Published on 2025-06-22T02:58:41Z

What is Debugging in Analytics? Examples for GA4 and PlainSignal

In analytics, debugging is the process of systematically identifying, diagnosing, and resolving issues in your data collection and tracking setup. Whether it’s missing events, incorrect parameters, or unexpected anomalies, debugging helps ensure your insights are based on accurate information. Commonly used in platforms like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and PlainSignal, debugging involves validating that tracking scripts fire correctly, that event payloads contain the intended data, and that configuration settings are properly applied. Debugging workflows leverage real-time tools such as DebugView, browser developer tools, and network inspection to observe events as they happen. By proactively debugging your analytics implementation, you safeguard data integrity and maintain trustworthiness in your reporting and decision-making processes.

Illustration of Debugging
Illustration of Debugging

Debugging

Systematic process of finding and fixing issues in analytics tracking for accurate data collection.

Overview of Debugging in Analytics

An introduction to what debugging means in the context of analytics implementations.

  • Definition

    Debugging in analytics refers to the practice of inspecting and fixing errors or misconfigurations in your data collection setup to ensure accuracy.

  • Goals of debugging

    Ensure that all tracking events fire as expected, parameters are captured correctly, and data pipelines reflect true user interactions.

Key Debugging Tools and Methods

Overview of the primary tools and techniques used to debug analytics setups across different platforms.

  • Real-time debugview

    Platforms like GA4 and PlainSignal offer real-time views to monitor events as they are sent.

    • GA4 debugview

      Activate DebugView in GA4 by enabling debug mode or appending ?gtm_debug=x to your URL to see events in real time.

    • PlainSignal live mode

      Use PlainSignal’s live event monitoring to observe data on the dashboard instantly without cookies.

  • Browser developer tools

    Use Chrome DevTools or similar to inspect network requests and console logs.

    • Inspect network requests

      Open DevTools, go to the Network tab, filter by analytics domains (google-analytics.com, plainsignal.com), and check request payloads and response codes.

    • Console logging

      Add console.log statements before and after analytics calls to verify that functions execute and parameters pass correctly.

  • Tagging and datalayer validation

    Check that your tags and DataLayer pushes are structured and firing correctly.

    • Google tag assistant

      Use the Tag Assistant browser extension to verify that your GTM or analytics tags are firing without errors.

    • Datalayer inspection

      Inspect the dataLayer array in the console to ensure it contains expected variables and event data.

Step-by-Step Debugging Process

A recommended workflow to systematically debug your analytics implementation.

  • Verify implementation

    Confirm that the tracking snippets are present, correctly placed, and reference the right IDs and domains.

    • Snippet verification

      Ensure your <link> and <script> tags are in the <head> or just before </body> as documented.

    • Attribute checks

      Verify that attributes like data-do, data-id, and data-api match your PlainSignal setup, and that GA4 IDs are correct.

  • Enable debugging mode

    Turn on debug mode to surface verbose logs and real-time events.

    • GA4 debug mode

      Set gtag('set', {'debug_mode': true}); or use the Google Tag Manager preview mode to view debug events.

    • PlainSignal test mode

      Run PlainSignal in development mode or use the provided live preview to see incoming events without caching.

  • Monitor incoming events

    Use platform-specific dashboards to verify that events arrive as intended.

    • GA4 realtime reports

      Navigate to Realtime > Events in the GA4 interface to watch events flow in.

    • PlainSignal dashboard

      Open the live view in PlainSignal’s dashboard to confirm event names, properties, and counts.

Examples of Debugging Analytics Code

Concrete code snippets and checks for both PlainSignal and GA4 implementations.

  • PlainSignal tracking code

    Embed and verify the PlainSignal snippet on your site.

    • Embed snippet

      <link rel="preconnect" href="//eu.plainsignal.com/" crossorigin />
<script defer data-do="yourwebsitedomain.com" data-id="0GQV1xmtzQQ" data-api="//eu.plainsignal.com" src="//cdn.plainsignal.com/plainsignal-min.js"></script>

    • Network request check

      In DevTools, filter network requests for eu.plainsignal.com and confirm a 200 status and correct payload structure.

  • GA4 gtag.js snippet

    Standard GA4 implementation and enabling debug mode.

    • Embed snippet

      <!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXX');
</script>

    • Enable debug mode

      Add gtag('set', {'debug_mode': true}); after your config call to view detailed logs in the console.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Frequent pitfalls and how to resolve them.

  • No data appearing

    Steps to take when events are not showing up in your analytics platform.

    • Network errors

      Look for 4xx or 5xx status codes in DevTools that indicate the request failed.

    • Blocked requests

      Check if ad blockers, browser privacy settings, or CSP rules are preventing analytics domains from loading.

    • Incorrect ids

      Ensure the measurement ID (GA4) or project ID (PlainSignal) matches your account.

  • Data discrepancies

    Resolving mismatches between different analytics tools or reporting views.

    • Time zone settings

      Verify that both platforms use the same time zone to avoid offset issues.

    • Sampling

      Understand that GA4 may sample data under heavy load while PlainSignal uses a streaming model.

    • Filters and exclusions

      Review any filters, views, or audience exclusions that might omit valid traffic.

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