How GA4 gets set up on your site
A plain-English explanation of how Chykalophia installs and configures Google Analytics 4 on your website — what we do and what you need to know.
You do not need to touch any code to have Google Analytics 4 working on your site. Chykalophia handles the technical setup for you. This article explains what we do, why we do it that way, and what you need to provide.
Quick summary
We install GA4 using Google Tag Manager, configure key conversion events, connect your site to Google Search Console, and set up a GA4 account under your Google account. All you need is a Google account and to grant us access.
What we need from you
To set up GA4 on your site, we need:
- A Google account for you to own the analytics — this is usually your business Google/Gmail account. You retain ownership of all your data.
- Access to your website — to install the tracking code (we handle this).
- Access to your GA4 account — if one already exists, grant us access by following our guide on giving us access to Google Analytics.
If you do not have a Google account, we can walk you through creating one.
How we install it: Google Tag Manager
Rather than placing the GA4 tracking code directly in your website's files (which makes it harder to manage), we use Google Tag Manager (GTM).
Google Tag Manager is a free tool that acts as a central control panel for all tracking code on your site. Instead of touching your website's code every time a tag needs updating, we update it inside GTM.
The installation process looks like this:
We create a Google Tag Manager container for your site. This is a small piece of code that goes into your website once. It loads all other tags.
We add the GA4 tag inside Tag Manager. This tells GTM to fire the GA4 tracking code on every page of your site.
We configure key events (conversions). We set up tracking for important actions — like form submissions or purchases — so GA4 records them as conversions.
We link GA4 to Google Search Console. This connects your search performance data to your analytics data so you can see both in one place.
We test everything. We use GA4's DebugView and GTM's preview mode to confirm that data is flowing correctly before we go live.
What gets tracked by default
Once GA4 is installed, it automatically tracks:
- Page views — every time any page is loaded
- Scrolling — when a visitor scrolls 90% down a page
- Outbound clicks — when someone clicks a link to another website
- Site search — if your site has a search function
- Video engagement — for YouTube videos embedded on your site
- File downloads — when someone downloads a file
We also set up custom events specific to your website (form submissions, phone number clicks, etc.).
GA4 properties and data streams
In GA4 language:
- A property is your website (or app). It has its own ID and stores all your data.
- A data stream is the connection between your website and your property. Most websites have one data stream.
When we set up GA4, we create one property and one web data stream for your website.
Who owns your analytics data?
You do. Your GA4 property is created under your Google account. We are added as "Editor" or "Viewer" users so we can access and manage the data. You can remove our access at any time.
Important
Always own your analytics under your own Google account — not ours. If our working relationship ends, you should still have full access to all your historical data. If you are unsure how your account is set up, ask us to confirm.
Common questions
Related guides
- What is Google Analytics (GA4)?
- What is Google Tag Manager?
- Give us access to Google Analytics
- Give us access to Google Tag Manager
- Tracking, cookies & privacy
Need a hand?
Learn more
Conversions & goals explained
A plain-English guide to conversions and goals in Google Analytics 4 — what counts as a conversion, how they are tracked, and why they are the most important metric on your site.
What is Google Search Console?
A plain-English introduction to Google Search Console — the free tool that shows how your website appears in Google search results and which searches bring people to your site.