Walker.js is an open source event tracking library that can be used to feed data into Google Analytics 4 (GA4) without using gtag.js. It provides more control over session handling and sends events to configurable destinations. Events can be sent to a self-hosted Google Tag Manager (GTM) container that forwards them to GA4, or to a custom endpoint. Walker.js parses data attributes to automatically construct analytics events or events can be manually pushed via JavaScript. It handles consent to determine where data can be sent. The library provides flexibility in how data is collected and routed compared to relying solely on gtag.js.

1. Feed The Beast!
Running GA4 without gtag.js using ssGTM + walker.js
Markus Baersch

2. Why Not GTAG.JS?

3. gtag.js
some issues
Source: in client-side setup likely to
be blocked by modern browsers
Heavy: does is all: GA, Ads, Optimize,
Badges and whatever
Complexity: Much stuff you might
not want
Control: let me define what is
“engaged”!
Consent: Consent Mode is a joke!
What to use (when running your own
endpoint for more than just GA4)?

4. gtag.js
… is odd!
Session Handling & More:
● control over “first_visit” and
“session_start”
● browser knows what is a
conversion, a referral exclusion…
● no way to hide your
measurement id
● much “serverside-stuff” has to be
handled by the browser

5. ● just “sending hits” is not enough
● GA4 Measurement Protocol is
no replacement
● tasks: knowing goals, send
created events, track time…
● ssGTM “sendPixelFromBrowser”
● (batching)
gtag.js
why replacing it is hard

6. ⛪
🙏?

7. Options:
● ga4mp.dev by David Vallejo (->
ssGTM)
● Build your own format and send
to own endpoint
● Use existing tools like CDPs,
Tealium
But:
● Blocking might still be a
problem
● Costs?
● Control?
Alternatives exist!
A perfect fit?

8. GA4MP
✓ allows using own endpoint
(✓) creates gtag.js like events
❌similar “control level” to gtag.js
if used with GA4 standard
clients & tags on ssGTM
-> build your own client

9. Feeding GA4 with walker.js

10. 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

11. Tagging
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

12. 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

13. 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
elb("walker user",
{hash: sD.sessionId,
device: sD.clientId});

14. Sending Stuff (1): walker.js Destinations
Every destination can handle events individually. We use it to send data to a ssGTM endpoint

15. Sending Stuff (2): Some Tips
Try beacons, then AJAX, then
an image pixel as last fallback
…and make sure that your
endpoint looks for get
parameters.
send events incl. consent
information to a custom
endpoint and resolve consent
there

16. Endpoints
Use ssGTM and translate walker events to ssGTM event model
trigger / fire any tags as if gtag.js had sent the requests
or build your own in Node, PHP or whatever and forward events to GA4
- Remember: CNAME is not an option
- cloud edge endpoints actually are an option ;)

17. experimental: use worker for receiving walker events
forward (few data) to GA4 using GAMP V2
think: add full event to a D1 cloud database ;)
Or build your endpoint as
- AWS Lambda,
- GCP Cloud Function or
- Azure Function
- in your local cloud / CDN architecture
Cloudflare Worker

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

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

20. … or send data
(additionally or exclusive)
to Piwik PRO, Matomo…
no GA consent = no
tracking (but still
measurement?)
-> send directly to
BigQuery as event-level
raw data
ssGTM Example
markus-baersch.de/walker2bq

21. Demo
sending events from demo
HTML page in a browser
to ssGTM + forwarding to
GA4

22. Final Tipps
send base64 coded payload
… or even build your own
coding (or just do rot13 :))
Keeping your own format
makes you (somewhat)
independent
remember: a tracking server
has to handle a lot of stuff. Do
not use your website server
(unless you have low traffic
like me ;))

23. Can you see it?

24. Done!
Questions?

25. Game On!
download and play:
Client and Example Code:
github.com/elbwalker
Order:
markus-baersch.de/gtmbook
markus-baersch.de/walker2bq