Google Analytics (GA4) Integration Guide
Elevate Your Analytics with Linkzly + Google Analytics 4
Seamlessly connect Linkzly to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and unlock a unified view of your audience's journey. By forwarding clicks, scans, and other events directly to your GA4 property, you gain deeper insights into user behavior across web and app streams. This integration uses GA4's Measurement Protocol for server-side event sending, ensuring reliable data flow even in privacy-focused environments.
Whether you're tying online clicks to offline actions or measuring multi-device interactions, Linkzly + GA4 helps you optimize campaigns, reduce costs, and drive growth—all with production-grade accuracy and compliance.
This integration augments your existing GA4 setup (via gtag, Tag Manager, or Firebase) without replacing it, ensuring full reporting capabilities.
Why Integrate Linkzly with GA4?
Unlock powerful insights by combining Linkzly's link and QR tracking with GA4's comprehensive analytics platform.
Unified Tracking
Combine Linkzly's short link and QR code data with GA4's web/app analytics for a complete picture of user engagement.
Privacy-Compliant
Supports anonymization and EU endpoints, aligning with GDPR and iOS privacy changes.
Advanced Insights
Automatically include UTM parameters, geo data, and device info in events for detailed reporting on traffic sources, conversions, and more.
Offline-to-Online Bridging
Send server-side events like QR scans or custom interactions that browser tracking might miss.
Scalable Performance
Handles high-volume data with batch requests, retries, and no interruptions—ideal for growing businesses.
Cost Savings
Decrease cost per result by optimizing ad targeting with accurate, deduplicated events.
Key Features in Linkzly's GA4 Integration
Comprehensive event forwarding with advanced privacy and compliance controls.
Event Forwarding
Sends 'link_click' or 'qr_scan' events with properties like UTM, referrer, short code, and geo (country, city).
Anonymization Options
Control IP sending to respect user privacy.
EU Compliance
Route data to EU endpoints for regional data residency.
Deduplication
Uses client_id or app_instance_id to join events and avoid duplicates.
Geographic & Device Enrichment
Automatically adds location and device details for segmented reports.
Timeouts & Retries
Customizable up to 15s, with automatic handling for reliable delivery.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Getting started is quick—follow these steps in your Linkzly dashboard for a seamless connection.
Access Integrations
Log into Linkzly, navigate to "Integrations," and select "Add New Integration." Choose Google Analytics (GA4).
Enter Credentials
Provide your GA4 Measurement ID (from GA4 Admin > Data Streams > Your Stream > Measurement ID) and API Secret (from GA4 Admin > Data Streams > Your Stream > Measurement Protocol API Secrets > Create).
Use an API Secret for secure, authenticated requests—essential for server-side tracking.
Configure Settings
Enable EU endpoints if needed for compliance. Toggle "Don't Send IP" for anonymized tracking. Set custom timeouts (default: 15s) to match your needs.
Map Events
Linkzly pre-maps common events like clicks to GA4's "event" structure. Customize if needed—e.g., map "link_click" to a GA4 custom event with parameters like utm_source, geo.country.
Supported Parameters: UTM (source/medium/campaign), geo (country/city), device (category/model), and more.
Test Connection
Use Linkzly's built-in test tool to send a sample event. Verify in GA4's DebugView (Admin > DebugView) or Real-Time reports.
Sample Test Event: Simulate a click to see it appear in GA4 within seconds.
Activate & Monitor
Save changes and enable the integration. Track success rates and errors in Linkzly's logs—aim for >99% delivery with our retry logic.
Sample Event Payload
Here's how a forwarded click event looks when sent via Measurement Protocol:
{
"client_id": "1234567890.0987654321",
"events": [
{
"name": "link_click",
"params": {
"utm_source": "linkzly",
"utm_medium": "short_link",
"utm_campaign": "summer_promo",
"geo_country": "US",
"geo_city": "New York",
"device_category": "mobile",
"engagement_time_msec": 100,
"session_id": "1234567890"
}
}
]
}POST Request
Sent to https://www.google-analytics.com/mp/collect?measurement_id=G-XXXXXXX&api_secret=YYYYYYYY.
Validation
Use GA4's DebugView or the Measurement Protocol validation server to confirm payloads.
Best Practices for Production-Grade Use
Follow these recommendations to ensure optimal performance and compliance.
Event Rules
Implement GA4's recommended event naming (e.g., use "purchase" for conversions) and avoid exceeding limits (25 parameters per event, 40-char names).
Deduplication
Include session_id for time-sensitive joining of online/offline data—events must be sent within 24 hours for accurate attribution.
Error Handling
Monitor for 400/413 errors (invalid JSON or oversized payloads). Use Linkzly's idempotency keys to prevent duplicates.
Privacy Optimization
Enable anonymization to comply with "non-personalized ads" and "limit ad tracking" settings.
Scaling Tips
Batch up to 25 events per request; partition by client_id for high-volume sends to avoid throttling.
Testing Workflow
Use a separate GA4 property for staging to validate without polluting production data.
Real-World Example: E-Commerce Campaign
A retailer forwards Linkzly click events to GA4. A "link_click" event includes UTM from a promo link and geo from DB-IP.
They optimize by targeting US East Coast users, reducing CPA by 20%.