1. Understand the building blocks
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is Google's current analytics platform. It collects events - things like a page view or a button click - and lets you see how people use your product. A consent banner lets visitors choose what data you can store. When you pair the two, you respect privacy laws and build trust with users.
Before you touch any settings, answer three questions with your team:
- Which actions do you need to measure right now? Keep the list short (for example: account created, plan upgraded, help article viewed).
- Who needs to see the numbers? Note the stakeholders so you can send them updates once GA4 is ready.
- What happens if someone says "no" to optional cookies? Plan a fallback that still lets them use the product.
2. Map the events you actually need
Open a spreadsheet and create four columns: event name, why it matters, who owns it, and whether it requires consent. Fill it in together. Most new teams start with five to seven events. If you are unsure, begin with core lifecycle steps like sign-ups and first feature use.
Label each event as either "Essential" (works without extra consent) or "Optional" (loads only after the user accepts analytics cookies). This simple label keeps conversations honest and avoids collecting more than you need.
3. Configure GA4 and your consent banner
Once the list is ready, it is time to set up the tools:
- Create a GA4 property (or reuse your existing one) and note the Measurement ID. Install the GA4 tag through Google Tag Manager (GTM) or directly on your site.
- Wire up consent mode. Most consent platforms, including Silktide and Cookiebot, let you send "granted" or "denied" states to GA4. Make sure GA4 only fires when analytics consent is granted.
- Send your first events. Start with page_view and one custom event (for example
account_created). Use GA4's debug view to confirm the events appear with the right parameters.
If something looks off, pause and fix it before adding more events. Slow, deliberate setup saves time later.
4. Test the experience end to end
Open your site in an incognito browser window and run through these checks:
- Decline optional cookies and confirm that GA4 does not record your custom events.
- Accept analytics cookies and check that the events appear in GA4 for the same session.
- Review the consent banner copy. Is it clear what data you are collecting and why?
Take screenshots of each step. They make it easy to show your team, legal partner, or leadership what you launched.
5. Share a simple follow-up plan
Wrap up by letting stakeholders know how you will keep things tidy:
- Pick a monthly reminder to review the event list and remove anything you no longer use.
- Track questions from customers about privacy so you can improve the banner language.
- Decide who updates the GA4 property if you launch a new feature.
These small routines show that privacy-first analytics is not a one-time project - it is a habit.