Tracking Popup Clicks in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Popups are only effective if they engage users and drive the actions you want, like signups or purchases. But how can you tell if they’re working?

By tracking popup clicks, you can see how users engage with them and identify what works.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to set up popup click tracking in Google Analytics to gain these insights.

Before You Begin: Tracking Popup Clicks

Tracking popup clicks helps you understand how users engage with your popups, from views to interactions. It allows you to measure effectiveness, refine designs, and improve the user experience, making sure your popups are both engaging and impactful.

In this section, we’ll cover the essential steps and tools you need to start tracking popup clicks effectively.

Key Components of Popup Tracking in GA4

To track popup clicks effectively in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), it’s important to understand the key elements involved. 

These components work together to capture and analyze popup interactions on your site:

1. Events

Events are actions taken by users on your website, such as viewing or clicking a popup. In the context of popup tracking, you’ll use events to capture specific interactions:

• Popup Viewed : Tracks when a popup becomes visible to the user.
• Popup Submitted : Tracks when a user successfully interacts with the popup, like submitting a form.

2. Custom Dimensions

Custom dimensions and metrics let you collect additional details about your popup interactions. For example:

• A Custom Dimension can record the type of popup (e.g., newsletter, discount, feedback).

3. Triggers and Tags

Triggers and tags in Google Tag Manager (GTM) are what make event tracking possible:

• Triggers : Define the conditions under which an event is tracked, such as when a popup becomes visible or a button is clicked.
• Tags : Send the event data to Google Analytics. Tags can include built-in attributes such as device type, demographic data, and page information. Additionally, custom attributes like form field inputs (e.g., name, geographic location) can be configured to provide deeper insights into user interactions.

Tools and Setup for Popup Click Tracking

Before you can start tracking popup clicks in Google Analytics, there are a few things you need to have in place:

1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Installed : Ensure that GA4 is properly set up and linked to your website. This is essential for receiving event data.
2. Google Tag Manager (GTM) Configured : Google Tag Manager acts as the bridge between your website and Google Analytics, allowing you to track events without modifying your site’s code. While you can define these events directly from your theme file using form event listeners, we will use Google Tag Manager for the simplest setup and minimal coding requirements.
3. Popups with Identifiable Attributes : Each popup on your site should have unique identifiers, such as IDs or CSS selectors, which will be used to track specific interactions.

Step-by-Step Guide On Setting Up Popup Click Tracking

Follow these steps to track popup views and submissions in Google Analytics using Google Tag Manager (GTM):

1. How To Track Popup Views

This setup tracks when a popup is displayed to a user.

Inspect the Popup Element

Open your website in a browser. Right-click the popup and select “Inspect” to open the developer tools. Identify the unique ID or CSS class of the popup.

Create a Trigger in GTM

Log in to Google Tag Manager and go to Triggers > New. Select the Element Visibility trigger type. Use the popup’s unique ID or CSS selector to configure the trigger. Set the trigger to fire when the element is 1% visible or you can change the ratio depending on your unique needs.

Set Up a GA4 Event Tag for Popup Views

Go to Tags > New in GTM. Select the GA4 Event tag type. Name the event (e.g., popup_viewed). Link the tag to the visibility trigger you created. Save and preview the setup to ensure it works.

2. How To Track Popup Submissions

This setup tracks when users interact with the popup, such as submitting a form.

Identify the Submission Element

Open the developer tools and inspect the form or success message in your popup. Locate its unique ID or CSS class.

Create a Submission Trigger in GTM

In GTM, go to Triggers > New. Choose the Element Visibility or Click trigger type, depending on how the popup submission works. Use the ID or CSS selector of the submission element to configure the trigger. To ensure that only successful form submissions are sent as events to GA4, you need a trigger element that confirms the submission success. This can be: * A "Thank You" page: If the visitor is redirected to a confirmation page after submitting the form, create a trigger based on the page URL. * A "Thank You" message displayed on the screen: If the form submission results in an inline success message without a page redirect, use the Element Visibility trigger to capture this message as an event.

Set Up a GA4 Event Tag for Popup Submissions

In GTM, create another tag with the GA4 Event type. Name the event (e.g., popup_submitted). Add any custom parameters, such as form_id, to capture details about the submission. Link the tag to the submission trigger and save your changes.

Test Your Setup

Use GTM’s Preview Mode to ensure both the popup view and submission triggers work correctly. Verify that the events appear in GA4’s DebugView.

3. Testing and Debugging

Once you’ve set up popup tracking in Google Tag Manager (GTM) and integrated it with Google Analytics 4 (GA4), testing and debugging are critical to ensure everything is working as expected. 

Follow these steps to verify your setup:

Enable GTM Preview Mode

In GTM, click the Preview button in the top-right corner.nEnter your website URL and open the site in Debug mode. Interact with your popups (view or submit them) to trigger the events.

Check Trigger and Tag Activity

In the GTM debug panel, look for the triggered events (e.g., Element Visibility or Click). Confirm that the associated tags (e.g., popup_viewed or popup_submitted) are firing as expected.

Use GA4 DebugView

Log in to GA4, go to Admin > DebugView. Perform the actions you’re tracking (e.g., view a popup or submit a form). Check if the events (e.g., popup_viewed and popup_submitted) appear in the DebugView timeline.

Verify Event Parameters

In DebugView, click on the tracked events to see the parameters sent (e.g., form_id, popup_type). Ensure the correct values are being captured and match the intended setup.

Troubleshoot Common Issues

Triggers Not Firing: Double-check the popup’s unique ID or CSS selector in the trigger settings. Missing Event Parameters: Verify that custom parameters are correctly added to the tag in GTM. No Data in GA4: Ensure that the GA4 Measurement ID in GTM matches your property in GA4.

4. Integrating Popup Data with GA4

Once you’ve set up triggers and tags in Google Tag Manager (GTM), you need to ensure the data flows into Google Analytics 4 (GA4) properly. 

Follow these steps to integrate and configure the data in GA4:

Access Your GA4 Property

Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the Admin section. Under Property Settings, ensure that your Measurement ID is correctly configured.

Define Event Names

In GTM, make sure your event names, such as popup_viewed or popup_submitted, are consistent. These names will appear in GA4 under Reports > Engagement > Events.

Add Custom Parameters

To collect specific details about popups: * For popup_viewed, you can include parameters like the popup’s type (e.g., newsletter or discount). * For popup_submitted, include parameters like form_id to distinguish between different popups.

Create Custom Dimensions and Metrics

Go to Admin > Custom Definitions in GA4. Click Create Custom Dimension for parameters like popup_type or form_id. This ensures they appear in your reports. For numerical values, like the number of submissions, create a Custom Metric.

Verify Events in DebugView

Use GA4’s DebugView (found under Admin > DebugView) to ensure events from GTM are being captured correctly. Trigger a popup on your site to see the event appear in real-time.

Build Reports in GA4

After the data starts flowing, you can use GA4’s Explorations to analyze popup performance: * Add dimensions like popup_type or form_id. * Use metrics such as popup_viewed and popup_submitted to calculate engagement rates.

5. How To Analyze Popup Performance in GA4

Use the tools in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to evaluate how well your popups are performing. Follow these steps to analyze the data:

Advanced Tracking Techniques for Popup Clicks

If you want to take popup tracking a step further, here are advanced techniques you can implement to gather more granular data:

1. Track Popup Closures :
2. • Use the Element Visibility or Click trigger in GTM to track when users close a popup.
   • Identify the CSS selector or unique ID of the popup’s close button.
   • Set up a GA4 event (e.g., popup_closed) to measure how often popups are dismissed without user engagement.
3. Monitor Hover or Focus Events :
4. • Use All Elements Click or JavaScript-based triggers in GTM to track when users hover over or focus on a popup.
   • For example, track whether users interact with the popup’s fields before clicking the submission button.
5. Integrate Third-Party Tools :
6. • Use tools like SendPulse to track specific popup interactions (e.g., button clicks, email submissions) and automatically send data to GA4.
   • Configure the integration by adding your GA4 Measurement ID and enabling the events you want to track.
7. Create Detailed Custom Reports :
8. • Build tailored reports in GA4 to analyze popups by specific parameters, such as campaign, audience segment, or popup type.
   • Combine these insights with other GA4 data, like user retention or revenue, to see the bigger picture.
9. Use JavaScript for Complex Popups :
10. • For popups that don’t have consistent IDs or CSS selectors, write custom JavaScript variables in GTM to extract and track unique attributes.
    • For example, capture dynamic values like product IDs or user input fields.

To Sum Up

Tracking popup clicks in Google Analytics helps you understand user engagement, improve designs, and boost conversions. 

This guide covers everything from basic tracking to advanced techniques.

Start with simple setups and gradually explore advanced methods for deeper insights.