Is your GA4 actually tracking? Here's how to find out

You've installed GA4. But is it actually working? And working correctly?

I've seen setups that looked fine but missed half the events. Or tracked everything twice. Let me show you how to properly verify your implementation.

The testing toolkit

Before we start, here are the tools you'll use:

Method 1: Realtime report (quick check)

The fastest way to see if GA4 is receiving data.

Step-by-step

1. Open GA4
2. Go to Reports → Realtime
3. In another tab, visit your website
4. Look for:
   • User count going up
   • Your location on the map
   • Page views in the events section

What to look for

Limitations

Realtime shows aggregate , meaning all your users combined. It doesn't show event parameters or let you isolate your session. For detailed testing, use DebugView.

Method 2: DebugView (detailed testing)

DebugView shows every event from your specific device, with all parameters. It's the gold standard for verification.

Step 1: Enable debug mode

You need to tell GA4 to send your data to DebugView. Pick one method:

Option A: Chrome extension (easiest)

1. Install the GA Debugger extension
2. Click the extension icon to enable it
3. Refresh your website

Option B: URL parameter

Add ?gtm_debug=x to any URL on your site:

https://yoursite.com/page?gtm_debug=x

Option C: GTM Preview Mode

If you're using Google Tag Manager:

1. Click Preview in GTM
2. Enter your website URL
3. Your site opens with debug enabled

Option D: Code-based

Add this to your gtag configuration:

gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXX', { 'debug_mode': true });

Step 2: Open DebugView

1. Go to GA4 → Admin → DebugView
2. Wait a few seconds for your device to appear
3. If multiple devices are debugging, select yours from the dropdown

Step 3: Navigate and verify

Walk through your site and watch events appear:

Step 4: Check event parameters

Click on any event to expand its parameters:

1. Verify page_location is correct
2. Check page_title matches
3. Confirm custom parameters are populated

Pro tip: Key events (conversions) show a small flag icon in DebugView. This helps you verify your conversion tracking.

Method 3: GTM Preview Mode

If you're using Google Tag Manager, Preview Mode shows you which tags fire and when.

Step-by-step

1. In GTM, click Preview
2. Enter your website URL
3. Your site opens in a new tab with a debug panel

What to check

Combine with DebugView

GTM Preview confirms tags are firing. DebugView confirms GA4 received the data. Use both:

1. Have GTM Preview running
2. Open GA4 DebugView in another window
3. Perform actions on your site
4. Verify in both places

Method 4: Browser DevTools

For troubleshooting when things aren't working.

Check network requests

1. Open DevTools (F12 or right-click → Inspect)
2. Go to the Network tab
3. Filter by collect or google
4. Perform an action on your site
5. Look for requests to google-analytics.com

What healthy requests look like

Common issues to spot

Check the Console

1. Open DevTools → Console tab
2. Look for errors related to gtag or analytics
3. Check for CSP (Content Security Policy) blocks

Testing specific events

Enhanced Measurement events

Custom events

For each custom event you've set up:

1. Perform the action (click button, submit form, etc.)
2. Check DebugView for the event
3. Verify all parameters are populated
4. Confirm it's marked as key event if it should be

E-commerce events

Walk through your purchase funnel:

1. View a product → Check for view_item
2. Add to cart → Check for add_to_cart
3. Start checkout → Check for begin_checkout
4. Complete purchase → Check for purchase with correct value

Each event should have the items array with product details.

Troubleshooting common issues

No data in Realtime or DebugView

Events showing but missing data

DebugView not showing my device

1. Make sure debug mode is enabled (extension/URL/code)
2. Wait 30-60 seconds
3. Check you're looking at the right property
4. Try in incognito with no extensions except GA Debugger

Standard reports not updating

Standard reports take 24-48 hours to process. This is normal. Use Realtime and DebugView for immediate verification.

Testing checklist

Run through this before considering your setup "done":

Basic tracking:

• Page views fire on every page
• User appears in Realtime
• Session_start fires once per session

Enhanced Measurement:

• Scrolls tracked on long pages
• Outbound clicks tracked
• Site search tracked (if applicable)
• File downloads tracked

Custom tracking:

• Each custom event fires when expected
• Parameters are populated correctly
• Key events show flag in DebugView

Data quality:

• No duplicate events
• No obvious missing data
• Measurement ID is correct
• Internal traffic is filtered

Next steps

Once everything is verified:

1. Set up your key events
2. Configure essential events
3. Build your first dashboard

If you want a simpler way to monitor your GA4 data without constant verification, try Analayer. We show you what's working and what needs attention.