GA4 Events Explained – Full Overview + Ecommerce Funnel with Real Examples

Introduction

GA4 has fully embraced the event-driven model. But with multiple types of events—automatic, enhanced, recommended, and custom—it’s easy to get lost.

This post breaks it all down clearly. And then we zoom in on ecommerce, where GA4 provides a rich set of recommended events you can implement today.

The 4 Types of GA4 Events

1. Automatically Collected Events

These events are tracked out of the box when GA4 is properly installed.

📌 Examples:

• page_view – each time a page loads or the browser history changes (collected through enhanced measurement, on by default; see automatically collected events)
• first_visit – first time a user visits your site
• session_start – when a new session starts

✅ No setup needed. These cover basic traffic and session info.

2. Enhanced Measurement Events

Events you switch on in the web data stream settings (Enhanced measurement), each one individually.

📌 Examples:

• scroll – when user scrolls 90% down
• file_download – clicks on downloadable files
• click (with outbound = true) – click on a link to another domain
• video_start, video_progress, video_complete – interactions with embedded YouTube

✅ Enable them to measure engagement without developer effort.

3. Recommended Events

Google’s pre-defined names for common business interactions. They aren’t collected automatically—you need to implement them via GTM or code.

📌 Examples:

• login, sign_up, purchase, add_to_cart, generate_lead
• view_item, view_item_list, begin_checkout, etc.

✅ Use these to unlock GA4 native reports, ecommerce funnels, and Google Ads integrations.

4. Custom Events

You define these events from scratch to match your unique use case.

📌 Examples:

• chat_opened, form_step_completed, plan_selected

✅ Use them when recommended events don’t fit. Add custom parameters as needed.

Focus: GA4 Ecommerce Event Funnel

Here’s a complete ecommerce journey tracked with GA4’s recommended events:

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🛒 Full Funnel Overview

Step	Event	Description	Example
1	view_item_list	Product list is displayed	Viewing a search results or category page
2	select_item	Product is selected	Clicking on a product thumbnail
3	view_item	Product detail page is loaded	Visiting the product page
4	add_to_cart	Item is added to cart	Clicking “Add to cart”
5	view_cart	Cart page viewed	Checking the cart before checkout
6	remove_from_cart	Item removed	User deletes an item from cart
7	begin_checkout	Checkout started	Clicking “Proceed to checkout”
8	add_shipping_info	Shipping details entered	Choosing delivery method
9	add_payment_info	Payment details entered	Filling credit card form
10	purchase	Transaction completed	Clicking “Pay” and receiving confirmation
11	refund	Refund issued	Sent by your back office when a return is refunded
12	add_to_wishlist	Product added to wishlist	Saving item for later
13	view_promotion	Promo banner seen	Banner shown on homepage
14	select_promotion	Promo banner clicked	User clicks the promo

Why This Funnel Matters

• These events feed GA4 ecommerce reports
• Marked as key events, they can be used as Google Ads conversions and in audiences
• They allow clean exports to BigQuery, ready for dashboards and analysis
• Combined with a User-ID, they let you follow the same customer across devices

Final Tips

• Always use Google’s exact event names when possible
• Add required and optional parameters like item_id, value, currency, etc.
• Be consistent with your naming conventions
• Document everything (events + parameters + triggers)

Conclusion

Whether you’re just getting started or cleaning up an existing GA4 setup, understanding and implementing the right GA4 events is critical. Especially in ecommerce, GA4 offers a robust structure that helps you measure what really matters.

for more information about recommended events: check the Google Developer Documentation

Related reading

• Why Your GA4 Custom Dimensions Show ‘(not set)’ (And How to Fix It)
• Tag Commander Multi-Container: Why Your Variables Show ‘Unset’ (A Complete Timing Breakdown)
• Set up a Google Analytics tracking in high level steps
• Understanding Google Signals in Google Analytics 4: How It Works and a Use Case with Demographic Data