# Form Tracking Monitoring Guide

**Last Updated:** 2025-11-28

Guide for monitoring form submission tracking in Google Analytics 4 and setting up alerts.

## Viewing Form Data in GA4

### Real-Time Reports

**Location:** Reports → Realtime

**Steps:**

1. Navigate to GA4 → Reports → Realtime
2. Submit a test form
3. Check **Events** section for `form_submit` event
4. Click event to see parameters

**What to check:**

- Event appears within 30 seconds
- Event parameters populated correctly
- Event count matches form submissions

### Event Reports

**Location:** Reports → Engagement → Events

**Steps:**

1. Navigate to GA4 → Reports → Engagement → Events
2. Search for `form_submit`
3. Click event name
4. View event details and parameters

**Metrics available:**

- Event count
- Users
- Event count per user
- Total revenue (if configured)

### Custom Reports

**Create custom report for form submissions:**

1. Navigate to **Explore** → **Blank**
2. Add dimensions:
   - `Event name` (set to `form_submit`)
   - `Form ID` (custom dimension)
   - `Form name` (custom dimension)
   - `Form type` (custom dimension)
3. Add metrics:
   - `Event count`
   - `Users`
4. Add filters:
   - `Event name` equals `form_submit`

## Key Metrics to Track

### Form Submission Metrics

**Primary Metrics:**

- **Total form submissions** - All `form_submit` events
- **Form submissions by form ID** - Breakdown by form
- **Form submissions by form type** - Custom HTML vs HubSpot vs API
- **Form submission rate** - Submissions / Page views

**Attribution Metrics:**

- **Form submissions by UTM source** - Traffic source breakdown
- **Form submissions by UTM campaign** - Campaign performance
- **Form submissions by lead source** - Lead source attribution

**Conversion Metrics:**

- **Form submissions by page** - Which pages convert best
- **Form submissions by device** - Mobile vs desktop
- **Form submissions by browser** - Browser breakdown

### Form Performance Metrics

**By Form Type:**

- Main lead capture form (`demo-form`) - Primary conversion form
- Hero email form (`emailForm`) - Quick capture form
- Gated content forms (`content-form`) - Content marketing conversions
- Lead capture popup (two-step) - Progressive capture
- Template downloads - Template page conversions
- Calculator exports - Tool engagement conversions

## Setting Up Custom Dimensions

### Required Custom Dimensions

Create these custom dimensions in GA4:

1. **Form ID**

   - **Scope:** Event
   - **Event parameter:** `form_id`
   - **Description:** Unique identifier for each form

2. **Form Name**

   - **Scope:** Event
   - **Event parameter:** `form_name`
   - **Description:** Descriptive name of the form

3. **Form Type**

   - **Scope:** Event
   - **Event parameter:** `form_type`
   - **Description:** Type of form (custom_html, hubspot_embedded, api_based)

4. **HubSpot Form GUID**
   - **Scope:** Event
   - **Event parameter:** `hubspot_form_guid`
   - **Description:** HubSpot form GUID for form submissions

### Creating Custom Dimensions

**Steps:**

1. Navigate to GA4 → Admin → Custom Definitions → Custom Dimensions
2. Click **Create custom dimension**
3. Fill in:
   - **Dimension name:** Form ID
   - **Scope:** Event
   - **Event parameter:** `form_id`
4. Click **Save**
5. Repeat for all required dimensions

**Note:** Custom dimensions may take 24-48 hours to populate with historical data.

## Setting Up Alerts

### Alert 1: Form Submission Drop

**Purpose:** Detect if form submissions drop significantly

**Configuration:**

1. Navigate to GA4 → Admin → Custom Alerts
2. Click **Create alert**
3. **Alert name:** Form Submission Drop
4. **Metric:** Event count
5. **Event name:** `form_submit`
6. **Condition:** Decrease by more than 50% compared to previous period
7. **Period:** Daily
8. **Notification:** Email to hady@ordio.com

### Alert 2: Tracking Errors

**Purpose:** Detect if tracking fails (no events received)

**Configuration:**

1. **Alert name:** Form Tracking Failure
2. **Metric:** Event count
3. **Event name:** `form_submit`
4. **Condition:** Less than 1 event in 24 hours (during business hours)
5. **Period:** Daily
6. **Notification:** Email to hady@ordio.com

### Alert 3: Specific Form Issues

**Purpose:** Detect if specific high-value form stops working

**Configuration:**

1. **Alert name:** Main Lead Capture Form Issue
2. **Metric:** Event count
3. **Event name:** `form_submit`
4. **Filter:** `form_id` equals `demo-form`
5. **Condition:** Less than 5 events in 24 hours
6. **Period:** Daily
7. **Notification:** Email to hady@ordio.com

## Creating Dashboards

### Form Submission Dashboard

**Create dashboard in GA4:**

1. Navigate to **Explore** → **Blank**
2. Add visualization: **Table**
3. Add dimensions:
   - `Form name`
   - `Form type`
   - `Page path`
4. Add metrics:
   - `Event count`
   - `Users`
5. Add filters:
   - `Event name` equals `form_submit`
6. Save as "Form Submission Dashboard"

### Form Performance by Source

**Create dashboard for attribution:**

1. Navigate to **Explore** → **Blank**
2. Add visualization: **Table**
3. Add dimensions:
   - `UTM source` (from event parameter)
   - `UTM campaign` (from event parameter)
   - `Form name`
4. Add metrics:
   - `Event count`
   - `Users`
5. Add filters:
   - `Event name` equals `form_submit`
6. Save as "Form Performance by Source"

## Regular Monitoring Tasks

### Daily

- [ ] Check GA4 real-time reports for form submissions
- [ ] Verify no alert notifications received
- [ ] Quick check of form submission counts

### Weekly

- [ ] Review form submission trends
- [ ] Check form performance by source
- [ ] Verify all forms still tracking
- [ ] Review any errors in browser console (spot check)

### Monthly

- [ ] Full form tracking audit
- [ ] Review form submission rates by form type
- [ ] Check for form submission drops
- [ ] Review attribution data
- [ ] Update form inventory if needed

### Quarterly

- [ ] Comprehensive form tracking review
- [ ] Run form audit script
- [ ] Update all documentation
- [ ] Review and optimize GTM configuration
- [ ] Performance analysis

## Troubleshooting in GA4

### No Events Appearing

**Check:**

1. GTM container published
2. GA4 configuration tag fires
3. Form tracking implemented correctly
4. Test in GTM Preview mode first

### Events Appearing but Parameters Empty

**Check:**

1. Custom dimensions created
2. Event parameter names match exactly
3. DataLayer variables configured correctly
4. Wait 24-48 hours for custom dimensions to populate

### Duplicate Events

**Check:**

1. Multiple triggers firing
2. Tracking called multiple times
3. Both universal and specific triggers active
4. Review GTM Preview mode for duplicate fires

## Reporting

### Weekly Form Submission Report

**Include:**

- Total form submissions
- Submissions by form type
- Top performing forms
- Form submissions by traffic source
- Any issues or anomalies

### Monthly Form Performance Report

**Include:**

- Form submission trends
- Conversion rates by form
- Attribution analysis
- Form performance by page
- Recommendations for optimization

## Reference

- **GA4 Documentation:** https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9327974
- **GTM Documentation:** https://support.google.com/tagmanager
- **Form Inventory:** `docs/forms/form-audit-inventory.json`
- **Implementation Guide:** `docs/forms/GTM_FORM_TRACKING_GUIDE.md`