Setting up click tracking in GA4 with Google Tag Manager

Estimated time to complete: 20 minutes
Requirements: Call Now Button plugin installed, Google Analytics (GA4) implemented through Google Tag Manager

Keep reading if you’ve implemented Google Analytics via Google Tag Manager. This article describes step by step how to set up Event Tracking with Google Tag Manager to reveal in Google Analytics how many people click the Call Now button on your website.

High level overview of the steps involved

(Steps are described in more detail below.)

---

OK, let's sign into your Google Tag Manager account and get started!

Step 1: Enable the required click variable in Google Tag Manager

Before you set up the actual event you need to enable the build-in variable for tracking clicks on an element with a specific class name.

1. Click on Variables in the menu on the left side of the screen:
   

   

2. Click Configure
   

   

3. Scroll down to the Clicks section and select Click Classes.
   

   

Step 1 done!

Step 2: Create 2 custom variables for the actions

The custom variable for the Action type

1. Again open the Variables section from the previous step and now scroll down to the User-Defined Variables:
   

   

2. Click New and name the new variable NowButtons action.
3. Click on the pencil that appears when you hover over the Variable Configuration box.
4. In the Choose variable type panel that appears, select Data Layer Variable.
5. In the field called Data Layer Variable Name enter the following: gtm.element.dataset.actionType and click Save.
   

   

The custom variable for the Action label

1. If you're not in the Variables section anymore, open it again and scroll down to the User-Defined Variables
2. Click New again to create another variable and name it NowButtons label.
3. Click on the pencil that appears when you hover over the Variable Configuration box.
4. In the Choose variable type panel that appears, select Data Layer Variable again.
5. In the field called Data Layer Variable Name enter the following: gtm.element.dataset.labelText and click Save.
   

   

That's step 2 done!

Step 3: Creating the Trigger in GTM

1. Now click on Triggers in the left side menu:
   

   

2. Click New
   

   

3. Give your new Trigger a name: NowButtons clicks and click the pencil (appears when you hover over the box) in the top right corner:
   

   

4. Under Choose trigger type select Just links:
   

   

5. Under This trigger fires on select Some link clicks. Then from the pull-down menu select the variable you’ve just enabled: Click Classes, change the second pull-down to contains and in the empty field you enter cnb-action
   

   

6. Click Save to store your new Trigger.

That's step 2: DONE!

Step 4: Creating the Tag in GTM

1. Click on Tags in the left side menu:
   

   

2. Click New:
   

   

3. Give your new Tag a name: NowButtons click tracking and click the pencil (appears when you hover over the box) in the top right corner:
   

   

4. At the top of the Choose tag type panel that appears, select Google Analytics: GA4 Event.
5. Via the Configuration Tag pull down you select your GA4 Measurement ID. If you previously created a variable for that, you can select it here. Or select None - Manually Set ID and enter the Measurement ID in the field that appears below it.
6. In the Event Name field, enter NowButtons click
7. Open the Event Parameters section and enter the following information:
   
   • Parameter Name: action_type and in the Value field click on the lego brick and select the NowButtons action variable you created in step 2
   • Parameter Name: action_label and in the Value field click on the lego brick and select the NowButtons label variable you created in step 2
   • Parameter Name: action_value and in the Value field click on the lego brick, click on the Built-ins button in the top right corner and click on Click URL
   
   The whole window should look something like this this:

   

8. Now in the window below called Triggering click the pencil:
   

   

9. In the Choose a trigger window select the Trigger you created in step 2 called NowButtons clicks.
10. Click Save and you’re all set.

Step 5: Publish your changes in GTM

The final step is to publish your work in Google Tag Manager and you're all set!

Once this is live you should see the clicks on any of the NowButtons appear in your Google Analytics account under Reports > Engagement > Events: