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Measure · Custom events

Custom events that answer real business questions

Ecommerce events tell you what was bought. Custom events help explain why: which filters people use, which searches return nothing, where checkout fails. I define and implement the ones that genuinely matter to your store.

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In short

I define and implement custom GA4 events for WooCommerce stores, beyond the standard ecommerce events. Examples include filter use, site searches with no results, coupon or payment errors at checkout, newsletter sign-ups and size guide clicks. It is for stores that want to understand visitor behaviour and feed tests, audiences and UX decisions with data.

Why custom events usually fall short

  • Too many events, too few questions

    Every click is tracked, but nobody knows what for. Reports fill up with useless events and the handful that matter get lost.

  • Inconsistent names and parameters

    The same behaviour shows up as ‘newsletter_signup’, ‘Subscription’ and ‘form_submit’. Without a convention there is no way to aggregate or compare over time.

  • Parameters that never reach reports

    Events carry useful parameters, but they were never registered as custom dimensions in GA4, so they don't appear anywhere.

How I define and implement events

Every event starts with a business question and a decision the data will support. From there I set the name, parameters and trigger, follow a consistent convention and register in GA4 only the dimensions that will actually be used.

  • An event list tied to specific questions, with the decision each one supports.
  • A snake_case naming convention and parameters reused across events.
  • Registration of the custom dimensions and metrics needed, within the property's limits.
  • Robust triggers, ideally based on the data layer rather than fragile CSS selectors.

What you get

  • Event plan

    A table listing each event, the question it answers, its parameters, trigger and where it will be used.

  • GTM implementation

    Tags, triggers and variables set up in Google Tag Manager following the agreed convention.

  • GA4 custom dimensions

    Relevant parameters registered as dimensions or metrics so they can be used in reports and audiences.

  • Reports and explorations

    GA4 explorations or Looker Studio pages that present the new events in a way your team can use.

  • Event dictionary

    A reference document of every active event, so future requests follow the same logic.

How it works

  1. Business questions

    I meet your team to list the questions about visitor behaviour the data should answer.

  2. Event plan

    I turn those questions into events, parameters and triggers, and agree the plan with you.

  3. Build and test

    I implement in GTM, test in preview mode and DebugView, and register the dimensions in GA4.

  4. Read the first data

    Once enough data has come in, I prepare a first analysis and adjust whatever needs it.

Tools I use

  • GA4
  • Google Tag Manager
  • Looker Studio
  • Tag Assistant
  • Microsoft Clarity
Which custom events make sense for a WooCommerce store?

It depends on your questions. Common ones include site search, especially searches with no results, filter use, coupon or payment errors, views of the size guide or delivery costs, and newsletter sign-ups. I always start from the questions rather than a fixed list.

Is there a limit on the number of events in GA4?

There are limits on event names, parameters and registered custom dimensions per property, which Google documents and may change. In practice the bigger risk isn't the technical limit but tracking so much that the useful data becomes hard to find.

Can I use these events as conversions in Google Ads?

Yes, for example as secondary conversions or to build audiences. I advise against using micro-conversions as the main bidding goal for an online store, because the algorithm will optimise for that action rather than for sales.

Related tools

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Got questions about your visitors that the data can't answer?

Book a discovery call. We will start from your questions and I will suggest which events would make a difference in your store.

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