If Universal Analytics felt like an old friend, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) probably feels like its strange, younger cousin who speaks in riddles. You’re not alone.

Since the forced migration in 2023, ecommerce brands have been wrestling with GA4’s event-based model, frustrating reporting UI, and missing familiar metrics. Fast forward to 2025, though, and GA4 is no longer optional – it’s essential.

In this article, we’ll break down what ecommerce teams need to know about GA4 in 2025, including:

• Key features for ecommerce tracking
• What’s changed (and improved)
• Must-have event setups
• How to connect GA4 with your ecommerce platform and marketing stack
• How to actually use the data for smarter growth

Let’s make GA4 work for your business – not against it.

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What Makes GA4 Different?

GA4 uses an event-based data model, which means everything – including pageviews, purchases, scrolls, and clicks – is tracked as an event.

It’s designed to:

• Work across web and app platforms
• Be more privacy-compliant (no reliance on third-party cookies)
• Enable custom tracking without heavy tagging
• Provide more predictive analytics via machine learning

The catch? It’s less intuitive out of the box. But with the right setup, it gives ecommerce brands far more flexibility than Universal Analytics ever did.

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Core Ecommerce Features in GA4

Here are the key features ecommerce marketers should be using:

Enhanced Ecommerce Events

GA4 tracks ecommerce activity via recommended events, including:

• view_item
• add_to_cart
• begin_checkout
• purchase
• refund

Unlike UA, GA4 doesn’t automatically populate reports – you’ll need to implement these events manually or via your platform’s integration.

→ Need help configuring your events correctly? Our Analytics & Reporting service includes full GA4 setup and testing.

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Monetisation Reports

Under “Monetisation,” you’ll find:

• Overview: Total revenue, purchases, AOV
• Ecommerce purchases: Product-level insights
• User purchase journey: Funnel breakdown
• In-app purchases (if relevant)

These reports replace the UA ecommerce sections – but are often empty if events haven’t been set up correctly.

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Funnel Exploration

The Explorations section is GA4’s secret weapon. It lets you build custom funnel reports like:

• Product View > Add to Cart > Checkout > Purchase
• Email Click > Product Page > Purchase
• Homepage Visit > Category Page > PDP > Purchase

You can apply segments (like device, channel, or country) to uncover where users drop off.

Example: If mobile users abandon at checkout far more than desktop, you’ve just uncovered a CRO priority. → Explore our Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) service to fix it.

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How to Set Up GA4 for Ecommerce

Let’s get practical. Here’s what your ecommerce GA4 setup should include.

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1. Install GA4 Using the Right Method

• Shopify: Use Google Channel app or Elevar for better tagging
• WooCommerce: Use Site Kit + WooCommerce Google Analytics Integration plugin
• Magento: Use GTAG implementation or a tag manager like GTM

→ Our Shopify Consultancy, WooCommerce Consultancy, and Magento Consultancy all include help with GA4 setup.

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2. Configure Recommended Events

These are the must-haves for ecommerce:

• view_item_list – Category/product list views
• view_item – Product page views
• add_to_cart – Adds to cart
• remove_from_cart – Self-explanatory
• begin_checkout – Start of checkout
• purchase – Completed transaction
• view_promotion and select_promotion – Promo tracking
• refund – Refunds

You can set these via:

• Native integrations
• Google Tag Manager
• Custom event tracking (developers may be needed)

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3. Enable Ecommerce Reporting in GA4

Go to Admin > Data Streams > Web > Enhanced Measurement
Enable ecommerce events and parameter tracking.

Check that you’re:

• Sending items array with item ID, name, category, brand, price, quantity
• Including transaction IDs on purchases
• Using the correct currency code

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What to Track in GA4 (Beyond the Basics)

GA4’s power is in custom dimensions and event parameters. Here’s what smart ecommerce brands track:

• Coupon code usage
• Subscription vs one-time purchase
• Payment method used
• Delivery method
• Loyalty tier
• First vs returning purchase
• Product category or brand clicked

This data allows you to:

• Build high-ROI segments
• Personalise emails
• Improve product recommendations
• Refine ad targeting

→ Need help segmenting users for email? See our Email Marketing services for CRM integration support.

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How to Use GA4 to Grow Your Ecommerce Brand

Tracking is only half the job. Here’s how to turn your GA4 data into growth:

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1. Diagnose Drop-Off Points

Use funnel reports to identify:

• High cart abandonment
• PDPs with low add-to-cart rates
• Product pages with high exit rates

→ These are prime candidates for CRO testing. Explore our CRO services to optimise your most valuable paths.

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2. Analyse LTV by Channel

Segment users by acquisition source and track:

• Revenue per user
• Repeat purchase rate
• Days between purchases

This helps you understand which channels bring in valuable, loyal customers – not just one-off buyers.

→ Combine this with Retention & Loyalty efforts for smarter lifecycle strategies.

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3. Understand Product Performance

Track which items:

• Have high views but low purchases
• Are often bought together
• Are added to cart but rarely bought

This can inform:

• Merchandising strategy
• Bundling ideas
• Product page improvements

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4. Build Predictive Audiences

GA4 can now identify users likely to:

• Churn
• Purchase again soon
• Spend high value

You can sync these to Google Ads for better retargeting and upsell campaigns.

→ Want help linking your GA4 to Google Ads or your CRM? Our Paid Media and Analytics & Reporting services help you get that data flowing.

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Common GA4 Mistakes (and Fixes)

Mistake	Fix
Tracking only pageviews	Add ecommerce event tracking
Using GA4 “out of the box”	Customise with parameters and dimensions
Not testing ecommerce events	Use GA Debugger + Realtime reports
No link to BigQuery	Enable for deep analysis
Ignoring Explorations	Learn to use Funnel + Segment overlaps

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Final Checklist

Here’s your GA4 essentials for ecommerce:

• GA4 properly installed (web + ecommerce stream)
• Enhanced Ecommerce events configured
• Key user actions tracked (cart, checkout, purchase)
• Custom dimensions (e.g. coupon, payment method)
• Funnel + exploration reports built
• Connected to Google Ads / CRM / BigQuery

→ Don’t want to wrestle with it all yourself? Book a free discovery call and we’ll help you make GA4 actually useful.

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Final Thought on GA4 for Ecommerce

GA4 might not be the analytics tool we asked for – but it’s the one we’ve got.
And in 2025, it’s more powerful, more flexible, and more necessary than ever.

Get your events right, your reports clear, and your strategy aligned – and you’ll turn GA4 into the ecommerce growth engine it was meant to be.

Explore our Analytics & Reporting service

Or get in touch for expert GA4 support