Advanced Google Analytics (v4)

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:information_source: Summary Advanced Google Analytics 4 event tracking for Discourse
:hammer_and_wrench: Repository Link https://github.com/multidimension-al/discourse-google-analytics
:open_book: Install Guide How to install plugins in Discourse

Discourse core sends Google Analytics a single page_view per navigation. This plugin adds events for reading time, reading progress and completion, and can optionally take ownership of page views so private message and admin routes are excluded.

WHY NOT USE THE BUILT IN SEO/GA ANALYTICS TAG?

You can, and for a lot of forums it is enough. Core’s tag works, and this plugin runs on top of it rather than replacing it.

The difference is what gets measured. A page_view tells you a URL was loaded. It cannot tell you whether anyone read what was on it, so a twenty minute read of a long topic and an instant bounce look identical in your reports. This plugin measures how long someone actually read, how far through the topic they got, and whether they reached the end. Those are the signals worth making content decisions on, and the ones that make a remarketing audience worth building.

Discourse’s own reports (Admin → Reports) are a separate system and stay the best place for internal metrics. This is only about what reaches Google Analytics.

Features

  • 13 community events: topic views, engagement and reading-progress milestones, read completion, per-visit summaries, search, registration, login, topic creation, replies, likes, bookmarks
  • Reading measured against the post stream and attentive time, not scroll depth
  • Two modes: extend core’s existing tag, or own the tag and page views
  • Private messages, restricted categories and admin routes produce no event
  • Topic titles and search terms off by default
  • Staff traffic markable as GA4 internal traffic, by group
  • Diagnostics page and admin dashboard warnings for misconfiguration

Configuration

1. Install

hooks:
  after_code:
    - exec:
        cd: $home/plugins
        cmd:
          - git clone https://github.com/multidimension-al/discourse-google-analytics.git

Then ./launcher rebuild app.

2. Pick a mode. Admin → Settings → Google Analytics 4.

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Core Extension (default) — core keeps the tag and page views, the plugin adds events on top. Set core’s ga universal tracking code to your G-XXXXXXXXXX and ga version to v4_gtag.

Managed — the plugin owns the tag and page views, which is what lets it exclude PM and admin routes. Clear core’s ga universal tracking code, set ga4 integration mode to managed, and put your ID in ga4 measurement id.

3. Turn on discourse ga4 enabled.

4. Optional — internal traffic. ga4 internal traffic groups defaults to admins and moderators. It only takes effect once you create the matching filter in GA4 under Admin → Data settings → Data filters → Internal traffic, matching traffic_type equals internal.

5. Verify. Admin → Plugins → Google Analytics → Diagnostics.

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To move an existing setup from Core Extension to Managed, use Adopt existing Discourse GA configuration on the Diagnostics page rather than editing settings by hand.

Settings

Name Description
discourse ga4 enabled Enable the plugin. Off by default.
ga4 integration mode core_extension (core owns the tag) or managed (the plugin owns it).
ga4 measurement id GA4 Measurement ID, for managed mode.
ga4 track page views Send page_view. Managed mode only.
ga4 track topic views Send discourse_topic_view once per topic visit.
ga4 track topic engagement Send discourse_topic_engaged at reading-time milestones.
ga4 engagement milestones Seconds of active reading at which to fire. Default 10|30|60|180.
ga4 track topic progress Send discourse_topic_progress at reading-position milestones.
ga4 progress milestones Percentages of the topic at which to fire. Default 25|50|75|100.
ga4 track read completion Send discourse_topic_read_complete when a reader reaches the end.
ga4 read complete min seconds Minimum reading time before the end counts as completion.
ga4 track read summaries Send discourse_topic_read_summary when a reader leaves a topic.
ga4 read summary min seconds Below this, a visit is treated as a bounce and not summarised.
ga4 track search Send search when a full-page search returns results.
ga4 track registration Send sign_up after an account is created.
ga4 track login Send login after a successful sign-in. Off by default.
ga4 track topic creation Send discourse_topic_created.
ga4 track replies Send discourse_reply_created.
ga4 track likes Send discourse_post_liked. Removing a like sends nothing.
ga4 track bookmarks Send discourse_bookmark_created.
ga4 send search terms Also send what was searched for. Off by default — forum searches often contain personal information.
ga4 send page titles Include the page title. Off by default — on a topic route this is the topic title.
ga4 track private message activity One aggregate PM event carrying no identifiers. Off by default.
ga4 login required is restricted On a login-required forum, withhold topic and category identifiers.
ga4 send trust level Include trust level 0–4 as an event parameter.
ga4 internal traffic groups Members of these groups are marked traffic_type=internal. Default: admins, moderators.
ga4 suppress in embed Send nothing in embed mode.
ga4 debug mode Log events and suppression decisions to the browser console.

Notes

  • In Core Extension mode core still owns page views, so PM URLs and topic titles are still sent. Only Managed mode changes that.
  • Don’t register topic_id as a GA4 custom dimension — it’s unbounded and will hit the property’s cardinality limits.
  • Discourse’s own Admin → Reports → Trending Search records click-through, so it tells you which searches failed. GA4 can’t. That’s why ga4 send search terms is off by default.
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