Guide · Tracking
Building Funnel Event Tracking in Google Analytics
Track six moments, from landing visit to retained account, with one event per moment, sent from the most reliable place for each. Then mark the ones that matter as key events and build a closed funnel report you can test end to end.
Step 1: List the moments and their sources
Write one row per funnel stage with the event name and where the event is sent from. Browser events are easy to add but miss confirmations; server events are reliable but need developer time. Use the server wherever money or identity is involved.
| Stage | Event name | Sent from |
|---|---|---|
| Landing visit | Session start on the landing page (automatic) | Browser |
| Registration form steps | reg_form_view, reg_form_start, reg_form_error | Browser |
| Registration | sign_up, with method | Server or confirmation page |
| Verification | kyc_passed, kyc_failed, kyc_pending | Server |
| First-time deposit | first_deposit | Server, after payment confirmation |
| Retained account | Built in reports from return activity | Reports, not a live event |
sign_up is one of Google Analytics' recommended events, described as "A user signs up for a new account." The verification and deposit names above are this site's suggestions; use any consistent lowercase names.
Step 2: Keep personal and payment data out of analytics
Never send names, email addresses, document numbers, card details or deposit amounts tied to a person in event parameters. Send a status and, where you need to join records, a random internal identifier that cannot be reversed. Error events should name the field that failed, never the value typed.
Step 3: Mark key events
Google Analytics defines a key event as "an event that measures an action that's particularly important to the success of your business." Mark sign_up, kyc_passed and first_deposit as key events. A conversion for advertising "is created from a Google Analytics event," so decide separately whether any of these should become ad conversions, and record that decision.
Step 4: Build a closed funnel exploration
In a funnel exploration you "can define up to 10 steps." Choose a closed funnel, where "users must enter the funnel in the first step," with steps for the landing visit, form view, form start, sign_up, kyc_passed and first_deposit. Turn on elapsed time to see the "average time elapsed between funnel steps," which helps spot slow verification. Filter the first step to sessions whose source is organic search.
Step 5: Test one full path in each market
- Search for a page of yours, click the organic result and land.
- Register a test account, pass verification and make a test deposit where your payment team allows it.
- Check that each event arrived once, in order, with the organic source still attached.
- Repeat on a phone and on any separate domain or app the path uses.
If the source changes partway, the path crosses a domain or app boundary that analytics does not follow. The mobile funnel paper lists the usual handoff points.
Step 6: Document the setup
Keep a short tracking document: event names, sources, parameters, key events, consent behavior and the date each changed. When a rate moves, this document is the first place to look.
Step 7: Recheck after every release
Registration and cashier releases are the most common cause of broken funnels. Add the full-path test from step 5 to the release checklist for those areas.
Checklist
- Every stage has one event and one named source.
- No personal or payment data in parameters.
- sign_up, kyc_passed and first_deposit marked as key events.
- Closed funnel exploration filtered to organic search.
- Full path tested on desktop, mobile and any app in each market.
Questions
Do verification events belong in analytics at all?
A status without personal details, such as passed, failed or pending, is enough to measure the stage. Keep documents and identity data in your verification system only.
Should the retained stage be a live event?
No. Build it in reports from return activity using a written definition, as the retention paper explains. A live "retained" event would depend on a period that has not ended yet.
Why use a closed funnel rather than an open one?
Registration and deposits should only happen after earlier steps. A closed funnel exposes users who appear mid-funnel, which usually means a tracking gap.
Sources
Each source was read on October 27, 2026. How we choose sources is set out on the sources and reading list page.
- Google Analytics developer documentation, Recommended events, last updated May 29, 2026.
- Google Analytics Help, Conversions vs. key events in Google Analytics, no date shown.
- Google Analytics Help, [GA4] Funnel exploration, no date shown.