Unlike other platforms (Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest), Google Analytics 4's Measurement Protocol does not provide automatic validation of your API credentials. This means you need to manually verify that your connection is working correctly by checking if events appear in your GA4 property.
This guide will walk you through the verification process step-by-step.
Quick Verification Method (Recommended)
Step 1: Trigger a Test Event
The easiest way to verify your connection is to trigger a real event from your store:
1. Visit your online store
2. View a product page
3. Add an item to cart
4. These actions will send events to GA4 through TrackBee
Step 2: Check GA4 Realtime Reports
Open Google Analytics 4
Go to analytics.google.com
Select your property
Navigate to Realtime Reports
Click Reports in the left sidebar
Click Realtime
Look for Events
Scroll down to the "Event count by Event name" card
Look for these TrackBee events:
■ page_view
■ view_item
■ add_to_cart
■ begin_checkout
■ purchase
Verify Event Appearance
✅ Events appear within 1-2 minutes → Your connection is working!
❌ No events after 5 minutes → See troubleshooting below
Troubleshooting: Events Not Appearing
If events don't appear in GA4 Realtime reports after 5 minutes, check the following:
Step 1: Verify Your Measurement ID
Your Measurement ID should:
Start with G- (e.g., G-XXXXXXXXXX)
Be exactly as shown in GA4
To find your Measurement ID:
1. In GA4, click Admin (gear icon)
2. Click Data Streams under "Data collection and modification"
3. Click on your web stream
4. The Measurement ID is shown at the top right
Step 2: Verify Your API Secret
Your API Secret should:
Be a long string of letters and numbers
Match exactly what you created in GA4
Not contain any extra spaces
To verify/recreate your API Secret:
In GA4, click Admin (gear icon)
Click Data Streams → [Your Stream]
Scroll down and click Measurement Protocol API secrets
You'll see your existing secrets (but cannot view their values)
If unsure, click Create to make a new secret
Give it a nickname (e.g., "TrackBee")
Copy the secret value immediately (you won't be able to see it again)
Update it in TrackBee
In Google Analytics 4, click the Admin (gear icon) in the bottom left
Under "Data display", click DebugView
You'll see real-time event information with all parameters
Step 3: Verify Event Details
Check that events include:
Event name (e.g., add_to_cart, purchase)
All tracking parameters (UTM, ad platform IDs)
Session information
Product details
Understanding the Difference: Realtime vs. Standard Reports
Realtime Reports
Show data from the last 30 minutes
Update every few seconds
Best for immediate verification
Located: Reports → Realtime
Standard Reports
Show data from the previous day and earlier
Updated once per day (usually by noon)
Best for long-term analysis
Located: Reports → Various sections
Important: Just because events don't appear in standard reports immediately doesn't mean your connection is broken. Always check Realtime reports first!
Common Questions
Q: Why can't TrackBee automatically validate my GA4 connection?
A: Google Analytics 4's Measurement Protocol always returns a successful response (204 status code) even if your credentials are incorrect. This is a design choice by Google to prevent exposing information about which credentials are valid. The only way to verify is by checking if events actually appear in your GA4 reports.
Q: I see events in Realtime but they show as "(not set)" for source/medium
A: This is normal for server-side events. To get proper attribution:
1. Make sure the TrackBee tracking script is installed on your website
2. The script connects server-side events with client-side session data
3. Attribution data will appear in standard reports after 24-48 hours
Q: How long should I wait before contacting support?
A: Follow this timeline:
5 minutes: If no events in Realtime, double-check your credentials
10 minutes: If still no events, try recreating your API secret
24 hours: If events don't appear in standard reports, this is normal
48 hours: If still no data in standard reports, contact support
Q: Can I use the same GA4 property for multiple stores?
A: Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Each store should have its own GA4 property
Q: What events does TrackBee send to GA4?
page_view - When someone views any page
view_item - When someone views a product
add_to_cart - When someone adds a product to cart
begin_checkout - When someone starts checkout
add_payment_info - When someone enters payment info
purchase - When an order is completed
Completion
Congratulations! You have now verified your Google Analytics 4 connection in TrackBee. If you have any other questions regarding this, our support team is here to help. Reach out to us for a smooth and secure update to your payment details.