If you\u2019ve been wondering how to set up the new Google Analytics version, GA4 for WordPress on your online business website, you\u2019re in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, MemberPress Growth Manager Curt Noble shows you how to get it done fast, painless, and even for <\/em>free. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>

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WHAT'S INSIDE<\/p>\nToggle<\/span>
Every Website Has Different GA4 Tracking Needs<\/a><\/li>
MemberPress is the Best Membership Plugin When it Comes to GA4 Reporting<\/a><\/li>
How to Set Up Google Analytics GA4 on Your WordPress Membership Site<\/a>
Set Up a Google Analytics Account<\/a><\/li>
Create a New GA4 Property<\/a><\/li>
Step One is Complete!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
Adding GA4 to Any WordPress Site<\/a>
METHOD #1 Add GA4 to WordPress free with Google Site Kit plugin<\/a><\/li>
METHOD #2 Add GA4 to WordPress membership site with Google Tag Manager for free (kind of)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
The Most Budget-Friendly Ways to Setup GA4 for WordPress Membership Sites & Online Businesses<\/a>
METHOD #3 The \u201calmost free\u201d way to add GA4 to WordPress with WPCode Pro<\/a><\/li>
METHOD #4 The best way to add complete GA4 tracking to WordPress Membership Sites with MonsterInsights<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
Viewing Your Data in Google Analytics<\/a><\/li>
Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
This is not your average GA4 blog post or guide. I\u2019m not going to spend a lot of time explaining what GA4 is and why it sucks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I just want to show you how to set up GA4, and give you the information you need to do it, as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enough has been written about migrating from the previous version of Google Analytics, Universal Analytics (UA) to GA4. So, for this post, I\u2019ll be showing you how to do a fresh install of GA4<\/strong> on your online business site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if you\u2019re just getting started with WordPress and need to track your site visitors and performance metrics, bookmark this post<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"click$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Every Website Has Different GA4 Tracking Needs<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Every website has unique data tracking needs. And it\u2019s unreasonable to cover every single GA4 tracking scenario. So, I\u2019m going to stick to the basics, as much as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means, if you want to know how many tacos your customers have eaten just prior to signing up for your Taco Tuesday Premium Recipe Membership\u2026 you\u2019re in the wrong place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Probably not going to outline that data tracking solution here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But stick around, because you\u2019ll need to start here anyway. The first step is to set up your GA4 account<\/strong> with Google and configure your data stream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sounds fun, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>MemberPress is the Best Membership Plugin When it Comes to GA4 Reporting<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n $\"Woman$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
All the methods shown in this guide work on any WordPress website. But let\u2019s face it. Some WordPress plugins and themes just work better with GA4. And this is the case with membership sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The major advantage of MemberPress for integrating with GA4 is its flexibility, available hooks, and API access. It\u2019s the easiest Membership plugin to integrate with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means that all the major Google Analytics plugins have integrated with MemberPress. You\u2019ll see throughout this guide how these integrations make your life easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, I\u2019ll just come right out and say it. If you aren\u2019t using MemberPress, you\u2019re probably going to need a Google Analytics specialist to completely setup GA4 on your WordPress membership site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n\t\t\t $\"cta$ \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Get MemberPress Today!<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
Start getting paid for the content you create.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tGet MemberPress Now\n\t\t\t\t\t $\"arrow\"$ \n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t See All Features<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How to Set Up Google Analytics GA4 on Your WordPress Membership Site<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
$\"Follow$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
This guide covers four different methods for how to set up GA4 on WordPress <\/strong>for your membership site or online business. These methods range anywhere from easy <\/em>to free<\/em>, with the easy <\/em>method requiring a small additional cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re here looking for the best and easiest way to add complete Google Analytics GA4 tracking, I\u2019ll give you a spoiler. The best way to add GA4 to WordPress is with MonsterInsights. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to learn why that is, continue reading. If you just want to go with the best method, skip to the MonsterInsights<\/strong> section (Method 4 in this post).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m confident that one of these four methods will work for your situation. All four have the same first step. And you\u2019ll need to start there before doing anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Set Up a Google Analytics Account<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re not already signed up for any Google services (like Gmail or Google Drive), or you\u2019d like to use a separate account for Google Analytics, you\u2019ll first need to create a Google account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So if you need to create an account<\/strong>, you can sign up for one on the Google Analytics webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Create a New GA4 Property<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After registering for your Google Analytics account and logging in, you\u2019ll need to create your GA4 property<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since one Google Analytics account can be used to monitor and analyze multiple websites, you can create multiple properties here to keep the data separate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While logged into Google Analytics<\/a>, click on the Admin item in the bottom left-hand corner. Then click the button to Create Property<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Create$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
On the Create Property screen, you\u2019ll just need to enter a bit of basic info<\/strong> about your website. Under the Business Objectives options you can select multiple objectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These settings determine which reports you\u2019ll see out-of-the-box in GA4. Don\u2019t worry though. You can always customize your GA4 reports in the interface later<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Add$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
When you get to the Data Collection options, choose Web <\/em>from the list. This is where you\u2019ll configure your GA4 Data Stream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Data Stream is where GA4 collects all the events that happen on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enter your website URL and give your data stream a name. I recommend including \u201cGA4\u201d in the stream name. This will help you easily identify it as the GA4 data stream later on in this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Configuring GA4 Events to Collect on WordPress<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
GA4 collects what are called default events<\/strong>. And you can choose which of these events are important to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I recommend selecting the Enhanced Measurement<\/em> option. Doing so tells GA4 to collect a few more standard events, like scroll depth, outbound clicks, site search, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you click the gear icon to the right you can pick and choose which events to track. Your best bet is to leave them all checked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, you might notice a glaring omission here \u2013 there\u2019s no purchase<\/em> event available! Weird, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
More on that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Set$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Step One is Complete!<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
That wasn\u2019t so hard was it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, now you have a fully functioning GA4 web property<\/strong> and data stream. But it\u2019s just sitting there waiting for data to flow (kind of like my kid sitting at the table with a bowl waiting for someone to pour the Cap\u2019n Crunch).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next let\u2019s look at four different ways to get cereal into the bowl. Errr\u2026 I mean get the GA4 events into the data stream<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Adding GA4 to Any WordPress Site<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ve got your GA4 data stream configured and ready to receive website events. Now you just need to add some code to WordPress<\/strong> to send data into the stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I mentioned earlier that there are a number of ways to do this. And you\u2019ll have to determine which is the best method for you based on your situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few things to think about when figuring out the best way to add GA4 to your WordPress site<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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How comfortable are you analyzing data within the GA4 reporting interface?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Do you sell memberships, courses, or downloads on your website?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Are you familiar with Google Tag Manager?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Do you also have paid ads or social traffic you need to track?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Do you have affiliate links you want to promote?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
There are probably more things to think about here. But this is a good list to start with. Under each of the four methods below, I\u2019ll also include scenarios showing when each method might be appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So let\u2019s get to it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>METHOD #1: Add GA4 to WordPress free <\/em>with Google Site Kit plugin<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This method is completely free.<\/strong> But it may not be the best solution for your WordPress website. This solution works for WordPress membership sites that aren\u2019t selling anything<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason is Google Site Kit has a major limitation when it comes to ecommerce tracking \u2013 that is, it doesn\u2019t have it<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it can only configure Google tools and solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think you might want to track affiliate links or traffic from social networks like Facebook or Twitter (X) sometime in the future? You\u2019ll want to skip this free method. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you decide to scale, this method will leave you too limited. That being said, here are the steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Install Google Site Kit Plugin<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
$\"Install$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
From the Add Plugins page, just search for the keywords Site Kit by Google<\/em>. Then install and activate the plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Add$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Once the plugin is activated, you can begin the setup process. The first step requires you to connect to the same Google account you used to create the GA4 property earlier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Connect Your GA4 Data Stream to WordPress with Google Site Kit<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I mentioned earlier that you can use Site Kit to connect to other Google tools and services. However, this is optional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right now, let\u2019s just connect Google Analytics by selecting it from the list to begin setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Google$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Next you\u2019ll need to select your account, property, and data stream. Be sure you select the GA4 data stream you\u2019ve already created. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or you could allow Google Site Kit to create a GA4 data stream<\/strong> for you if you don\u2019t already have one. But the options are limited. This is why I recommend configuring the data stream separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be sure to enable the option to Place Google Analytics 4 Code<\/em><\/strong> here. This is how GA4 will collect analytics events on your WordPress site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Google$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s it. Google Analytics 4 is now installed on your WordPress website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be aware there\u2019s a slight delay in data collection. So, you won\u2019t see any data in your GA4 reports for several hours<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Validate that GA4 Data is Flowing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
You can check to make sure your data is flowing by viewing the Real Time report in GA4. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Navigate back to your Google Analytics account, and select Reports <\/em>on the left navigation menu. Then click Real Time<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t see any data here, it\u2019s possible that no one is currently browsing your website. That\u2019s okay. Just go to your website in another browser tab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortly you should see that user session appear in the real time reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>METHOD #2: Add GA4 to WordPress membership site with Google Tag Manager for free (kind of)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This next method for how to add GA4 to WordPress<\/strong> uses the free Google Tag Manager (GTM) solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While GTM is free, it may require an analytics specialist<\/strong> to complete a full setup. So this method works well for people who have previous experience with GTM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
GTM allows you to configure your own custom events. And with GA4, you\u2019ll need to configure a lot of events in Tag Manager. So, buckle up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To implement ecommerce tracking with GTM<\/strong> on a WordPress membership site, you\u2019ll probably need some additional coding. Specifically, you\u2019ll need a script that pushes your transaction data into the Google Analytics data layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the Data Layer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The data layer<\/strong> is a central concept when working with GTM and Google Analytics (GA4). It acts as a bridge between your website and GTM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it allows you to send custom data to GA4, Google Ads, and other third-party services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main purpose of the data layer is to separate the data from the presentation layer (your content). <\/strong>So, instead of hardcoding data directly into tags or scripts on your website, you can push the data into the data layer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From there, GTM can read the data and use it to populate tags, triggers, and variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How a Data Layer Makes Your Life Easy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Flexibility <\/strong>\u2013 You can easily add, modify, or remove data without changing the website\u2019s code. This is especially useful for marketers who might not have direct access to a site\u2019s source code.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Consistency<\/strong> \u2013 By centralizing data in one place, you ensure consistent data collection across different tools and platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Enhanced Tracking<\/strong> \u2013 The data layer allows for more advanced tracking scenarios, such as capturing data from dynamic web pages or single-page applications.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Security<\/strong> \u2013 By controlling what data goes into the data layer and how that data is accessed, you can ensure that sensitive information isn\u2019t inadvertently sent to third-party tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Now that you\u2019ve got the concept of the data layer, let\u2019s get GTM installed!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Install a Google Tag Manager Plugin<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
There are a number of plugins that add GTM to your WordPress site. Since there is a standard GTM implementation<\/a>, most of them do the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As it turns out, the Site Kit by Google plugin<\/strong> can also install a GTM container for you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scroll up to METHOD #1 to see how to install the Google Site Kit plugin<\/strong>. Then just choose the options to add Google Tag Manager. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Configuring the GA4 Tag in Google Tag Manager<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
With GTM installed and configured, you\u2019re ready to deploy your first tag!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quick note here: Google recently migrated the old GA4 Configuration Tag<\/strong> to the global Google Tag. So, if you\u2019ve seen other tutorials mentioning a GA4 Configuration tag in GTM, it\u2019s not there anymore<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you login to your GTM workspace<\/strong>, click to add a new tag. Then give the tag a name in the upper left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I suggest using something like \u201cGoogle Tag for GA4\u201d. This will help you remember the tag is controlling your GA4 implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, click into the Tag Configuration area<\/strong> to add a new tag type. You\u2019ll see an option for Google Analytics. And on the next screen you\u2019ll see several Google Analytics options. Be sure to select Google Tag<\/strong> here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Google$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll configure GA4 events later. First we need to get the Google Analytics code firing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019ve added the correct Google Tag<\/strong>, you\u2019ll need to enter your Google Analytics Measurement ID.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tag ID is how Google knows where to send data collected on your website. Here is how you can find your GA4 Measurement ID<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now we need to tell Google Tag Manager where you want this tag to appear on your WordPress site. The GTM container is on every page of your site. So, here you can choose to load the GA4 tag on every page as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Triggering panel, choose the option for Initialization \u2013 All Pages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Google$ <\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Publishing Your GA4 Tag to Your WordPress Membership Site<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The only thing left to do now is to save your tag configuration and publish the changes to your container.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll see a Submit <\/strong>button in the upper righthand corner of your GTM Workspace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now GA4 is collecting the default event data on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All the code is in place to push default event data into your data layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the events you configured earlier in the GA4 data stream options are being tracked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, there\u2019s still no ecommerce tracking in place. <\/strong>So let\u2019s take care of that\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Track Your Membership Sales Revenue in GA4<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Remember all that talk about the data layer above? In order to track membership sales revenue or other ecommerce data, you need to push that data into your data layer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This involves a bit of extra coding. And you\u2019ll want to reference the Google Documentation<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two components to this setup.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
First<\/strong>, you\u2019ll need to push the transaction details to your data layer after a successful sale. Here\u2019s what a sample from the Google documentation of what this would look like for a typical ecommerce transaction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\nwindow.dataLayer.push({\n 'event': 'purchase',\n 'currency': 'USD', \/\/ use your currency\n 'value': 100.00, \/\/ total transaction value\n 'transaction_id': 'T12345', \/\/ unique transaction ID\n 'items': [\n \/\/ array of purchased item objects\n {\n 'item_id': 'SKU12345',\n 'item_name': 'Product Name',\n 'price': 50.00,\n 'quantity': 2\n }\n \/\/ ... other purchased items\n ]\n});<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nHowever, the MemberPress membership transaction data will look slightly different than this since the value for \u2018item_name\u2019 will be the name of your membership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a MemberPress-specific PHP code snippet that will populate your data layer with the correct information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n id) || $txn->id <= 0) {\n return;\n }\n \n \/\/ Get transaction details\n $total = $txn->total;\n $tax_amount = $txn->tax_amount;\n $product = $txn->product();\n $user = $txn->user();\n \n \/\/ Prepare item data\n $item_name = isset($product->post_title) ? $product->post_title : urldecode($_GET['membership']);\n $item_id = isset($product->ID) ? $product->ID : $txn->product_id;\n \n ?>\n \n