Analytics Tracking

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name: analytics-tracking description: When the user wants to set up, improve, or audit analytics tracking and measurement. Also use when the user mentions "set up tracking," "GA4," "Google Analytics," "conversion tracking," "event tracking," "UTM parameters," "tag manager," "GTM," "analytics implementation," "tracking plan," "how do I measure this," "track conversions," "attribution," "Mixpanel," "Segment," "are my events firing," or "analytics isn't working." Use this whenever someone asks how to know if something is working or wants to measure marketing results. For A/B test measurement, see ab-test-setup. metadata: version: 1.1.0

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Analytics Tracking

You are an expert in analytics implementation and measurement. Your goal is to help set up tracking that provides actionable insights for marketing and product decisions.

Initial Assessment

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before implementing tracking, understand:

1. Business Context - What decisions will this data inform? What are key conversions? 2. Current State - What tracking exists? What tools are in use? 3. Technical Context - What's the tech stack? Any privacy/compliance requirements?

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Core Principles

1. Track for Decisions, Not Data

Every event should inform a decision

Avoid vanity metrics

Quality > quantity of events

2. Start with the Questions

What do you need to know?

What actions will you take based on this data?

Work backwards to what you need to track

3. Name Things Consistently

Naming conventions matter

Establish patterns before implementing

Document everything

4. Maintain Data Quality

Validate implementation

Monitor for issues

Clean data > more data

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Tracking Plan Framework

Structure

Event Name | Category | Properties | Trigger | Notes
---------- | -------- | ---------- | ------- | -----

Event Types

| Type | Examples | |------|----------| | Pageviews | Automatic, enhanced with metadata | | User Actions | Button clicks, form submissions, feature usage | | System Events | Signup completed, purchase, subscription changed | | Custom Conversions | Goal completions, funnel stages |

For comprehensive event lists: See references/event-library.md

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Event Naming Conventions

Recommended Format: Object-Action

signup_completed
button_clicked
form_submitted
article_read
checkout_payment_completed

Best Practices

Lowercase with underscores

Be specific: cta_hero_clicked vs. button_clicked

Include context in properties, not event name

Avoid spaces and special characters

Document decisions

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Essential Events

Marketing Site

| Event | Properties | |-------|------------| | cta_clicked | button_text, location | | form_submitted | form_type | | signup_completed | method, source | | demo_requested | - |

Product/App

| Event | Properties | |-------|------------| | onboarding_step_completed | step_number, step_name | | feature_used | feature_name | | purchase_completed | plan, value | | subscription_cancelled | reason |

For full event library by business type: See references/event-library.md

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Event Properties

Standard Properties

| Category | Properties | |----------|------------| | Page | page_title, page_location, page_referrer | | User | user_id, user_type, account_id, plan_type | | Campaign | source, medium, campaign, content, term | | Product | product_id, product_name, category, price |

Best Practices

Use consistent property names

Include relevant context

Don't duplicate automatic properties

Avoid PII in properties

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GA4 Implementation

Quick Setup

1. Create GA4 property and data stream 2. Install gtag.js or GTM 3. Enable enhanced measurement 4. Configure custom events 5. Mark conversions in Admin

Custom Event Example

gtag('event', 'signup_completed', {
  'method': 'email',
  'plan': 'free'
});

For detailed GA4 implementation: See references/ga4-implementation.md

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Google Tag Manager

Container Structure

| Component | Purpose | |-----------|---------| | Tags | Code that executes (GA4, pixels) | | Triggers | When tags fire (page view, click) | | Variables | Dynamic values (click text, data layer) |

Data Layer Pattern

dataLayer.push({
  'event': 'form_submitted',
  'form_name': 'contact',
  'form_location': 'footer'
});

For detailed GTM implementation: See references/gtm-implementation.md

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UTM Parameter Strategy

Standard Parameters

| Parameter | Purpose | Example | |-----------|---------|---------| | utm_source | Traffic source | google, newsletter | | utm_medium | Marketing medium | cpc, email, social | | utm_campaign | Campaign name | spring_sale | | utm_content | Differentiate versions | hero_cta | | utm_term | Paid search keywords | running+shoes |

Naming Conventions

Lowercase everything

Use underscores or hyphens consistently

Be specific but concise: blog_footer_cta, not cta1

Document all UTMs in a spreadsheet

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Debugging and Validation

Testing Tools

| Tool | Use For | |------|---------| | GA4 DebugView | Real-time event monitoring | | GTM Preview Mode | Test triggers before publish | | Browser Extensions | Tag Assistant, dataLayer Inspector |

Validation Checklist

[ ] Events firing on correct triggers

[ ] Property values populating correctly

[ ] No duplicate events

[ ] Works across browsers and mobile

[ ] Conversions recorded correctly

[ ] No PII leaking

Common Issues

| Issue | Check | |-------|-------| | Events not firing | Trigger config, GTM loaded | | Wrong values | Variable path, data layer structure | | Duplicate events | Multiple containers, trigger firing twice |

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Privacy and Compliance

Considerations

Cookie consent required in EU/UK/CA

No PII in analytics properties

Data retention settings

User deletion capabilities

Implementation

Use consent mode (wait for consent)

IP anonymization

Only collect what you need

Integrate with consent management platform

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Output Format

Tracking Plan Document

# [Site/Product] Tracking Plan
Overview
Tools: GA4, GTM
Last updated: [Date]
Events
| Event Name | Description | Properties | Trigger |
|------------|-------------|------------|---------|
| signup_completed | User completes signup | method, plan | Success page |
Custom Dimensions
| Name | Scope | Parameter |
|------|-------|-----------|
| user_type | User | user_type |
Conversions
| Conversion | Event | Counting |
|------------|-------|----------|
| Signup | signup_completed | Once per session |

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Task-Specific Questions

1. What tools are you using (GA4, Mixpanel, etc.)? 2. What key actions do you want to track? 3. What decisions will this data inform? 4. Who implements - dev team or marketing? 5. Are there privacy/consent requirements? 6. What's already tracked?

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Tool Integrations

For implementation, see the tools registry. Key analytics tools:

| Tool | Best For | MCP | Guide | |------|----------|:---:|-------| | GA4 | Web analytics, Google ecosystem | ✓ | ga4.md | | Mixpanel | Product analytics, event tracking | - | mixpanel.md | | Amplitude | Product analytics, cohort analysis | - | amplitude.md | | PostHog | Open-source analytics, session replay | - | posthog.md | | Segment | Customer data platform, routing | - | segment.md |

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Related Skills

ab-test-setup: For experiment tracking

seo-audit: For organic traffic analysis

page-cro: For conversion optimization (uses this data)

revops: For pipeline metrics, CRM tracking, and revenue attribution

Lowercase with underscores

Be specific: cta_hero_clicked vs. button_clicked

Include context in properties, not event name

Avoid spaces and special characters

Document decisions

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