How to check that Google Analytics 4 is collecting data
Three quick ways to check that GA4 is working on your site, Realtime, DebugView and your browser's network tab, plus the five most common reasons it isn't.
The quickest check: open your site in one tab and GA4's Reports → Realtime overview in another. If you appear within a minute or two, GA4 is collecting data. If you don't, the cause is almost always an ad blocker, a cookie banner, a wrong Measurement ID or a tag that isn't on the page.
1. Realtime
In Google Analytics, open Reports → Realtime overview.
In another tab (ideally a private window with no ad blocker), open your site and click to a second page.
Within a minute or two you should see at least one user in the last 30 minutes, and your pages in the list.
2. DebugView, for events
DebugView shows each event as it arrives, which helps when you're setting up signups or purchases.
- Install Google's Tag Assistant or open your site through it: enter your site's address and choose Connect.
- In GA4, open Admin → Data display → DebugView.
- Use your site: page views, clicks and your own events appear in a timeline within seconds.
3. Your browser's network tab
- Open your site, then your browser's developer tools (F12, or ⌥⌘I on a Mac) → Network.
- Type
collectin the filter box and reload the page. - You should see requests to
google-analytics.com/g/collectwith yourG-…ID in them. If there are none, the tag isn't running.
Not showing up? The usual reasons
| Reason | How to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| An ad blocker or privacy browser | Try a private window with extensions off, or another browser | Nothing to fix: those visitors aren't counted, by design |
| The cookie banner | Did you accept cookies on your own site? | Accept, then reload. With Consent Mode, declined visits aren't counted the same way |
| A wrong Measurement ID | Compare the G-… in your page source with Admin → Data streams | Paste the right ID |
| The tag isn't on every page | View the page source (Ctrl/⌘ U) and search for gtag | Put the tag in the shared layout or header |
| Your internal traffic filter is active | Admin → Data filters → is "Internal Traffic" Active? | Expected: your own visits are excluded on purpose |
If you just added GA4, give standard reports a few hours: only Realtime is immediate. Why GA4 data is delayed.
Related
Sources
- Google: Realtime report
- Google: Monitor events in DebugView
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Set up Google Analytics 4 in about five minutes: create an account and property, add a web stream, and put the Google tag on every page of your site.
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