Content revised 21 October 2026.
Set up a GA4 property and a suitable data stream, then verify collection on the real website. Creating an account alone does not prove that useful events are measured.
Prepare ownership and settings
Use an account the business controls and agree access roles. Check reporting time zone, currency and the website to be measured. Review relevant consent and data-handling requirements before installing a tag.
Create the measurement setup
Follow the current Analytics account and property workflow, then add a Web data stream for the website. Choose one supported installation method, such as the CMS integration or an approved tag-management setup. Avoid duplicate tags that inflate events.
Verify a safe test
Open representative pages and inspect the relevant real-time or debugging evidence. Confirm important actions and cross-domain journeys where applicable. A tag appearing in source is not enough if requests fail or the wrong property receives them.
Define the business events
Document what a completed enquiry or purchase means before marking key events. Keep clicks separate from successful outcomes. GA4 website activity and Search Console search-query reports answer different questions.
Official guidance: Google Analytics setup guide.