Guides

Analytics, explained.

How tracking really works, why your tools disagree, and what to do about it. Written by the people who build Sporetag, with sources you can check.

Why your analytics numbers never matchGA4, Shopify, Meta and Google Ads count with different rules, dates and blind spots. Where each number splits, and which one to trust for each question.Tracking accuracy · 7 min read UTM parameters: the complete guide, with a naming scheme that holds upWhat each UTM parameter does, the naming rules GA4 actually applies, a scheme for source, medium and campaign, and the mistakes that break your reports.Campaign tracking · 5 min read Attribution models explained, with one buyer's path worked throughFirst touch, last click, linear, position-based and data-driven attribution, worked through on one buyer path. What each model is good for, and its limits.Attribution · 5 min read

Tracking accuracy

Why tools disagree, and which number to trust.

Why your analytics numbers never matchGA4, Shopify, Meta and Google Ads count with different rules, dates and blind spots. Where each number splits, and which one to trust for each question.Tracking accuracy · 7 min read Meta ads vs Shopify: why purchases don't matchMeta Ads Manager shows more (or fewer) purchases than Shopify. The six causes, how to measure your own gap, and which number to use for budget calls.Tracking accuracy · 5 min read GA4 not tracking conversions: a checklist that finds the causeKey events missing in GA4? Work through ten checks in order, from the event never firing to consent, filters, processing delays and Google Ads imports.Tracking accuracy · 5 min read Direct traffic: what (direct) / (none) really meansDirect traffic is every visit that arrived with no referrer and no tag. Where it really comes from, why it grows, and five ways to shrink it.Tracking accuracy · 4 min read GA4 "(not set)": every cause and how to fix itWhy GA4 shows (not set) for landing page, source, medium and campaign, how to tell which cause you have, and the fix for each one.Tracking accuracy · 6 min read Bot traffic in analytics: how to spot it and filter itHow GA4 and other tools filter bots, the patterns that give bots away in your reports, and what you can do about the bots that get through.Tracking accuracy · 5 min read Cross-domain tracking: checkouts, booking tools and iframesWhy a visitor who moves to a checkout, a booking tool or an embedded form loses their source, and how to keep the credit with the ad that brought them.Tracking accuracy · 6 min read

Campaign tracking

UTMs, short links, QR codes and click ids.

UTM parameters: the complete guide, with a naming scheme that holds upWhat each UTM parameter does, the naming rules GA4 actually applies, a scheme for source, medium and campaign, and the mistakes that break your reports.Campaign tracking · 5 min read How to track your Instagram link in bio, through to the saleInstagram's own insights stop at link taps. How to see which bio link, story or post brought visits, signups and sales, with tags and a short link.Campaign tracking · 4 min read gclid, fbclid and other click ids, explainedWhat gclid, gbraid, wbraid, fbclid, ttclid and msclkid are, what each one is for, how long they last, and why keeping them matters for ad tracking.Campaign tracking · 4 min read How to track QR codes on print, packaging and signsA QR code sends no referrer, so scans show up as direct traffic. How to track scans, visits and sales per placement, and print codes that keep working.Campaign tracking · 3 min read How to track email clicks and the sales they bringTag email links so every click and sale has a source, set it up in Klaviyo and Mailchimp, and spot the bot clicks that security scanners add.Campaign tracking · 5 min read How to track SMS link clicks and the sales they bringTag text message links so clicks and sales have a source, keep links short and on your own domain, and tell real taps from link preview clicks.Campaign tracking · 4 min read

Attribution

Which ad, post or email earned the sale.

Attribution models explained, with one buyer's path worked throughFirst touch, last click, linear, position-based and data-driven attribution, worked through on one buyer path. What each model is good for, and its limits.Attribution · 5 min read Server-side vs client-side tracking: what each one seesClient-side tags run in the browser and miss what they cannot load. Server events come from your server. What each sees, what it costs, and when to use both.Attribution · 4 min read Meta Conversions API explained: setup, matching and deduplicationWhat the Meta Conversions API sends, which fields Meta needs, how deduplication with the pixel works, and the mistakes that double count or lose purchases.Attribution · 4 min read ROAS, blended ROAS and MER: which one to run the business onFormulas for ROAS, blended ROAS, MER and break-even ROAS, a worked example, and why adding up each platform's ROAS overstates what your ads earn.Attribution · 4 min read Google Ads conversion tracking for lead generation sitesHow to track forms, calls and the leads that become customers in Google Ads, with the right counting, values and windows so bidding learns from real business.Attribution · 6 min read Offline conversions and enhanced conversions explainedHow Google Ads and Meta accept sales and leads that happen off your website, how hashed email matching works, and the rules that make uploads fail.Attribution · 6 min read TikTok ads attribution: pixel, Events API and why numbers differHow TikTok credits conversions, why TikTok Ads Manager reports more sales than GA4 or your store, and how the pixel and Events API work together.Attribution · 4 min read Lead-to-sale reporting: connect marketing sources to CRM revenueHow to carry each lead's source into HubSpot or GoHighLevel, report won revenue by campaign, and avoid the mistakes that leave deals with no source.Attribution · 4 min read

Privacy and consent

Cookies, consent and what the law asks.

Cookieless analytics and GDPR: what needs consent, and what usually does notDo you need a cookie banner for analytics? How ePrivacy, the GDPR, the CNIL exemption and the UK change of 2026 apply to cookieless and cookie tracking.Privacy and consent · 5 min read

Metrics explained

What each number means, and how it is counted.

Bounce rate in GA4: what it means now, and when to worryGA4 defines bounce rate as the share of sessions that were not engaged. The rule, the formula, how it differs from the old one, and when a high rate matters.Metrics explained · 4 min read Visitors, sessions and pageviews: how each tool counts themWhat a user, a session, a visit and a pageview are in GA4, Shopify and privacy-first tools, why the counts differ, and which one to report.Metrics explained · 4 min read Average session duration and time on page: how each tool measures itWhy GA4, Universal Analytics and privacy tools report different session durations and time on page, the exact method each one uses, and which number to trust.Metrics explained · 5 min read How to set up goals and conversions without a developerFour ways to count sales, leads, bookings and signups without writing code, how to do each in GA4, and the checks that keep a goal honest.Metrics explained · 4 min read

Agency reporting

Reports clients read, and trust.

Client reporting for agencies: a template clients actually readWhat to put in a monthly client report, how often to send it, which numbers to lead with for stores and lead-gen clients, and how to explain gaps.Agency reporting · 4 min read

Track your site, by platformShopify, WordPress, Webflow, Wix, Next.js and more. Analytics glossary58 terms, each defined in plain words.

How we write these guides

From the people who build Sporetag. We write tracking code for a living, so we explain how it works, not just what to click.
Sourced. Platform rules link to the platform's own help pages, with the date we checked them.
No made-up numbers. Examples with numbers say they are examples. We never invent studies, quotes or customers.
Fair to other tools. Where Google, Meta or Shopify does something well, we say so.
Kept current. Each guide shows the date its words last changed. Found a mistake? Email hello@sporetag.com.