GA4 Measurement Plan: What It Is, Why It Matters & How to Build One
8th Aug 2025
5 Minutes Read
By Shubhangi Chauhan
With Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offering a more flexible and event-driven model than Universal Analytics, having a clear measurement plan is more essential than ever. A well-crafted GA4 measurement plan ensures you’re tracking the right data to support your business goals, without getting overwhelmed by noise or missing out on key insights.
What is a GA4 Measurement Plan?
A GA4 measurement plan is a blueprint that defines:
- What to track (events, conversions, user properties)
- Why does it matter (business or marketing goals)
- How to implement it (via GTM, dataLayer, GA4 UI)
It aligns user behavior tracking with your business strategy, making data more actionable.
Why Do You Need a GA4 Measurement Plan?
- Aligns with Business Goals: Focus on valuable metrics like purchases or leads.
- Avoids Noise: Prevents over/under-tracking and ensures relevance.
- Improves Collaboration: Everyone knows what’s being tracked and why.
- Streamlines Setup: Enables clean GA4 configuration and reporting.
- Scalable: Easier to expand tracking as your business grows. Also acts as a repository for future reference.
How to Create a GA4 Measurement Plan
Follow these key steps to build your plan:
Define Goals:
Start with key objectives like product sales, lead generation, or content engagement.
Map to KPIs:
Attach each goal to metrics (e.g., "Product sales" → "Purchases").
Objective | KPI |
Increase sales | Total revenue, purchases |
Improve user retention | Returning users, session duration |
Grow email list | Signups, form submissions |
List the Required Events & Conversions
Determine what user actions need to be tracked in GA4 to support those KPIs.
KPI | Event to Track | GA4 Event Type |
Purchase | purchase | Recommended |
Form Submission | generate_lead | Recommended |
Video Engagement | video_progress | Custom |
Click on CTA | click_cta_button | Custom |
Specify Parameters and Custom Dimensions
GA4 allows you to send extra details using event parameters and then register them as custom dimensions or metrics.
Example for purchase event:
Parameter | Description |
transaction_id | Order ID |
value | Total purchase value |
currency | Transaction currency |
coupon | Applied promo code |
6. Decide How Events Will Be Triggered
Define where and how each event will be collected:
- Via Google Tag Manager (most common)
- Directly from website/app code
- Through enhanced measurement (built-in GA4 events)
7. App + Web Event Alignment in GA4
GA4 unifies tracking for web and app under one property—making alignment essential. Without it, you risk inconsistent event names, duplicated data, and broken funnels. Proper alignment ensures accurate attribution, cross-device tracking, and unified reporting.
How to Align Events Across Web & App:
Step | Action |
1. Use the Same Event Names | Whether on the web or app, use consistent event names like purchase, sign_up, or add_to_cart. |
2. Standardize Event Parameters | Make sure both platforms use the same parameters (e.g., item_id, value, screen_name) to maintain consistency. |
3. Avoid Platform-Specific Variations | Don’t use screen_view in app and page_view on web as separate metrics if they serve the same purpose—define how you’ll treat them in your reports. |
4. Coordinate with Dev & Marketing Teams | Ensure both web and app teams refer to the same measurement plan document to avoid implementation silos. |
Example: Unified Event Tracking
Event Name | Platform | Trigger Example | Parameters |
purchase | Web | After checkout confirmation page | transaction_id, value |
purchase | App (iOS/Android) | After successful in-app payment | transaction_id, value |
sign_up | Web + App | After registration form submission | method, user_role |
Bonus: Example Events You Might Track in GA4
Category | Events Example |
Ecommerce | view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase |
Lead Gen | form_submit, generate_lead, click_contact_us |
Content | scroll, video_play, file_download, page_view |
Engagement | session_start, engagement_time_msec |
Custom | cta_click, menu_toggle, tab_switch |
Best Practices
- Use recommended GA4 event names when possible to get full reporting benefits.
- Be consistent with naming (use lowercase, underscores, no spaces).
- Track only what’s meaningful—not every click or scroll.
- Review your measurement plan every quarter or when making major site/app updates.
Final Thoughts
A solid GA4 measurement plan connects your data to business goals—ensuring you collect meaningful insights that drive growth.
