How to Add GA4 to Your Site via the MonsterInsights Plugin

by Heather Lounsbury • • No Comments

This is Step 3 in our tutorial for setting up Google Analytics 4. The directions below assume you’ve already created a GA4 property, and have the MonsterInsights plugin active on your site with your Google Universal Analytics (UA) property set up using this plugin. (Go here if you’re not sure how your existing UA tag is being added to your site.)

The MonsterInsights plugin is a popular tool used to connect WordPress sites to Google Analytics. If you’re currently using the MonsterInsights plugin to ad the Universal Analytics (UA) tag to your site, it’s the logical choice to also add the GA4 tag to your site.

How to Add Your GA4 Tag to the MonsterInsights Plugin Settings

  1. In your WordPress dashboard go to Insights >> Settings.
Screenshot showing the Monster Insights Settings Page Link in the Admin Menu
  1. Scroll to the Google Authentication section. In the Dual Tracking Profile field, paste in your GA4 Measurement ID. The settings will save automatically.
Screenshot showing the settings where you can select a Dual Tracking Profile
  1. Next, you’ll need to get your Measurement Protocol API secret. Go to analytics.google.com. Click Admin.
Screenshot showing the Admin link in the Google Analytics dashboard
  1. Under the Property column, click on Data Streams and open the data stream connected to MonsterInsights.
Screenshot showing the Data Streams section in Properties.
  1. Scroll down to find Measurement Protocol API secrets. Click on it.
Screenshot showing where to find the Measurement Protocol API Secrets
  1. Click the Create button to create a new API secret.
Screenshot showing the button to create a new measurement protocol API secret.

You may need to review and acknowledge the Terms before creating your API secret. Click the Review Terms button and then click the I acknowledge button in the popup window.

Screenshot showing the Review Terms button.
  1. Give your key a Nickname and then click the Create button.
Screenshot showing the nickname field and create button.
  1. Your Secret value will be created. Copy the key and return to the MonsterInsights Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
Screenshot showing the API secret value, so you can copy it to the clipboard
  1. Under Insights > Settings, paste the Secret value in the Measurement Protocol API Secret in the Google Authentication Section. The settings will save automatically.
Screenshot showing the Monster Insights setting where you can add the Measurement Protocol API Secret.

For NerdPress clients, make sure to clear your site caches (WP Rocket, and Cloudflare or Sucuri) so that your plugin settings updates will go live on the front-end of your site.

  1. That’s it! Data should start showing up in your GA4 dashboard within about 24 hours.

To check that your Google Analytics tags are set up correctly, we recommend using the Google Tag Assistant website.

👉 Once you’re sure they’re added correctly, proceed to Step 4: Opt out of the automatic GA4 deployment.

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