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- Configure Measurement ID
- Configure Measurement Protocol API secrets (Optional)
- Configure Search Term Query Parameters
- Configure BigCommerce CDN Domains
- Configure Custom Dimensions
- Configure Custom Metrics
Analytics 4 uses the Measurement ID to identify your store
Instructions:
- Under Admin->Data Streams->[Your Web Data Stream], Copy the Measurement ID by clicking the copy () icon
- Paste the ID into the Tag Rocket->Analytics 4->Settings->Measurement ID field
Most of the data sent to GA4 is sent via the user’s browser. Certain server-related events, such as order status changes and refund processing cannot be captured via this method. If you would like send this information, an API secret is required to authenticate Tag Rocket.
- Under Admin->Data Streams->[Your Web Data Stream]->Measurement Protocol API Secrets, click Create
- Enter “Tag Rocket” as the Nickname
- Click the copy icon () for the Secret value
- Paste the ID into the Tag Rocket->Analytics 4->Settings->Measurement Protocol API Secret field
For BigCommerce Default Search:
The BigCommerce default search results in a URL that looks like this: [Your Domain]/search.php?search_query=[Search Term]. The search term query parameter in this instance is “search_query” (in advanced search, it uses search_query_adv)
Search Term Query Parameter:
| search_query, search_query_adv |
Additional Query Parameters:
| brand,category,price_from,price_to,section,min_price,max_price,brand,rating |
Other Search Systems
If you are using a custom search system, you will likely have a different parameter, such as this example using Searchanize: [Your Domain]/search-results-page?q=[Search Term]. In this example, the search term query parameter is “q“. The Searchanize documentation is unclear on additional parameters.
Configure Parameters
Google Analytics 4
Enter the correct Search Term Query Parameter and if applicable, Additional Query Parameters, in GA4 under Admin->Data Streams->[Your Web Data Stream]->Enhanced Measurement Settings->Site Search Advanced Settings, then click Save
Tag Rocket
Enter the correct Search Term Query Parameter In Tag Rocket under Global Tag Values->Settings->Search Term Query Parameter
BigCommerce uses its own CDN system for your sites resources such as images. By default these are considered external to your own domain. We recommend telling GA4 that they are internal. This fixes up issues like clicks to your images being classed as outbound clicks.
In GA4, click Admin->Data Streams->[Your Web Data Stream]->More tagging settings->Configure your domains->Add condition. Choose Match type “Matches RegEx” and Enter the following text:
| .cdn[0-9].bigcommerce.com.* |
Custom User Dimensions
If a customer is logged in, the system can track that user across devices. It also tracks custom User properties once you have added them into GA4:
To track the following user dimensions you need to add them to your GA4 Account in the ‘Custom definitions’ section as dimensions of scope ‘User’. Once added they will start reporting on the data provided.
| Dimension Name | Scope | Description | User Property |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer ID | User | BigCommerce’s ID for customers | customer_id |
| Customer group | User | The name of the customer group this user is in. Blank if no group or not a customer | customer_group_name |
| User currency | User | The current currency selected by the user. A 3 letter code | user_currency_code |
Other custom properties that we set are: customer_group_id
Custom Event Dimensions
Tag Rocket adds custom dimensions to certain events, providing more data to report or filter with
To track the following event dimensions you need to add them to your GA4 Account in the ‘Custom definitions’ section as dimensions of scope ‘Event’. Once added they will start reporting on the data provided.
| Dimension Name | Scope | Description | Event Parameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page type | Event | BigCommerce’s page types. The home page is set to ‘home’. Also added to the content_group dimension | page_type |
| Meta description | Event | The meta description for the page. This could be of use to a/b test changes | meta_description |
| Active currency | Event | The currency selected by the user at the time of the event. A 3 letter code | active_currency_code |
| Date and time | Event | UTC time of an event in ISO format | datetime |
| Description | Event | Used by the exception event to explain the error. Tends to be a verbose version covering other dimensions. Good for real time inspection | description |
| Error type | Event | Used by the exception event to explain the type of error (javascript, console, jsonld, network) | error_type |
| Error message | Event | The explanation for an exception | error_message |
| Error filename | Event | Used by the exception event to provide the file where the error happened | error_filename |
| Error line number | Event | Used by the JavaScript exception event to provide the line where the error happened | error_lineno |
| Error column number | Event | Used by the exception event to provide the column in the line where the error happened | error_colno |
| Effective connection type | Event | Uses the Network Information API to get the effective connection speed of the user. 4g, 3g, 2g, slow-2g and unknown | effective_connection_type |
GA4 itself generates dimensions for all events, some of which are worth adding to the custom dimensions list so that you can access them in your reports.
| Dimension Name | Scope | Description | Event Parameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page location | Event | The current URL. Can be useful in Data Studio to blend GA4 data with GSC data | page_location |
| Page referrer | Event | The referrer URL (or empty string if not available). The previous pages URL | page_referrer |
There properties are sometimes added to events by the system:
| Dimension Name | Scope | Description | Event Parameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link URL | Event | Used by click, click_outbound, click_phone, click_download, click_social and click_email events to indicate the link involved | link_url |
| Search term | Event | Used by search and view_search_result events to indicate the search term used | search_term |
If you enable server events, one event event tracks your order status changes (order_status_update) and includes the following dimensions:
| Dimension Name | Scope | Description | Event Parameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction ID | Event | The transaction id assigned by BigCommerce | transaction_id |
| Order status | Event | The new order status | order_status |
Web Vitals sets the following dimensions and metrics:
| Dimension Name | Scope | Description | Event Parameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debug target | Event | This identifies the selector path to the element that contributed most to the metric | debug_target |
| Web Vitals status | Event | Good, Needs Improvement or Poor. Based on the scores set by web.dev. Used in the relevant web vitals events (LCP, CLS, FID) | metric_status |
Other custom dimension properties that we set are: metric_id, debug_timing, event_time
This custom metric is required to specify the web vitals metric values for use in reports. Click on the “Custom Metrics” tab and enter the following:
| Metric Name | Scope | Description | Event Parameter | Unit of measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web Vitals value | Event | The value of a web vital. Used in the LCP, FID and CLS events. | metric_value | Standard |
Other custom metric properties that we set are: metric_delta
There are more dimensions and metrics used, but that covers the core ones which we think may be of use in custom reports. To see other events that are automatically collected, refer to Tag Rocket Automatically Collected Events.
The following dimensions are no longer supported and can be removed:
Page view ID, Event ID, Core Web Vitals status, Web Vitals TTFB status, Web Vitals FCP status, Web Vitals CLS status, Web Vitals FID status, Web Vitals LCP status, Position
The following metrics are no longer supported and can be removed:
Web Vitals TTFB, Web Vitals FCP, Web Vitals CLS, Web Vitals FID, Web Vitals LCP