How to Track Custom GA4 Click Events

March 21, 2025

This post shows you how to track button and link clicks using Google Tag Manager and send that data to GA4, because GA4 doesn’t make that easy by default. It’s a practical guide for marketers who want to understand what’s actually working on their site without wading through data chaos.

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If you’ve ever stared blankly at your GA4 dashboard wondering, “Why can’t I just see who clicked my damn button?” you’re not alone. Today, we’re breaking down how to track button or link clicks (ie: custom GA4 click events) using Google Tag Manager (GTM) and send them over to Google Analytics 4.

Yes, it’s possible.
Yes, it’s worth doing.
No, you don’t need a PhD in data science.

This guide is based on a real project (…the very site that you’re on!). Because like every good digital strategist, I’ve been meaning to set this up for myself for far too long. Cobbler. Shoes. You get it.

For the long version, watch the video. If you want the short version, let’s dive in.

What GA4 Tracks by Default

First stop: Google Analytics. When you log in and head over to Reports → Engagement → Events, you’ll see a bunch of auto-collected stuff. GA4 calls this Enhanced Measurement, and it tries to track things like scrolls, outbound clicks, video views, and pageviews out of the box.

That’s cute and all, but it’s limited. If you want real insights (like which CTA is actually pulling its weight), you need to add your own custom events.

Step 1: Set Up Click Tracking in Google Tag Manager

This is where GTM comes in. It’s the tool that lets you say:

“Hey, when someone clicks this button, I want to know about it.”

To do that, we’ll set up a trigger in GTM for clicks and a tag to send that data to GA4. Here’s a rough outline:

Create a New Trigger

Choose “Click – All Elements” or “Click – Just Links” depending on what you’re tracking. Filter it down using classes, IDs, or URLs to avoid a click data tsunami.

Preview and Test

Use GTM’s Preview mode to test your setup. Click the thing. See what fires. Confirm you’re not accidentally tracking every menu link in your nav bar.

Create a GA4 Event Tag

Fire this tag when the trigger activates. Give it a clear name (e.g. cta_click or download_button).
Pro tip: consistency matters if you want your reports to make sense.

Publish and Done

Ship it. Then breathe. You just made your analytics smarter.

Step 2: Set Up Custom Dimensions in GA4 (So You Can Actually Use the Data)

Creating the tag in GTM is only half the job. To see the full value in GA4 reports, you’ll want to register any custom parameters (like link_text, link_url, etc.) as custom dimensions. Otherwise, they won’t show up in your standard reports.

Here’s how to do that:

  1. Go to Admin → Custom Definitions → Create Custom Dimensions.
  2. Use the exact name of the parameter you passed in GTM (case-sensitive!).
  3. Set the scope to Event.
  4. Save it, and then wait a day or two for GA4 to start collecting data.

Now when you click around in the Explore reports or build funnels, you can break things down by which link or button was clicked, not just that something was clicked.

Bonus Tip: Name Events Like You Actually Want to Read Them Later

GA4 lets you name your events, so do yourself (and your future self) a favor. Use lowercase, underscores, and names that are actually descriptive.
cta_click is better than event123. Trust me on this one.

Wrapping It Up

Click tracking isn’t just for data nerds, it’s for marketers who want clarity. GA4 may not hand you that clarity out of the box, but with a little GTM elbow grease, it’s absolutely possible to build the reports you actually care about.

And if all this still feels like too much?
We can help with that.

With Sitelogic.app, we help marketers cut through the noise and make GA4 actually useful. You’re welcome to reach out with questions as you get set up. We’re a friendly bunch.