Google Analytics Tracking Guide for Online Booking

When connected to Google Analytics, Meevo's Online Booking will automatically track user actions like viewing a service and completing a booking. This article dives into the data that gets is tracked automatically with Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Note: For details on how you can extend tracking with Google Tag Manager (GTM), and what you need to know if you're running ads on platforms like Google or Facebook, see our Using Meevo with Google Tag Manager Guide.

What’s tracked automatically (GA4)

After you enter your GA4 Measurement ID into Online Booking Settings, Meevo begins sending data from the client-facing site into your GA4 property. You do not have to make any manual adjustments to tags or code!

GA4 "general" events automatically tracked by Google

The following events are collected by Google Analytics 4 automatically when Enhanced Measurement is enabled in your GA4 property.

Note: To enable Enhanced Measurement in Google Analytics, go to Admin > Data Streams > Enhanced Measurement.

These events are not specific to Meevo or Online Booking, but will be part of your tracking data:

Event Name	Auto-Collected	What It Does
page_view	Yes	Captures every page load on the site.
scroll	Yes	Fires when a user scrolls to 90% of the page height.
session_start	Yes	Triggers when a new session begins.
first_visit	Yes	Fires the first time a user visits your site.
user_engagement	Yes	Captures session engagement (for example, "time on page").
click	Yes	Tracks clicks on outbound links to other domains.

Online Booking events sent by Meevo

Online Booking goes beyond default GA4 tracking by firing additional events that detail out the customer journey. These events are visible in GA4's Events and Engagement reports and can be used for funnel analysis, remarketing, and ROI measurement.

Event Name	When It Fires	What It Helps You Analyze
ui_action	User clicked Login or menu items in the hamburger menu.	General customer behavior
form_start	User landed on Login page.	Returning customer behavior
login	User signs into their account.	Returning customer behavior
select_content	Service category or employee selected.	What services and employees people engage with most
add_to_cart	Service added to booking.	Service interest and cart building
purchase	Booking is successfully completed.	Revenue and booking conversion tracking
remove_from_cart	Service removed from the booking.	Friction or booking reconsideration

How to set up a Booking Funnel in GA4

Funnel Exploration is one of the most powerful tools in GA4. It helps you visualize how users move through key steps, like starting a booking, adding a service, and completing a purchase.

Use Booking Funnels to:

Identify where users drop off in your booking flow.
Compare performance across service categories, devices, or locations.
Monitor funnel conversion rates over time.

To set up a Booking Funnel

Go to GA4 > Explore > Funnel Exploration.
Click Blank to start a new report.

In the Steps section, build a funnel like this:

Step Name	Event Name
Selected Service Category	`select_content`
Selected Service Provider	`select_content`
Added a Service and Reached Checkout	`add_to_cart`
Completed Booking	`purchase`

Under Segment comparisons, optionally add:
- Device type (desktop vs mobile)
- Service category (if you're tracking it as a parameter)
- Referral source (e.g., Google Ads vs Direct)
Click Apply and view the results!

Setup tips

Use Open funnel if users can skip steps (for example, some go straight to checkout)
Use Trended funnel to track how conversion rates change over time
Compare user segments (for example, new vs returning users, campaign A vs B)

To view these Events in GA4

Reports > Engagement > Events provides an overview of all tracked events.
Reports > Monetization > Ecommerce purchases displays booking revenue and conversion details.
Explore > Funnel or Path exploration is a deep-dive into drop-offs and user behavior.
DebugView offers live testing during the booking flow (great for validation).

Understanding Your Booking Data

Once you’ve connected GA4 (and optionally GTM, described further below) to your Online Booking site, you’ll begin collecting valuable data about how people engage with your services, providers, and booking flow. But this data is only useful if you know what to look for.

Use this section to interpret common events and identify opportunities to improve your conversions.

Common booking events and what they tell you

Event	What It Indicates	What to Watch For
`select_content`	Service category or employee selected	Service Categories or employees with high clicks but low bookings
`add_to_cart`	Service added to booking	Frequent adds but low purchases
`remove_from_cart`	User removed a service	High removal rate = hesitation or confusion
`purchase`	Booking completed	Low conversion rate from checkout

How can I see how many clients are visiting my pages?

Determining how many clients are visiting your pages isn't as simple as just counting pageviews. To track how many users are visiting your Online Booking site, use the Engagement > Pages and screens report in GA4. This shows:

Users: Unique visitors (based on device/browser)
Views: Total pageviews, including repeats
Average engagement time: How long users spend on each page

How can I tell which clients are new and which are returning?

GA4 uses browser/device and Google signals to estimate this. It may not be perfect, but it’s consistent and reliable for trend analysis.

There are two options for viewing new vs returning users; they both provide a more detailed look at how many new vs repeat users are viewing or interacting with Online Booking.

Option 1: User Attributes Report

Go to Reports > User > Tech > User Attributes.
Add a "Dimension: new/returning" filter or comparison. This will show user counts split between
- New users (first-time visitors)
- Returning users (visitors who've been to your site before)

Option 2: Explorations

Go to Explore > Free Form.
Drag in the following elements:
- Dimension: new/returning
- Metrics: Users, Sessions, Views

How do I identify the services that clients are booking most frequently?

To do this, you'll need to view historical item_name values tied to the purchase event over a large sample size. Each completed booking includes an items[] array with service names.

Option 1: Using Free Form

Go to Explore > Free Form, and use item_name as a row.
Filter by Event name = purchase.
This shows which services were booked most often, with optional metrics like quantity and price.

Option 2: Standard Reporting

Go to Reports > Ecommerce Purchases.
Use Item name as your dimension
This allows you to view metrics like Item added to cart, Items purchased, and Item revenue.

How do I measure client drop-off points in the booking process?

To identify drop-off points in the booking flow, use the Funnel Exploration tool in GA4 (see above for setup instructions).

Once the funnel is created, you can interpret the data as follows:

A high drop-off between select_content and add_to_cart and may mean your services aren't clear or compelling.
Drop-offs from add_to_cart to purchase might signal checkout hesitancy.
A sudden spike in completions after a change could indicate a successful optimization (like better descriptions or clearer pricing).

Tip: Use Trended Funnel to monitor progress over time and spot improvements after changes.

Online Booking Event Reference Table

Event Name	When It Fires	GA4 Tracked	GTM-Ready	Sample Parameters
ui_action	User clicks Login or hamburger menu options.	Yes	Yes	action
form_start	User landed on the login page.	Yes	Yes	form_destination
login	User logs into their account.	Yes	Optional	—
select_content	Service category or employee selected in booking flow.	Yes	Yes	item_id, content_type
add_to_cart	Service added to booking.	Yes	Yes	item_id, item_name, price
purchase	Booking is completed.	Yes	Yes	transaction_id, item_id, item_name, price
remove_from_cart	Service removed from booking, for example by selecting "Back."	Yes	Yes	item_id, item_name