Markus Baersch discusses replacing gtag.js with walker.js for Google Analytics 4 (GA4) session handling, highlighting issues with gtag.js such as consent management and blocking concerns. Walker.js offers more control and flexibility by allowing event tracking and sending data to various destinations while respecting user consent. The presentation includes technical details on implementing walker.js, examples of event tagging, and links to resources on GitHub.

1. Markus Baersch
Replacing gtag.js with walker.js
Why? How?
Demo: Running GA4 Using ssGTM

3. Why Not GTAG.JS?
(yes, same old song - but only a very brief summary. And a new color! Yay!)

4. gtag.js
some issues
(shortened version)
Source: likely to be blocked
Heavy: UA, GA4, GAds, Optimize,
partner badges + stuff
Not a “Stream To Rule Them All”:
no data without consent.
Consent Mode is not an option!

5. gtag.js
… is odd!
(also shortened version)
GA4 Session Handling & More:
● “first_visit” and “session_start”
● Conversions
● referral exclusion
● public measurement id

6. Options:
● ga4mp.dev by David Vallejo (->
ssGTM)
● Build your own format and send
to own endpoint Or use existing
tools like CDPs, Tealium (see
slides from MC Berlin 2022)
But:
● Blocking might still be a problem
● Costs?
● Control?
Alternatives exist!
perfect fit?

7. Feeding GA4 with walker.js

8. Open source: walker.js is a maintained
repo on GitHub
(Can) have all data you need: there
are timestamps, timings, hit
numbers…
https://github.com/elbwalker/walker.js
elbwalker
open source event tracker

9. Tagging Basics
uses a command / event queue
called “elbLayer” (per default)
scans DOM for data-elb attributes
and builds events and parameters
alternatively push events to
elbLayer manually via JavaScript
can send events to several
destinations
Destinations are consent sensitive
(walker.js can handle consent) https://github.com/elbwalker/sgtm-client-template/tree/main/example

10. events have an “open” structure to
contain default attributes, custom
attributes, session state, user
information, references… or whatever
Send example:
elb('page view',
{id: '/test/virtual/path1',
title: 'Virtual Page 1'},
'click',
{some_property: 14}
);
Events

11. Sending Stuff: walker.js Destinations
Every destination can handle events individually. We use it to send data to a ssGTM endpoint

12. GA4 Session Handling
GA4 wants session handling
(simple) example…
- is only active if consent is
present
- uses localStorage /
sessionStorage - which is
only possible on a single
domain AND host
- Can be part of destination
init block (see example code
for ssGTM tag)
elb("walker user",
{hash: sD.sessionId,
device: sD.clientId});

13. Tagging: GTM Tag Template
github.com/elbwalker/gtm-tag-template
Custom Templates for walker,js
Configuration
and walker,js Events to migrate
GTM setups
- destinations
- GA4 session data
- ecom item conversion
- use your existing variables

14. Endpoints
● use ssGTM and translate walker events to ssGTM event model
○ trigger / fire any tags as if gtag.js did generate all requests
● or build your own in Node, PHP or whatever and forward events to
GA4
○ cloud edge endpoints actually are an option ;)
● Remember: CNAME is not an option to avoid browser tracking
protection issues

15. ssGTM Example
use custom client for walker events
basic example and client template
available on Github:
github.com/elbwalker/
sgtm-client-template
-> fork and build what you need
(contribute if you like!)

16. send data to GA4 using
standard tag
enrich server-side
dimensions
add debug flag for
better debugging (kill
before publishing ;))
ssGTM Example

17. … or send data
(additionally or
exclusively) to Piwik
PRO, Matomo…
… or send directly to
BigQuery as
event-level raw data
ssGTM Example

18. Demo
sending events…
… from client-side GTM…
-> to ssGTM
-> to GA4
Medium article:
mbaersch.medium.com/
A-better-solution-for-ga4-
Data-capturing-replacing-
gtag-js-with-walker-js-
2b9fd291d919

19. No ssGTM? Use: worker for walker events
forward (few data) to GA4 using GAMP V2
think: add event to D1 cloud database ;)
Or build your endpoint as
- AWS Lambda
- GCP Cloud Function
- Azure Function
Cloud Functions & Workers

20. Can you see it?

21. Done!
Questions?

22. Game On!
download and play:
Walker | GTM Tags | Client | BQ:
github.com/elbwalker
Order:
markus-baersch.de/gtmbook