Conversion tracking in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) involves defining specific user actions on your website or app as valuable ‘conversions’ and then configuring GA4 to record these events. This is achieved by sending data back to GA4 when a user completes a desired action, such as a form submission, a purchase, or a phone call.
As of December 2025, GA4 conversion tracking primarily relies on ‘events’. Any interaction a user has with your website or app is automatically collected as an event. You then mark specific events as conversions. GA4 now includes enhanced measurement, automatically tracking events like page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement and file downloads without requiring code changes. For more specific conversions – like a completed ‘Contact Us’ form – you’ll need to implement custom events using Google Tag Manager (GTM) or directly within your website’s code. GA4’s consent mode, crucial for compliance with Australian privacy legislation like the Privacy Act 1988, adjusts data collection based on user consent preferences. Data residency options for GA4 data are available within Australia, ensuring compliance with data sovereignty requirements. In 2026, GA4’s modelling capabilities will further refine conversion data, even with incomplete consent data, using machine learning.
Ultimately, GA4 conversion tracking functions by identifying user actions as events, allowing you to designate these events as valuable conversions, and then reporting on their frequency and associated data.
