Google Analytics not tracking page views? Here are the fixes

Google Analytics is a powerful tool for tracking website performance, but sometimes it doesn't track page views as expected. This comprehensive guide delves into common reasons why Google Analytics might not be tracking page views and offers detailed solutions. From incorrectly configured parameters to complexities with single-page applications and broader installation issues, we cover a range of scenarios. We'll explore how to verify Google Analytics installation, troubleshoot data filters, understand the implications of consent mode, and address content security policies. Additionally, we'll discuss the critical step of ensuring the correct measurement ID is linked, providing a comprehensive resource for diagnosing and resolving page view tracking problems in Google Analytics 4. By following these steps, users can accurately capture valuable page view data, enabling better insights into website visitor behavior.

Sent Page View Parameter

One primary reason for untracked page views is the 'send page view' parameter within your Google Tag Manager container. By default, Google Analytics is designed to automatically track page views upon installation. However, if the 'send page view' parameter is set to 'false' in your Google Tag configuration, it can prevent page views from being recorded. Even with this parameter set to 'false', the Google tag will still activate and track other events automatically, but page views will be conspicuously absent from your reports.

There are two main approaches to resolve this issue:

Create an Event Tag: Develop a specific event tag configured for the 'page_view' event. This tag should be set to fire on all pages of your website. If the 'send_page_view' parameter is 'false' but this event tag is correctly implemented, your page views will still be tracked.
Remove the Parameter: Alternatively, you can simply remove the 'send_page_view' parameter set to 'false' from your Google Tag configuration. By default, with this parameter absent, Google Analytics will revert to its automatic page view tracking behavior.

If you have send page view false, and this tag is in place, then your page views will still work. But if this tag is not created then you will be missing page views.

Single Page Applications (SPAs)

Single Page Applications (SPAs) present a unique challenge for page view tracking in Google Analytics. Unlike traditional websites that reload the entire page upon navigation, SPAs dynamically load content, meaning the URL may change without a full page refresh. This often results in only the initial page view being tracked, while subsequent page navigations within the SPA are missed.

To illustrate, if you navigate through an SPA, the first page view will be registered. However, when you click on an internal link and the URL changes, but the page doesn't fully reload, Google Analytics might not automatically record that subsequent page view. This is because the standard page view tracking mechanism relies on full page loads.

Google Analytics offers an enhanced measurement setting designed to address this. To enable it, navigate to:

Google Analytics Admin
Data Streams
Select your website's data stream
Click the icon within the Enhanced Measurements section
Under "Page views", click "Show advanced settings" and enable the checkbox for "Track browser history changes as page views" (or similar wording depending on GA4 updates)
Click "Save." This setting aims to track dynamic content loads as page views.

While this built-in solution often works, some complex SPAs may require custom implementations to ensure accurate page view tracking. If the enhanced measurement setting doesn't fully resolve the issue, you might need to explore more advanced tracking solutions tailored for SPAs, often involving pushing custom events when the content changes without a full page reload.

This in theory should track those dynamic page loads as well. And on some websites, it will work fine.

Google Analytics Not Installed or Partially Installed

A fundamental reason for missing data, including page views, is the improper or incomplete installation of Google Analytics on your website. It's possible that the tracking code is present on some pages but not all, leading to gaps in your data reports. If you notice certain pages consistently lacking tracking data, this could be the culprit.

To verify the installation across your website, the Google Tag Manager Preview Mode is an invaluable tool. Enter the URL of a page where you suspect tracking is absent. If the Tag Assistant doesn't show "Connected" or displays a warning indicating that Google Tag Manager was not found, it confirms that the tracking code is not properly loaded on that specific page. In such cases, you should investigate why the code isn't firing on those particular sections of your website, which might involve checking your website's theme files, plugin configurations, or content management system settings.

Incorrectly Configured Filters

Incorrectly configured data filters in Google Analytics can significantly impact the data visible in your reports, potentially leading to the perception of missing page views or other data. Data filters are designed to include or exclude specific traffic based on criteria, such as IP addresses for internal traffic exclusions.

To check your filters, navigate to Admin > Data Filters. Here, you'll typically find one or two filters, commonly used to exclude internal traffic from your reports. A common human error occurs when a filter is accidentally set to "include only" instead of "exclude." If an internal traffic filter is set to "include only," your Google Analytics property will exclusively display data from your internal employees' traffic, effectively excluding all other website visitor data. This can drastically reduce the data observed in your reports, making it appear as though data is missing.

Always verify that your filters are configured with the correct "include" or "exclude" settings to ensure accurate and comprehensive data collection from all relevant traffic sources.

Consent Mode Implementation Issues

For websites operating within the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and other regions requiring Google Consent Mode, incorrect implementation can severely impact data collection, resulting in missing page views and other event data. Consent Mode relies on the dynamic adjustment of Google tag behavior based on user consent preferences for cookies.

When Consent Mode is properly implemented, your website should initially send a "consent default" command, setting all consent groups (e.g., ad storage, analytics storage) to "denied." Only after the visitor explicitly grants consent (e.g., by clicking an "I agree" button on a cookie consent banner) should a subsequent "consent update" command be sent. This update command should reflect the user's granted consent, setting the relevant consent groups to "granted."

When consent mode is implemented, you must first see the consent default command. And if you click it in the preview mode and then go to consent, all of those consent groups are denied. But then when the visitor gives consent for example clicks the I agree button and then on all subsequent pages there should be a consent update command where all consent groups are granted. Of course if consent is given to all consent groups.

If you observe a scenario where the "consent update" command still shows consent groups as "denied" even after the user has given consent, this is a significant problem. In such cases, Google Analytics will treat all traffic as non-consented, which prevents data modeling from accurately comparing consented and non-consented data, leading to substantial data loss in your reports. Correct Consent Mode implementation is crucial for adhering to privacy regulations and ensuring comprehensive data collection.

Content Security Policy (CSP) Restrictions

A website's Content Security Policy (CSP) can inadvertently block the execution of Google Analytics scripts and Google Tag Manager containers, preventing them from loading and thus halting data collection. CSP is a security measure implemented by web developers to control which resources (scripts, stylesheets, etc.) a user agent is allowed to load or execute. If the CSP is too restrictive, it can block Google's tracking scripts.

To determine if CSP is the cause, open your browser's developer tools (typically by right-clicking on a page and selecting "Inspect" or "More tools" > "Developer tools" in Chrome). Navigate to the "Console" tab. Look for any errors or warnings mentioning "Content Security Policy" or "CSP." These messages often indicate that a specific script or resource, such as Google Tag Manager, was blocked from loading due to the policy.

If you identify CSP as the issue, it typically requires intervention from a web developer. You will need to collaborate with them to update the website's CSP to include the necessary domains and script sources for Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics to function correctly. This usually involves adding specific directives to allow scripts from googletagmanager.com and google-analytics.com, among others, to be loaded and executed.

Incorrect Measurement ID

A common yet easily overlooked issue is an incorrect Google Analytics Measurement ID being used in your tracking setup. If the Measurement ID configured on your website or in Google Tag Manager does not match the Measurement ID of your desired Google Analytics 4 property, all data will be sent to the wrong property, or nowhere at all, resulting in missing data in your intended reports.

To verify and correct this, follow these steps:

Find your Measurement ID in Google Analytics: * Go to Google Analytics Admin. * Navigate to Data Streams. * Select your website's website data stream. * Locate the Measurement ID displayed there (e.g., G-XXXXXXXXXX).
Check the Measurement ID in your tracking setup: * If using Google Tag Manager: Open your Google Tag Manager container. Review your Google Analytics 4 Configuration Tag and any Google Analytics 4 event tags to ensure they are using the correct Measurement ID.

If not using Google Tag Manager (direct installation):

Google Analytics global site tag

If a mismatch is found, update the Measurement ID in your Google Tag Manager tags or directly in your website's source code to the correct one. This ensures that all collected data, including page views, is sent to the precise Google Analytics 4 property where you expect to see it.

Takeaways

Sender Page-View Parameter: Ensure the 'send_page_view' parameter in your Google Tag configuration is not set to 'false' if you want automatic page view tracking. Alternatively, implement an explicit 'page_view' event tag in Google Tag Manager.
Single Page Applications (SPAs): For SPAs, enable enhanced measurement to track browser history changes. If this is insufficient, custom event tracking solutions may be necessary.
Google Analytics Installation: Verify that Google Analytics is properly installed on all relevant pages of your website using Google Tag Manager Preview Mode or other verification methods.
Data Filters: Review your data filters in Google Analytics Admin to ensure they are correctly configured (e.g., "exclude" internal traffic, not "include only").
Consent Mode: If using Consent Mode, confirm that "consent update" commands correctly set consent groups to "granted" after user consent, not persistently "denied."
Content Security Policy (CSP): Check your browser's developer console for CSP errors that might block Google Analytics scripts. This typically requires developer assistance to update the policy.
Measurement ID Mismatch: Double-check that the Measurement ID used in your website's code or Google Tag Manager configuration precisely matches that of your intended Google Analytics 4 property.