When your GA4 numbers look wrong, it’s rarely a mystery. Most tracking problems fall into a handful of common causes. Use this guide to work through the most likely culprits.
“My Traffic Suddenly Dropped”
- Check if a recent website change removed or broke your GTM code
- Confirm the GA4 tag is still firing using GTM Preview mode
- Check if a cookie consent banner is now blocking tracking by default
- Look for a change in how visitors reach your site, like a paused ad campaign
“My Key Events Are Not Showing Up”
- Confirm the event is marked as a key event in GA4 Admin settings
- Check that the underlying event is actually firing in DebugView
- Remember new key events can take up to 24 hours to appear in standard reports
“My Numbers Do Not Match Another Tool”
- Check that both tools are using the exact same date range and time zone
- Remember GA4 and other tools often count sessions or users differently
- Check for duplicate tags, which can inflate GA4 numbers specifically
“My Reports Look Empty”
- Double check you are looking at the correct GA4 property
- Confirm the date range at the top of the report is set correctly
- Verify data collection was actually turned on and has had time to populate
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to check if tracking is broken right now?
Open the Realtime report and browse your own site in another tab. If your visit does not show up within a minute or two, something is broken.
I have tried everything on this list and it is still broken. Now what?
Some tracking issues need a deeper look at your specific setup. That is exactly the kind of thing we help clients fix.
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Tell us what looks wrong and we will help you track down the cause.