Quick answer. To track a signup or form submission in GA4, fire a custom event when it happens, then mark that event as a key event. The simplest way: add a gtag('event', 'sign_up') call to your form submit or success handler, confirm it appears in GA4 DebugView or Realtime, then go to Admin then Events and toggle Mark as key event. No-code routes exist too: GA4 Enhanced Measurement catches some clicks automatically, and Google Tag Manager can capture form submits without editing your form. Key events are what GA4 calls conversions since 2024.
Pageviews tell you people showed up. Key events tell you they did the thing you actually care about. Here is how to count the moment that matters.
What you'll need
- GA4 installed and tracking (see the setup capsule).
- Access to your form code or success page, or a Google Tag Manager container.
Track a signup, step by step
- Decide the moment that counts. Best is the success state, after the form actually submits, not just a button click, so you only count real signups.
- Fire an event there. In code, add gtag('event', 'sign_up') (or 'generate_lead', 'submit_form', your name) to the success handler. Use the AI prompt below if you would rather not hand-write it.
- Watch it fire. Open GA4 DebugView (or Realtime) and trigger your form. Watch your event appear in real time.
- Mark it a key event. Go to Admin then Events. Find your event in the list and switch on Mark as key event.
- Check it accrues. Give it 24 hours, then check Reports, Engagement, Events and your key-events report to see it building.
Do it with AI
Skip the docs. Hand the wiring to Claude or ChatGPT.
Add the signup event to my form
I want to track signups in Google Analytics 4. My site uses: - Framework: [e.g. Next.js / plain HTML / Webflow custom code] - The form/success looks like: [paste your form code or describe the success state] Add a GA4 event called sign_up that fires only when the form successfully submits, not on every button click. Show me the exact code and where it goes. Then tell me how to confirm it in GA4 DebugView.
Track a button click without touching the form
I want to track clicks on a specific button in GA4 using Google Tag Manager, without editing my site's code. The button is: [describe it / paste its HTML]. Walk me through creating the trigger and the GA4 event tag in GTM, step by step, and how to test it in Preview mode.
How to check it worked
In DebugView, trigger the action and watch your event stream in live. Once it is marked a key event, the key-events report in GA4 will show a count climbing over the next day.
Common mistakes
- Tracking the click, not the success. Counting the button click instead of the success state means you count people who started but never finished.
- Forgetting to mark the key event. Without flipping Mark as key event, GA4 records the event but never treats it as a conversion.
- Naming chaos. Pick a clear, consistent event name and reuse it. GA4 is case-sensitive.
- Double-firing. Both a plugin and your code sending the same event will count it twice. Pick one.
FAQ
- What is the difference between an event and a key event in GA4?
- Every interaction is an event. A key event is an event you have flagged as important, like a signup or purchase. Key events are what GA4 used to call conversions.
- Can I track a form without editing code?
- Yes. Google Tag Manager can detect form submissions and button clicks and send GA4 events without changing your site code.
- How do I test that my event works?
- Use GA4 DebugView. Trigger the action and your event appears in real time, so you know it is firing before you rely on it.
- Why is not my key event showing in reports?
- Standard reports lag 24 to 48 hours. Use DebugView or Realtime to confirm it is firing today, then check reports tomorrow.
Wired up is not the same as understood.
You can wire up every event and still spend Sundays in GA4 working out which ones moved.
Holy Bucket watches your key events and tells you what is filling the bucket and what is draining it, in a sentence.