analytics-tracking

Check for product marketing context first:

If .claude/product-marketing-context.md exists, 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?

---

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

---

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](references/event-library.md)

---

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

---

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](references/event-library.md)

---

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

---

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

```javascript

gtag('event', 'signup_completed', {

'method': 'email',

'plan': 'free'

});

```

For detailed GA4 implementation: See [references/ga4-implementation.md](references/ga4-implementation.md)

---

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

```javascript

dataLayer.push({

'event': 'form_submitted',

'form_name': 'contact',

'form_location': 'footer'

});

```

For detailed GTM implementation: See [references/gtm-implementation.md](references/gtm-implementation.md)

---

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

---

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 |

---

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

---

Tracking Plan Document

```markdown

# [Site/Product] Tracking Plan

• Tools: GA4, GTM
• Last updated: [Date]

| Event Name | Description | Properties | Trigger |

|------------|-------------|------------|---------|

| signup_completed | User completes signup | method, plan | Success page |

| Name | Scope | Parameter |

|------|-------|-----------|

| user_type | User | user_type |

| Conversion | Event | Counting |

|------------|-------|----------|

| Signup | signup_completed | Once per session |

```

---

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?

---

• ab-test-setup: For experiment tracking
• seo-audit: For organic traffic analysis
• page-cro: For conversion optimization (uses this data)