Moving from Universal Analytics Settings Variables to Google Analytics 4 Configuration Tags in Google Tag Manager: Overview and Benefits

Moving from UA Settings Variables to Google Analytics 4 Configuration Tags in Google Tag Manager: Overview and Benefits
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

You are most likely familiar with the Universal Analytics (UA) settings variable. This lets you define your Google Analytics (GA) property and any parameters that need to be set or passed along with an event or pageview. You then apply the variable to your tags, ensuring that those settings and parameters are applied to all GA tags.

This is a little different in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for Google Tag Manager (GTM). Now, you have a configuration tag where you can set default parameters (in the Fields to Set section). Each event tag (remembering again that everything in GA4 is an event), needs to call this a ‘configuration tag’. Furthermore, the configuration tag can send a pageview, or you can send that as a separate event.

A little confusing, huh? Well let’s see if we can break it down somewhat.

First, when setting up tagging for GA4 you will set up a configuration tag. This tag holds your measurement ID, can fire a pageview, and holds fields to set, or default parameters. A properly-formatted base-level tag will look like the one below:

Note the following:

  1. Your measurement ID – You can hardcode it here or set it to a variable if needed.
  2. The “send a page view” checkbox – If you need to pass custom parameters with your pageview, you will want to UNCHECK this box and set up a separate pageview event to pass your pageviews with.
  3. Your firing trigger – To make this available for all tags, set this to fire on all pages.

You CAN set user properties here if needed as well. These again would be user properties to persist across all tags.

You also can pass any parameters that need to be consumed by all tags using this configuration variable. For example, publish date of the content.

Next, your event tag will call this GA4 configuration tag. Let’s see how that looks for a page_view event tag:

Note the following:

  1. The configuration tag is set to the tag we just set up.
  2. The event name is filled in, in this case to page_view.
  3. We have added some event parameters that will be sent every time this tag fires.
  4. We have added a firing rule to fire this tag on all pages.

Now, when the tag fires on a page it will send a page_view event to GA with the author, publication date, and category (assuming those exist on the page).

So what in the end does the GA4 configuration tag get you? Well, it gives you one place to enter your measurement ID so there is no confusion. You can set user properties in the config tag to keep them the same across events. And yes, you can automatically pass a pageview if needed from the config tag. Finally, you still can pass along your global custom parameters just as you did with the UA config variable.

Still feeling confused about configuration tags?

Our team of experts is here to help whenever you need us.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Originally Published: May 22, 2023
May 22, 2023

Other Articles You Will Enjoy

Completing the Measurement Puzzle: A Closer Look at Google Analytics 4 and Quantum Metrics

Completing the Measurement Puzzle: A Closer Look at Google Analytics 4 and Quantum Metrics

Many businesses own both Google Analytics (GA) and Quantum Metrics (QM) as part of their analytics deck. As leading analytics platforms, users can take…

4-minute read
Overview of Audiences in Google Analytics 4

Overview of Audiences in Google Analytics 4

As a website owner or digital marketer, it’s crucial to understand your website visitors’ behavior to make informed decisions. That’s where audience overview in…

3-minute read
Basics of Custom Dimensions and Metrics in Google Analytics 4

Basics of Custom Dimensions and Metrics in Google Analytics 4

When it comes to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), custom dimensions and metrics are like the spice in your favorite dish. They add that extra…

4-minute read
How Data Minimization Benefits CPG Organizations

How Data Minimization Benefits CPG Organizations

It seems almost paradoxical: you can spend less money maintaining your data collection framework, reduce your compliance risk, and improve the quality of your…

5-minute read
Understanding Facebook CAPI Integration with Google Analytics 4 Using Server-Side Google Tag Manager

Understanding Facebook CAPI Integration with Google Analytics 4 Using Server-Side Google Tag Manager

One of the most sought-out solutions happens to be how to use Facebook Conversions API with the server-side implementation in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)….

6-minute read
Google Analytics 4 Data Retention Settings 101

Google Analytics 4 Data Retention Settings 101

With Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google has added many advanced and privacy-centric features. Many of the features make our lives easier and add value…

3-minute read
Better Conversion Data with Looker Studio

Better Conversion Data with Looker Studio

Conversion rates are a simple percentage of “how many people visited my website vs. how many people fulfilled the site’s objective?” As kids, that…

8-minute read
Overview of Data Import in Google Analytics 4

Overview of Data Import in Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4), also known as GA4 App+Web, is the latest version of Google Analytics that offers a more advanced and comprehensive approach…

5-minute read
Google Analytics 4 User Pathways Overview

Google Analytics 4 User Pathways Overview

What are people doing? A question asked by many, for many different reasons, in various situations. As a digital professional (marketing, analyst, experience, etc.)…

6-minute read

Get Your Assessment

Thank you! We will be in touch with your results soon.
{{ field.placeholder }}
{{ option.name }}

Talk To Us

Talk To Us

Receive Book Updates

Fill out this form to receive email announcements about Crawl, Walk, Run: Advancing Analytics Maturity with Google Marketing Platform. This includes pre-sale dates, official publishing dates, and more.

Search InfoTrust

Leave Us A Review

Leave a review and let us know how we’re doing. Only actual clients, please.