytics but hopefully, this helps clarify things a bit!
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It’s not just you, creating a tracking pixel for Google Analytics 4 is a bit different! The old image src method doesn’t work anymore because GA4 prefers the POST method to send events. But, you’re not totally out of luck. Use a slightly different URL structure, as in your example but with “v=2” instead of “v=1” or “v=4”. This should give you the tracking pixel behavior you’re looking for.
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