How to set up cookieless tracking in GA4

Simple guide for setting up the cookieless tracking in Google Analytics 4 (GA4):

1. Server-Side Tagging

Why: Server-side tagging moves the tracking logic from the user’s browser to a server (often Google Cloud). By doing so, you’re less dependent on browser cookies and have more control over data collection and transmission.

How to:

1. Create a Server-Side Tagging Environment:
   • In Google Tag Manager (GTM), set up a server-side container. This requires deploying a Google Cloud Function that handles tracking requests.
   • Add a Google Tag Manager server-side container and configure it on your server (you can use Google’s Cloud infrastructure for this).
2. Modify Existing Tags:
   • In GTM, set up client-side tags (e.g., pageviews, clicks) to send data to your server-side container.
   • From the server, send data to GA4, which gives you more control over the data and ensures compliance with regulations (e.g. GDPR or CCPA).
3. Benefits:
   • Server-side tagging gives you more control over what data is sent to third-party vendors and improves data security. It also works when third-party cookies are blocked by the browser, so data is still collected.

2. GA4’s Event-Based Data Model

Why: GA4 moved from session-based to event-based tracking so you can measure user interactions more precisely. This is key in a cookieless world because events can capture meaningful interactions without cookies.

How to:

1. Define Key User Interactions:
   • Identify important user actions (e.g. video plays, scroll depth, product views, form submissions) and align them with your business goals.
2. Set Up Custom Events:
   • In GTM, create custom events that capture specific user interactions that match your goals. For example, track users who add items to their cart or interact with specific page elements.
3. Use Predefined Events:
   • GA4 comes with predefined events like page_view, purchase, and login. You can extend these events to track more granular behaviors (e.g. page_views for product pages only).

3. User ID Tracking

Why: User ID tracking allows you to identify users across multiple sessions and devices without cookies, so you have a more consistent and accurate user journey.

How to:

1. Generate a User ID:
   • When users log in or register on your website or app, assign a unique ID to them. Make sure this ID is consistent across sessions and devices.
2. Send User ID to GA4:
   • Use the setUserId() function in your GA4 implementation to send this User ID with each event. GA4 will use this data to stitch together the user’s interactions across devices.
3. Cross-Device Reporting:
   • GA4 will automatically link events from the same User ID, so you can see user behavior across multiple devices and platforms.

4. First-Party Data

Why: First-party data is collected directly from your users (e.g. through account signups, purchases, or preferences). It’s valuable and compliant with privacy regulations, so it’s key in the post-cookie world.

How to:

1. Collect Data Through Interactions:
   • Make sure your site/app is optimized to collect first-party data. This could be through newsletter signups, loyalty programs, user account creation, and transaction data.
2. Integrate First-Party Data with GA4:
   • Use data collected through User ID tracking and combine it with GA4’s event-based model. Make sure user interactions are associated with known users whenever possible.
3. Segment Your Customers:
   • Use this first-party data to create detailed user segments for analysis, track behavior across different user groups.

5. Consent Mode

Why: Consent Mode allows GA4 to respect user privacy preferences by adjusting tracking behavior based on the user’s consent (for ads, analytics etc.).

How to:

1. Add Consent Mode to Your Tags:
   • In GTM, implement Consent Mode by modifying the configuration of your GA4 tags to listen for user consent. You can do this by setting gtag(‘consent’, ‘default’, { ad_storage: ‘denied’, analytics_storage: ‘denied’ }); based on user preference.
2. Track Consent Status:
   • Depending on the user’s consent, GA4 will adjust its behavior by either anonymizing the data or limiting data collection, so it complies with privacy regulations.
3. Collect Data While Compliant:
   • When consent is given, full data tracking is enabled, when consent is denied, only non-identifiable data (e.g. event counts without user-level tracking) is collected.

6. Custom Dimensions and Metrics

Why: Custom dimensions and metrics allow you to capture extra user-specific data not included in default GA4 tracking. This could be specific user behavior, content interaction or demographic data.

How to:

1. Create Custom Dimensions and Metrics in GA4:
   • In GA4 go to “Custom Definitions” and create custom dimensions (e.g. logged_in_status, subscription_type) and metrics (e.g. engagement_time, average_cart_value).
2. Send Custom Parameters with Events:
   • Use GTM to send custom parameters as part of your event data. For example if you are tracking engagement with premium content you could send a parameter indicating if the user is a premium member.
3. Use in Reports:
   • Use these custom dimensions and metrics in your reports to drill down into behavior.

7. Data Modeling

Why: GA4’s machine learning (ML) can fill in gaps in your data when cookies or direct tracking is unavailable so you can have continuity of measurement.

How to:

1. Enable GA4’s Enhanced Measurement Features:
   • Enable data-driven attribution and predictive audiences in GA4. This allows GA4 to apply ML models to estimate user actions and behavior that may not be directly observable.
2. Use Predictive Metrics:
   • Use predictive metrics like purchase probability and churn likelihood in your reports to get an idea of user behavior without direct tracking.
3. Fill Data Gaps:
   • When cookies are not available, data modeling can fill in the gaps by predicting user behavior based on similar user actions.

8. Cross-Platform Tracking

Why: Users interact with your site across multiple devices. By tracking across platforms you get a full picture of the user journey.

How to:

1. Set up GA4 for Web and App Tracking:
   • GA4 can track users across both your website and mobile app. Implement GA4 SDKs for mobile apps and link them to your website properties to unify the data.
2. Use User ID for Cross-Device Tracking:
   • Implement User ID as above to track users across platforms. This is essential in a cookieless environment where cookies don’t persist across devices.
3. Unified Reporting:
   • View cross-device interactions in GA4 reports so you can see how users move between platforms and devices.

9. User-Centric Measurement

Why: The cookieless world requires a user-centric view where user interactions are tracked and measured without being tied to specific sessions.

How to:

1. Track Users at the Event Level:
   • Focus on key user interactions and behavior rather than session-level metrics like bounce rate or session duration.
2. Use Lifetime Value Reporting:
   • Use GA4’s lifetime value reporting to see how users’ value to your business grows over time, across all interactions and devices.

10. Follow Privacy Sandbox Updates

Why: Google’s Privacy Sandbox is developing new standards for tracking and advertising in a privacy-first world. Stay up to date so you’re ready for the future.

How to:

1. Follow Google:
   • Keep an eye on announcements about Privacy Sandbox and try out the APIs (like FLoC alternatives) Google releases to the public.
2. Prepare for the Future:
   • Regularly review your current tracking setup to ensure it aligns with emerging privacy regulations and standards introduced by Google’s Privacy Sandbox.

By following these steps, you’ll be well-positioned to implement cookieless tracking in GA4 while ensuring compliance with evolving privacy regulations.

The importance of setting up the cookieless tracking in your Google Analytics 4 account

Why is that important?

Privacy Regulations

With the world getting more privacy focused, GDPR in Europe, CCPA in California and other privacy laws are spreading. These laws restrict how third party cookies can be used to track user behavior. By using cookieless tracking, marketers can continue to gather insights without breaking these laws. GA4 is designed to be more privacy friendly so businesses can be compliant and track user behavior.

Browser Cookie Restrictions

Safari (with ITP), Firefox (with Enhanced Tracking Protection) and even Google Chrome (which will eventually get rid of third party cookies) are blocking or restricting cookie usage. This makes it harder for marketers to rely on cookie based tracking. Using cookieless tracking through GA4 allows marketers to gather data even when cookies are not available so they don’t lose visibility into user behavior.

Cross Device and Cross Platform Tracking

Cookies only track user behavior within a single browser or device which limits the ability to follow users across different platforms. GA4’s cookieless tracking strategies – User ID tracking and server side tagging – allow marketers to track users across multiple devices and touchpoints. This gives a more complete view of the customer journey and allows for better attribution of marketing efforts.

Filling the Gaps with AI and ML

As cookies become less reliable, marketers need to find alternative ways to understand user behavior. GA4 has advanced machine learning algorithms to fill in the gaps when direct tracking is not possible. For example GA4’s data modeling can estimate user behavior so marketers can make data driven decisions even with incomplete data. So valuable marketing insights will continue to flow even as cookies decline.

First Party Data

First party data (data collected directly from users) is getting more valuable as third party cookies become less effective. GA4 is designed to maximize first party data, so marketers can collect and leverage user interactions like logins, purchases and custom events. This means more personalized marketing, better customer segmentation and stronger relationships with users all while being compliant with privacy regulations.

User Centric Reporting

Traditional cookie based analytics was session level tracking which is limited in understanding user behavior over time. GA4’s event based tracking model is user centric, focusing on key interactions over time, across multiple sessions and devices. This gives marketers a more accurate view of customer behavior so they can measure campaign effectiveness and optimize accordingly.

Attribution and ROI Measurement

Marketers need to know which marketing efforts are driving conversions. Without reliable cookie based tracking it’s hard to attribute conversions to the right marketing channels. GA4 helps marketers build better attribution models by tracking user behavior without relying on cookies which improves ROI measurement and allows marketers to allocate budgets better.

Data for Future Proofing

The digital landscape is changing and the end of third party cookies is just one part of the larger shift to a privacy first internet. By using cookieless tracking now marketers are future proofing their analytics setup. GA4 is designed to adapt to future privacy changes and evolving tracking methods so marketers can stay competitive and data driven in a world where cookies are no longer the primary tracking method.

User Trust and Transparency

As consumers become more aware of how their data is being used, businesses that put privacy and transparency first in data collection will build stronger relationships with their users. By using cookieless tracking and privacy first strategies in GA4 marketers can build user trust which can lead to higher brand loyalty and customer retention.

Insights Despite the Limitations

Even as cookies are phased out marketers still need actionable insights to make decisions. GA4 can track key user actions, model user behavior and use machine learning so marketers can still drive growth through data in a cookieless world. So marketing will still be effective and efficient despite the technical changes.

In short, cookieless tracking in GA4 is a must for marketers to prepare for privacy regulations, to minimize the impact of cookie restrictions and to use modern technologies like machine learning to keep tracking and data driven decision making going.