Tracking plan template: Decide what to measure before you tag anything

A tracking plan is the single source of truth for what you measure. Without one, every analyst names events differently, nobody knows what click_2 means, and test results become arguments about data.

How to use it

1. Start with questions. “Where do shoppers drop out of checkout?” “Do trial users who connect data convert to paid?” Each question needs one or more events.
2. Use standard names where they exist. GA4 publishes recommended event names such as begin_checkout, purchase, sign_up and generate_lead (Google Analytics Help). Use those before inventing your own.
3. Agree a naming convention for custom events: lowercase, underscores, verb then object, for example filter_apply or plan_select.
4. Fill one row per event in a spreadsheet using the columns below.
5. QA, then mark it verified. Only verified events go into test reports.

The columns

Column	What goes in it	Example
Business question	Why this event exists	Where do shoppers drop out of checkout?
Event name	Exact name sent	add_shipping_info
Parameters	Name: example value	shipping_tier: "standard", value: 39.90
Trigger	When it fires, precisely	Shopper submits a valid delivery option
Funnel step	Where it sits	Checkout step 2 of 4
Platforms	Where it’s implemented	Web (GTM), app
Owner	Who keeps it working	Analytics lead
Status	Planned / built / verified	Verified
Last checked	Date of last QA	2026-11-12

Copy the header row into Google Sheets or Excel: Business question, Event name, Parameters, Trigger, Funnel step, Platforms, Owner, Status, Last checked.

Notes

• Fewer, trusted events beat many shaky ones. Track the funnel steps and guardrails first.
• Consent affects data. If analytics depends on consent, your numbers are a sample. Note that in the plan so nobody compares them with backend totals expecting a perfect match.
• Next, write a measurement brief for your most important journey.

The checklist

Use it every time you add or change an event. Your ticks are saved in this browser only.