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, set up your key 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 Google tag (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 your Google Analytics tag 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. A container holds all your tags in one place. Installing it means adding two short snippets of code to every page of your website. We do that once; after that, changes happen inside Tag Manager instead of in your site's code.

We add the Google Analytics tag inside Tag Manager. This tells Tag Manager to fire your Analytics tag on every page of your site.

We set up your key events. We track the actions that matter to you — a form submission, a purchase — and mark them as key events in Analytics. Google used to call these conversions, and before that goals; key events is the current name.

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 DebugView in Analytics and Preview mode in Tag Manager to confirm that data is flowing correctly before we go live.

What gets tracked by default

Once GA4 is installed, a feature called enhanced measurement — an option we turn on when we create your data stream — tracks a fixed list of interactions with no extra work:

Page views — every time a page loads, and when the page changes without a full reload
Scrolls — the first time a visitor reaches the bottom of a page (90% of the way down)
Outbound clicks — when someone clicks a link that leads away to another website
Site search — when someone is shown a search results page on your site, which GA4 spots from the search term in the page address
Video engagement — for embedded YouTube videos that have the JS API enabled
File downloads — when someone clicks a link to a file, such as a PDF
Form interactions — when someone starts filling in a form, and when they submit it

Page views are always collected. The rest are switches that can be turned on or off for each data stream.

Anything outside that list has to be set up deliberately. A click on a phone number is the common example: a tap on a tel: link is not a click away to another website, so GA4 does not count it on its own. We add the custom events your site needs.

GA4 properties and data streams

In GA4 language:

A property is the container for your website's (or app's) data. It has its own settings and holds all your reports.
A data stream is the connection between your website and your property. Most websites have one data stream. It is also where your Measurement ID lives — the code starting G- that identifies your site to Analytics.

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

How do I give Chykalophia access to my existing GA4 account?

Follow our step-by-step guide: Give us access to Google Analytics. You will add support@chykalophia.com as an Editor.

My website already has old Universal Analytics — can I switch to GA4?

There is nothing left to switch. Universal Analytics has been shut down: standard properties stopped processing data on 1 July 2023, and from the week of 1 July 2024 the old data and interface went away too. If your site still carries old UA code, it is doing nothing, and we remove it. We create a Google Analytics 4 property from scratch, which starts collecting from the day it goes live.

How long until I see data in my GA4 account?

Google says data processing can take 24 to 48 hours, and that figures may keep moving during that window. The Realtime report is quicker — typically a few minutes — though Google describes it as a best-effort service rather than a guarantee. Some reports need more history before they are worth reading.

Do I need to install anything on my computer?

No. GA4 is entirely web-based. You access it at analytics.google.com from any browser.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.