Your GA4 Data Feels Disjointed and How to Fix Event Tracking

You’ve migrated to Google Analytics 4, set up a few events and started pulling reports, only to discover confusing results. Conversions seem inflated, certain actions aren’t being tracked and your data doesn’t quite line up with what’s happening on your site.

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If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.

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The transition to GA4 event tracking, from Universal Analytics’ session-based model, has introduced both powerful possibilities and unexpected pitfalls. Without careful setup, you could be missing critical data or duplicating it without realising. 

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Migrating to GA4’s event-driven model without proper configuration can lead to revenue overreporting by 100% and fragmented datasets-common outcomes of duplicate tracking or inconsistent event naming. Research shows, businesses that fix these issues reduce acquisition costs by 13.5% and gain reliable insights, turning disjointed data into actionable strategies.

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In this blog, we’ll explore why GA4 data often feels fragmented and how configuring custom events properly and fixing duplicate tracking can give you the clarity and confidence you need to make smarter marketing decisions.

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Why GA4 Event Tracking Feels Disjointed

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The shift from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) introduced a more flexible, event-based data model. But that flexibility also comes with a steeper learning curve and, for many marketers, confusion.

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GA4’s New Event-Based Model

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Unlike Universal Analytics, which was centred around pageviews and sessions, GA4 event tracking treats everything, from clicks to video plays, as an event. This provides greater insight into user behaviour but requires a more deliberate setup to ensure the data is accurate and meaningful.

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Common Issues Marketers Face:

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• Missing event data – Important user actions aren’t tracked due to misconfigured or absent tags
  
  
• Duplicate tracking – Events fire twice due to overlapping GA4 and Google Tag Manager (GTM) setups, inflating key metrics
  
  
• Lack of naming conventions – Without standardised event names and parameters, reports become hard to interpret.
  
  

These issues can make your GA4 reports feel fragmented, unreliable and difficult to act on, unless addressed with a clean, consistent approach.

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Configuring Custom Events for Accurate Tracking

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To get the most out of GA4 event tracking, you’ll need to set up custom events that reflect meaningful user interactions, not just default events.

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Setting Up Custom Events in GA4

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The most effective method is to use Google Tag Manager (GTM). It allows you to:

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• Define precise triggers (e.g., clicks on a specific CTA, form submissions)
  
  
• Assign clear, structured event names and parameters (e.g., button_click → signup_form, scroll_depth → 75_percent)
  
  
• Avoid redundancies that often lead to duplicate tracking.
  
  

Best Practices for Custom Events

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Focus on events that align with your business goals. Examples include:

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• Form submissions (lead capture)
  
  
• Button clicks (conversions or micro-conversions)
  
  
• Scroll depth (content engagement)
  
  
• Video views (media consumption)
  
  

This kind of granular tracking makes it easier to connect behaviour to results.

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Using GA4 DebugView to Verify Events

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Before launching changes, test them using GA4’s DebugView. It shows event triggers in real-time, helping you confirm:

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• The right event fires at the right time
  
  
• Parameters are passing through correctly.
  
  
• You’re not accidentally duplicating events.
  
  

Taking time to properly configure and test your custom events is the first step in building a reliable data foundation in GA4.

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Fixing Duplicate Tracking Issues in GA4

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One of the most common problems in GA4 event tracking is inflated data caused by duplicate events. If you’ve ever seen an unusually high number of conversions or unexplained spikes in activity, duplicate tracking may be to blame.

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Why Duplicate Events Happen:

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• GA4 auto-tracks certain events, like pageviews and outbound clicks. If you also manually track these events via Google Tag Manager (GTM), you can end up recording the same action twice.
  
  
• Multiple tracking codes installed on the same site (e.g., direct GA4 tag + GTM tag) can result in overlapping data streams.
  
  

How to Fix It:

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• Audit your GTM setup to ensure you’re not triggering the same event in multiple places. For example, make sure a form_submission event isn’t being fired both natively and through a custom GTM tag.
  
  
• Use Google Tag Assistant or Chrome Developer Tools to scan for duplicate GA4 scripts or misconfigured tags.
  
  
• In GA4 settings, adjust your event configurations to prevent redundant triggers, especially for events already tracked automatically by GA4.
  
  

By fixing duplicate tracking, you’ll clean up your data, restore trust in your reports and ensure more accurate analysis.

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Enhancing GA4 Reporting for Actionable Insights

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Once your events are set up and clean, it’s time to turn that data into decisions. GA4’s native reporting tools, combined with integrations like Looker Studio, offer powerful ways to track performance and uncover growth opportunities.

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Custom Reports & Exploration:

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Use GA4’s Exploration reports to:

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• Build funnel visualisations that show where users drop off before converting
  
  
• Analyse event parameters to understand how users interact with different content or features
  
  

With properly configured custom events, these reports become invaluable tools for UX, CRO and campaign optimisation.

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Linking GA4 with Google Looker Studio:

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Connect GA4 with Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) to create:

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• Easy-to-read, branded dashboards for internal reporting
  
  
• Visualised metrics that make it easier to communicate performance with stakeholders
  
  
• Cross-channel comparisons by blending data from other platforms
  
  

When combined with well-structured GA4 event tracking, these reports help transform data into clear, strategic action.

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Real-World Example: Fixing Disjointed Tracking With Data-Led Optimisation

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At Mr Digital, we've helped clients bridge the gap between disjointed data and actionable insights. A strong example is our work with Echo Security Solutions, where we conducted a comprehensive SEO audit and implemented custom dashboards and reporting systems to improve visibility into campaign performance.

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By aligning key events and conversion tracking with business objectives, we helped the client boost organic clicks by 161%. More importantly, the clarity of their reporting setup gave them the confidence to make faster, smarter marketing decisions, a great example of what GA4 can support when implemented correctly. 

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Conclusion: Get Reliable GA4 Data with Proper Event Tracking

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GA4 offers powerful, flexible tracking, but only if it’s implemented correctly. If your data feels disjointed or unreliable, chances are your GA4 event tracking needs a closer look.

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By addressing common issues like configuring custom events correctly and fixing duplicate tracking, you can clean up your analytics, gain more accurate insights and build dashboards that support decision-making.

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Don't settle for noisy or misleading data, audit your GA4 setup, standardise your event naming and ensure everything’s firing exactly as intended.

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Need help fixing GA4 tracking errors? Let’s set up accurate event tracking for better reporting.