How to Track Events in Google Analytics GA4: Buttons, Forms, Video, and More (2026)

Quick Answer: GA4 uses an event-based data model where every user interaction is an “event.” Some events are tracked automatically (page_view, scroll, click, video_start). Others require configuration — either through GA4’s Enhanced Measurement settings or by implementing custom events via Google Tag Manager. This guide covers which events you get for free, which require setup, and how to implement the most valuable custom events for small businesses.

GA4’s Event Architecture: Everything Is an Event

Unlike Universal Analytics (which separated pageviews, events, and goals), GA4 tracks everything as events. Every interaction — a pageview, a scroll, a click, a purchase — is an event with parameters that describe what happened.

GA4 events fall into four categories:

• Automatically collected events: GA4 collects these without any configuration
• Enhanced Measurement events: Available with one toggle in GA4 settings
• Recommended events: Standard naming convention you implement with custom code or GTM
• Custom events: Anything you define yourself with GTM or code

Events You Get Automatically (No Setup Required)

• page_view: Every page load
• session_start: Beginning of each user session
• user_engagement: When a user is actively engaged (minimum 10 seconds on page)
• first_visit: New user visiting for the first time

Enhanced Measurement Events (One Toggle Away)

Enable these in GA4 Admin → Data Streams → your stream → Enhanced Measurement toggle:

• scroll: When a user reaches 90% of page depth
• click: When a user clicks a link leaving your site (outbound clicks)
• view_search_results: When someone uses your site search
• video_start, video_progress, video_complete: For embedded YouTube videos
• file_download: When someone clicks a file download link (PDF, doc, etc.)
• form_start, form_submit: When users interact with forms (limited implementation — may not work with all form builders)

Implementing Custom Events via Google Tag Manager (No Developer Required)

Google Tag Manager (GTM) lets you implement custom events through a visual interface without editing code. The most valuable custom events for small businesses:

Button Click Tracking

Track clicks on specific buttons (CTA buttons, phone number clicks, “Get Quote” buttons):

1. In GTM, create a new Trigger → Click → All Elements
2. Set it to fire only when a specific condition is met (e.g., the click text “Contains” “Get Quote”)
3. Create a GA4 Event Tag that fires on this trigger
4. Name the event (e.g., “get_quote_click”) and add parameters (button_location, page_url)

Form Submission Tracking

Track contact form submissions more reliably than Enhanced Measurement’s built-in form tracking:

1. In GTM, create a Trigger → Form Submission
2. Configure it to fire on specific form IDs or pages
3. Create a GA4 Event Tag named “form_submit” with parameters (form_type, page)

Phone Number Click Tracking

For businesses where calls are the primary conversion:

1. Create a Click trigger that fires when click URL “Contains” “tel:”
2. Create a GA4 Event Tag named “phone_click”
3. Add parameters: phone_number, page_path

This is especially valuable for mobile users who tap phone numbers to call — a critical conversion for local service businesses.

Marking Events as Conversions

Once an event is being tracked, you can mark it as a conversion in GA4:

1. GA4 Admin → Property → Conversions → Create New Conversion Event
2. Enter the exact event name (e.g., “form_submit”, “phone_click”, “purchase”)
3. Click Save

Conversion events appear in your reports highlighted as business goals. This is how GA4 connects event tracking to business outcome measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many custom events can I track in GA4?

GA4 allows up to 500 distinct custom event names per property, with up to 50 parameters per event. For small businesses, you’ll never come close to these limits. Focus on 5-10 high-value events rather than trying to track everything.

Do I need to be a developer to implement custom events?

Not if you use Google Tag Manager. GTM’s visual interface handles the majority of custom event needs for small businesses without code editing. For more complex implementations (events triggered by JavaScript actions or custom data layer variables), some technical knowledge helps — but the most common events (button clicks, form submissions, phone calls) are straightforward in GTM.

Next Steps

• Identify your biggest gap: Review the concepts in this guide and identify which one would have the most immediate impact on your business if you addressed it this week.
• Take one focused action: Choose the single most important takeaway from this guide and implement it before moving on to the next article.
• Measure your baseline: Before making any changes, note your current state — traffic, conversion rate, or whatever metric is most relevant — so you can measure whether your action worked.
• Return in 30 days: Check the specific metrics mentioned in this guide after 30 days of consistent implementation. Progress compounds over time.
• Connect your marketing channels: Use Krystl to see how all your marketing efforts are performing together — not just in isolation.

Last Updated: April 2026 | Published by DigitalSMB

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Roger Lopez

Roger Lopez is a top-rated Digital Marketing speaker and keynote presenter at conferences all over the world. With over 20+ years of marketing experience, Roger is a highly sought after marketing keynote speaker. He specializes in marketing and digital strategy.

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