How to Set Up Key Events (Conversions) in GA4

By the Mayab Media Team · Level: Beginner · Time: 30 minutes

You open GA4, look for your "Conversions" report and it isn't there. Or you see a Key events column full of zeros while leads are clearly arriving in your inbox. Both are common, and both have the same root: GA4 only counts what you tell it to count.

In 2024 Google renamed GA4 conversions to key events. The word "conversion" now belongs to Google Ads conversions, which can be built from key events. So a key event is simply an event you marked as important: a lead form, a booking, a purchase, a phone click.

Setting one up takes three things. The event must already reach GA4. You flip a star next to it. Then you test it and, if you run ads, import it into Google Ads. This guide covers each part, plus the tricks for events that don't exist yet.

Quick answer

1. Make sure the action already sends an event to GA4 (check Reports > Realtime or DebugView).
2. Go to Admin > Data display > Events and click the star next to the event to mark it as a key event.
3. If the event doesn't exist yet, use Create event to build it from an existing one (for example, page_view on your thank-you URL), then mark the new event.
4. Pick a counting method and default value if your interface offers them.
5. Test it in DebugView, then wait up to 24 hours for standard reports.
6. Optional: import the key event into Google Ads from Goals > Conversions.

Before you start

• Access: Editor role or higher on the GA4 property to mark events. To use Create event, Google lists Marketer or above.
• A working GA4 tag. If GA4 shows no data at all, fix that first with our GA4 troubleshooting guide.
• A list of your real business actions. Write them down before you click anything. Most sites need 2 to 5 key events, not 20.
• Time: about 30 minutes, plus a day of waiting for standard reports.
• Nothing to back up. Marking or unmarking a key event doesn't delete data. It only changes how future events are labeled.

Keep in mind the limit. A standard GA4 property allows 30 key events; Analytics 360 allows 50. That sounds like a lot until someone marks every scroll and click.

Pick the right events

A key event should be something you would celebrate. A good test: would you pay money for this action? A contact form, a quote request, a completed booking or a purchase pass. A page view of your homepage does not.

Business type	Good key events	Usually not a key event
Lead generation	generate_lead, form submit, phone link click	scroll, file download of a brochure
E-commerce	purchase	view_item, add_to_cart (keep as events)
Bookings	booking_complete or the thank-you page view	opening the booking engine
Content	newsletter sign_up	page views, time on page

Google may mark some events for you. purchase is a key event by default. If Google Ads is linked with ads personalization on, events like add_to_cart can be marked too. Review the list and unstar what you don't want.

Step 1: Confirm the event reaches GA4

You can't mark an event GA4 has never received. So first, perform the action yourself.

Open your site, submit the form or click the phone link, then go to Reports > Realtime. Scroll to the Event count by Event name card. Your event should appear within a minute or two.

For a clearer view, use Admin > DebugView with Tag Assistant connected. Each event shows up in a timeline with its parameters. That is where you confirm the event name is spelled the way you expect. GA4 event names are case sensitive, so Generate_Lead and generate_lead are two different events.

Figure 1. Submit the form yourself, then look for the event name in Realtime. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. Your test event. If it is missing here, it is a tagging problem, not a key event problem.

If you track forms with Google Tag Manager, set that up first with our form tracking guide. Then come back here.

Step 2: Mark an existing event as a key event

This is the most common path.

1. Click Admin (the gear at the bottom left).
2. Under Data display, click Events.
3. On the Recent events tab, find your event. You can also search for it.
4. Click the star in the key event column. It turns solid.

That's it. GA4 starts counting the event as a key event from now on. It does not rewrite history, so last month's form fills won't suddenly appear as key events.

Figure 2. Click the star to mark the event. Create event is for events that don't exist yet. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. The star toggles the key event on or off.
2. Create event builds a new event from an existing one (Step 3).

New events can take up to a day to appear in this list. If you just started sending one, it may not be there yet. In that case open the Key events tab. If you see a New key event button, type the exact event name there and GA4 will count it once the event arrives. If not, wait a day and star it.

Step 3: Create a key event from a thank-you page

Many sites have no special event for a lead. They only have a thank-you page. You can turn a page view of that URL into its own event and mark that.

1. Go to Admin > Data display > Events.
2. Click Create event, then Create.
3. Name it, for example generate_lead. Use letters, numbers and underscores only.
4. Under Matching conditions, add: - event_name equals page_view - page_location contains /thank-you
5. Leave Copy parameters from the source event checked so you keep page details.
6. Click Create.
7. Wait for the new event to come in, then star it. Or add it by name on the Key events tab if your interface allows it.

Figure 3. A page view of the thank-you URL becomes a new generate_lead event. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. The new event name. Pick one name and use it everywhere.
2. The URL condition. Make it specific enough that only the real thank-you page matches.
3. Save. The new event fires on the next matching page view.

A word of caution. If people can reach the thank-you page by refreshing it or from a bookmark, you'll count those as leads. Make the URL hard to reach without submitting the form, or use a real form event instead.

Step 4: Set the counting method and value

Some key events let you choose how often they count and what they are worth. Where these options appear depends on how you created the key event and may change. Look under Admin > Data display > Events, open the Key events tab, then open the event's settings (the three-dot menu or the event row).

• Counting method. "Once per event" counts every occurrence. "Once per session" counts at most one per visit. For lead forms, once per session stops a double-click from becoming two leads. For purchases, count every event.
• Default key event value. A fallback value used when the event doesn't send its own value parameter. If a lead is worth roughly a set amount to you, add it here with your currency.

Figure 4. Once per session keeps duplicate form fills from inflating lead counts. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. Your key events and how each one counts.
2. The counting method for this event. The value shown is an example, not a benchmark.

If your interface doesn't show these settings, don't worry. The defaults work for most sites.

Step 5: Send the key event to Google Ads (optional)

If you run Google Ads, you'll want this key event to drive bidding. You do that by creating a Google Ads conversion from it.

First, link the accounts. In GA4 go to Admin > Product links > Google Ads links and link your Ads account. You need admin access in Google Ads and Editor in GA4.

Then, in Google Ads:

1. Open Goals > Conversions > Summary.
2. Click + Create conversion action (the label may read New conversion action).
3. Choose Import, then Google Analytics 4 properties, then Web.
4. Select your key event and click Import and continue.

Figure 5. Only key events show up for import, so mark the event in GA4 first. Illustration of the screen. Labels can differ slightly in your account.

1. Tick the key event you want as a conversion.
2. Import. Then set it as Primary or Secondary in the conversion settings.

Choose carefully. If you already track the same lead with a Google Ads conversion tag, importing the GA4 version as Primary too will double count. Keep one as Primary and the other as Secondary. For the tag-based method, see our Google Ads conversion tracking guide.

Still not working? Common causes

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
The event isn't in the Recent events list	GA4 hasn't received it yet, or it's new (list updates within a day)	Check Realtime or DebugView. Wait a day, or add it by name on the Key events tab if offered.
Key event shows 0 in reports	Reports lag up to 24 hours, or you marked it after the action	Wait a day. Remember marking doesn't apply to past data.
Key event count is double the leads	Two events for one action (enhanced measurement form_submit plus a GTM event)	Mark only one. Unstar the duplicate.
Count far higher than real leads	Thank-you page refreshes, or a trigger firing on failed submissions	Use "once per session" or a stricter trigger. Test a failed submit.
Generate_Lead and generate_lead both appear	Inconsistent case in the event name	Fix the tag so only one name is sent. Mark the correct one.
Created event never appears	Matching condition never true (typo, wrong operator)	Check the URL in DebugView's page_location and match it exactly.
Key event missing from Google Ads import	Accounts not linked, or key event too new	Link under Product links. Wait for the event to collect data.
Numbers differ between GA4 and Google Ads	Different attribution models, windows and counting	Expected. Compare trends, not exact totals.
Key events drop sharply in some countries	Consent banner denying analytics storage	Review Consent Mode v2.

Enhanced measurement form events are messy

GA4's enhanced measurement can send form_submit automatically. It can't tell a successful submission from a failed one, and it sometimes misses AJAX forms entirely. It also fires for search boxes and newsletter widgets. Marking the generic form_submit as a key event is usually a mistake. Create a specific event instead.

You hit the 30 key event limit

Unstar events nobody uses for decisions. Unstarring stops future counting. Data already collected still shows as key events in reports.

How to confirm it's fixed

1. Trigger the action yourself. Use a test email so the sales team knows to ignore it.
2. Watch DebugView. In Admin > DebugView, key events appear with a distinct icon (labels and colors may vary). Click it and check the parameters.
3. Check Realtime. Key event counts show up within minutes.
4. Wait 24 to 48 hours and open Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition. Select your key event in the Key events column dropdown. You should see your test.
5. In Google Ads, the imported conversion shows a status on the Summary page. A new import can sit in an unverified or "no recent conversions" state for a day or more. That is normal.

Compare a week of key events against what really happened (form emails, CRM records, orders). A small gap is normal because of consent and ad blockers. A big gap means a trigger problem.

FAQ

Is a key event the same as a conversion?

In GA4, yes. Google renamed conversions to key events in 2024. "Conversions" now refers to Google Ads conversions, which you can create from key events.

Will my old conversion data move to key events?

Events you had already marked as conversions became key events automatically. Data stays in place. Only the label changed.

Can I mark an event as a key event retroactively?

No. Marking an event only affects data from that point forward. Past events stay as plain events.

How many key events should I have?

Most sites do well with 2 to 5. Pick the actions that represent real business value. Keep micro-actions like scrolls as regular events.

Why doesn't my key event appear in the Google Ads import list?

The GA4 and Google Ads accounts must be linked, and the key event needs some recent data. Also check that you're importing from the right GA4 property.

Stuck on this one? We fix these for clients every week. Book a free audit

Sources

• support.google.com: /analytics/answer/13128484
• support.google.com: /analytics/answer/9355848
• support.google.com: /analytics/answer/9216061
• support.google.com: /analytics/answer/10071811
• relevantaudience.com: /analytics/ga4-key-events-guide/