GA4 standard events consist of automatically collected events, enhanced measurement, and recommended events, designed to track user interactions without custom coding. Key standard events

include page_viewsession_startclickscroll, and ecommerce actions like view_item and purchase. These are categorized into general, ecommerce, and industry-specific types.

1. Automatically Collected Events (No Setup Required)
These events are collected by default simply by installing the GA4 tag.

  • first_visit: User’s first visit to the site or app.
  • session_start: When a user engages with the app or site to start a new session.
  • page_view: Triggered when a user views a page (vital for web tracking).

2. Enhanced Measurement Events (Toggle in Admin)
These provide common interaction tracking without additional coding, enabled under ‘Enhanced Measurement’ in GA4 settings.

  • scroll: Triggered when a user scrolls to the bottom of a page.
  • click: Fired when a user clicks a link leading away from the current site.
  • view_search_results: Fired when a user performs a search on your site.
  • video_start / video_progress / video_complete: Measures embedded video engagement.
  • file_download: Triggered when a file is clicked for download.

3. Recommended Events (Categorized by Function)
These events are recommended by Google for specific business types for better report utilization.

  • All Propertiesloginsharesign_upsearch.
  • Ecommerce/Retailview_itemview_item_listselect_itemadd_to_cartremove_from_cartview_cartbegin_checkoutadd_shipping_infoadd_payment_infopurchaserefund.
  • Gameslevel_startlevel_endlevel_uppost_scoreunlock_achievement.
  • Lead Generationgenerate_leadqualify_leaddisqualify_lead.

4. Key Events (Formerly Conversions)
Any standard or custom event can be marked as a Key Event (or conversion) in the GA4 interface to track critical actions like purchase or sign_up.

It is recommended to use snake_case (e.g., event_name) for all custom events to ensure consistency with GA4 standard naming conventions.