How to Track Scroll Depth in Google Analytics 4

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Scroll extent successful Google Analytics 4 is simply a measurement of however acold users scroll connected your leafage earlier leaving.

Scroll extent is expressed arsenic a percent of up to 100%, wherever 100% represents a idiosyncratic who has scrolled each the mode to the bottommost of your page. Depending connected your circumstantial implementation, you whitethorn take to way scroll extent astatine percentages similar 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90%.

Here’s an illustration of a information of the scroll tracking setup process wrong GA4.

Scroll tracking setup process   wrong   GA4

In this article, you’ll larn however to way scroll extent successful Google Analytics. And however you tin statesman to usage your scroll information to optimize your content.

Why Is Scroll Depth Important?

Scroll extent provides actionable information astir however your users are interacting with your content.

Let’s accidental you wanted to uncover which pages resonate astir with your audience.

Without scroll tracking, you could reappraisal your Google Analytics sessions and event data to spot your astir fashionable pages.

But with scroll extent data, you tin spot however those pages clasp your readers’ attraction arsenic they scroll done your content. That is information you tin enactment upon to amended your website’s performance.

You person 2 options erstwhile it comes to generating scroll information successful Google Analytics:

  1. You tin usage the default that volition trigger a scroll extent lawsuit erstwhile idiosyncratic scrolls 90% of your page
  2. Or you tin make a customized lawsuit to measurement scroll enactment successful much detail

Let’s reappraisal the default enactment first.

How to Activate Scroll Depth Tracking successful GA4

You tin way Google Analytics 4 scroll extent automatically arsenic agelong arsenic you crook the due enhanced measurement lawsuit on. When enabled, this volition make scroll lawsuit information each clip a idiosyncratic makes it 90% of the mode down the page.

Why 90%?

Webpages often person a footer that sits beneath the decision of an nonfiction that astir readers volition not afloat scroll through. So you tin mostly see a scroll extent of 90% to mean a idiosyncratic has work your afloat article.

Before getting started, you request to guarantee that you person set up Google Analytics connected your website.

From there, click connected the cogwheel icon successful the bottommost near of GA4 to spell to the “Admin” section.

Then, click “Data streams” wrong the spot settings (under “Data postulation and modification”).

“Data streams” selected from the GA4 "Admin" dashboard

Click into your website’s information stream.

"North America & Cana" information  watercourse  selected

Ensure the bluish barroom to alteration “Enhanced measurement” is toggled on. (It should beryllium connected by default.)

“Enhanced measurement” power   toggled on

Now, click the cogwheel icon to entree settings for idiosyncratic enhanced measurement events.

Gear icon highlighted adjacent  to "Measuring" bar

You’ll spot a database of enhanced measurement events you tin crook connected oregon disconnected with a azygous click. Below, we tin spot “Scrolls” is not turned on. To activate it, simply click the toggle power and past click “Save.”

Activate “Scrolls” power   nether  "Enhanced measurement" section

With this, you’ll present beryllium tracking scroll enactment whenever your readers scroll 90% of the mode to the bottommost of a page.

But what bash you bash if you privation to spot scroll extent with much detail? 

To bash that, you’ll archetypal privation to crook disconnected the toggle power we conscionable reviewed here. (This avoids perchance treble tracking the aforesaid scroll events.) And you’ll request the assistance of Google Tag Manager.

You tin way scroll extent with greater specificity by combining Google Analytics with Google Tag Manager (GTM). If you don’t person this acceptable up yet, cheque retired our afloat Google Tag Manager guide.

You’ll beryllium capable to way scroll extent astatine immoderate percentages you take by utilizing a tag, a trigger, and variables that volition make GA4 lawsuit data. In this guide, we’ll usage 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% to get the information we need.

Let’s archetypal specify these 3 important Google Tag Manager presumption earlier you acceptable them up.

Tags, Triggers, and Variables successful Google Tag Manager

Tags, triggers, and variables enactment unneurotic successful GTM to make GA4 lawsuit data:

  • A tag is what volition make the scroll extent lawsuit information that volition travel into Google Analytics 
  • A trigger tells the tag erstwhile to occurrence and make the scroll data
  • A variable is simply a placeholder for a worth that volition change, specified arsenic the circumstantial vertical scroll extent percentages that you privation to track

Strategically combining tags, triggers, and variables is the essence of utilizing Google Tag Manager to make GA4 customized events.

How to Configure Your Scroll Depth Variables successful GTM

To get started, caput implicit to tagmanager.google.com, wherever you’ll statesman by configuring the variables you need. Then, click connected the “Container Name” that is associated with your website.

"yoursite.com" selected nether  “Container Name” successful  Tag Manager

You’ll spot the “Overview” conception of your Google Tag Manager container.

“Overview” conception  of Google Tag Manager container

Click “Variables” from the left-hand navigation.

“Variables” selected from the left-hand navigation successful  GTM

You’ll spot the enactment to configure “Built-In Variables” that you tin usage successful your tags and triggers. Click “Configure.” A database of variables volition look connected the right-hand broadside of the screen.

"Configure" fastener  highlighted adjacent  to “Built-In Variables” section

Scroll down toward the bottommost of the database to spot 3 variables circumstantial to scroll extent tracking, nether the “Scrolling” header. Use the checkboxes to crook them on.

Like this:

"Scroll Depth Threshold," "Scroll Depth Units," and "Scroll Direction" turned connected  nether  “Scrolling” section

You’ve present configured your scroll extent variables. You tin adjacent this list.

Let’s present make a scroll extent trigger that volition specify which scroll extent thresholds to track.

How to Create a Scroll Depth Trigger

Click “Triggers” from the left-hand navigation.

“Triggers” selected from the left-hand navigation successful  GTM

Now, click “New” to make a caller trigger.

"New" fastener  highlighted nether  "Triggers" conception  successful  GTM

You’ll spot an untitled trigger and a abstraction wherever you tin statesman mounting up your caller trigger. Start by giving your trigger a recognizable name.

You tin usage thing similar “Scroll Depth Trigger.” Then, click the “Trigger Configuration” country to take your trigger type.

“Trigger Configuration” country  successful  GTM

You’ll spot a assortment of trigger types to take from. Select “Scroll Depth” from the list, nether “User Engagement.”

“Scroll Depth” enactment    selected nether  “User Engagement” area

You tin present configure your scroll extent trigger with the circumstantial thresholds you privation to track. You astir apt privation to way vertical scroll activity, truthful cheque the container adjacent to “Vertical Scroll Depths.”

An arrow pointing to “Vertical Scroll Depths" checkbox nether  "Trigger Configuration" window

You tin present participate the circumstantial percent oregon percentages to track. To way scroll extent astatine 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% benignant 10, 25, 50, 75, 90 similar below. Then click “Save.”

Enter percentages nether  "Vertical Scroll Depth" box

Your caller trigger volition assistance make scroll information erstwhile you brace it with a corresponding tag and you people each your changes.

Let’s present make the tag that you’ll brace with your trigger.

How to Create Your Scroll Depth Tag

Click connected “Tags” from the left-hand navigation.

“Tags” selected from the left-hand navigation successful  GTM

You’ll spot a database of immoderate tags that already beryllium successful your container. The representation beneath shows a instrumentality that has a azygous tag that was utilized to acceptable up Google Analytics 4.

Click “New” to make different tag.

"New" fastener  highlighted nether  "Tags" conception  successful  GTM

Give your tag a sanction arsenic shown below. Then, click anyplace successful the “Tag Configuration” area.

“Tag Configuration” country  successful  GTM

You’ll spot a database with aggregate tag types to take from. Select “Google Analytics” from the apical of the database to spot a database of Google Analytics options.

“Google Analytics” enactment    selected nether  "Choose tag type" window

Choose “Google Analytics: GA4 Event” from the list.

 GA4 Event” selected from the database  nether  "Google Analytics"

You’ll present acceptable up your tag configuration. Your tag already has a sanction but it needs a Measurement ID and an Event Name.

"Tag Configuration" window, with "Measurement ID," and "Event Name" fields highlighted

The Measurement ID is besides known arsenic your Google Analytics tracking ID. You tin find it successful the Admin conception of your Google Analytics spot for that website.

So let’s temporarily caput to Google Analytics and click the cogwheel icon successful the bottommost near to entree the Admin section.

Then, click “Data streams.”

“Data streams” selected from the GA4 "Admin" dashboard

Choose the applicable information watercourse from the list. 

If you person aggregate streams due to the fact that you’re tracking some website and app traffic, marque definite you click connected the web information stream.

Web information  watercourse  selected nether  "Data streams" section

Now, transcript the Measurement ID

Measurement ID highlighted nether  "Web watercourse  details" window

Now, caput backmost to GTM. Paste successful your Measurement ID arsenic shown below. If you person utilized your Google Tag Manager instrumentality codification to instal GA4 connected your site, you’ll spot a greenish cheque people and a connection saying “Google tag recovered successful this container.”

"Google tag recovered  successful  this container" connection   highlighted nether  "Tag Configuration" window

Let’s present make the “Event Name.” The “Event Name” is what volition amusement up successful your Google Analytics reports erstwhile the tag fires. We volition make aggregate events that volition occurrence astatine each of the vertical thresholds you acceptable successful your trigger. And we’ll usage a adaptable to help.

Begin by typing “scroll_to_{{” successful the Event Name field. The curly brackets archer GTM you’re going to insert a variable. 

Select “{{Scroll Depth Threshold}}” erstwhile it’s disposable connected screen. (If it disappears oregon you don’t spot it, conscionable commencement typing “Scroll” aft the curly brackets.)

“{{Scroll Depth Threshold}}” options selected nether  "Event Name" box

If you’ve configured your trigger arsenic outlined here, you’ll beryllium creating the pursuing caller events utilizing this azygous tag:

  • scroll_to_10
  • scroll_to_25
  • scroll_to_50
  • scroll_to_75
  • scroll_to_90

Now, click successful the “Triggering” country beneath your tag.

“Triggering” country  highlighted beneath  "Tag Configuration" window

You’ll spot a database of each disposable triggers, including the scroll extent trigger you’ve already created. Choose it from the list.

"Scroll Depth Trigger" selected nether  "Choose a trigger" window

You’ve present paired your GA4 lawsuit tag with your scroll extent trigger. Click “Save.”

Save your GA4 lawsuit   tag paired with scroll extent  trigger

All that remains is to people the changes to your Google Tag Manager container.

To bash that, click “Submit” successful the apical close of your screen. 

“Submit” fastener  highlighted successful  the apical  close    of surface  successful  GTM

Then, click “Publish” to marque everything live.

Submit changes successful  GTM

Once you’ve published your container, your caller tags and triggers volition make precocious scroll extent information successful your GA4 property. Google says it tin instrumentality 24-48 hours for information to commencement showing successful your reports. 

The adjacent conception volition amusement you however to find scroll extent successful Google Analytics. So that you tin commencement utilizing the information to amended your content.

Where to View Scroll Events successful GA4

You tin find Google Analytics scroll extent information successful 2 places:

  1. Standard reports
  2. Custom explorations

You tin usage modular reports to get a high-level snapshot of your scroll performance.

Explorations, connected the different hand, are champion suited for much in-depth scroll reporting (using the tags and triggers we acceptable up successful the erstwhile section). You tin make 1 of these precocious reports by utilizing the “Explore” tab successful the left-hand navigation.

Let’s commencement with the modular reports. These trust connected the default scroll extent setup wrong GA4.

How to Find Scroll Depth Data successful Standard Reports

You tin spot a snapshot of your scroll information successful your “Events” report.

First, click “Reports” from your Google Analytics property.

“Reports” selected from Google Analytics menu

In the “Life cycle” menu, click “Engagement.”

“Engagement" selected nether  "Life cycle" menu

To spot a afloat database of your GA4 events, click the “Events” study wrong the “Engagement” reporting area.

“Events” selected from the “Engagement” reporting area

You’ll spot a database of each events sorted successful descending bid based connected lawsuit count. You tin click into each lawsuit successful the database to spot further details. 

"scroll" adjacent    selected nether  "Events" study  successful  GA4

The illustration supra shows the default scroll lawsuit that volition occurrence astatine 90% scroll depth. You tin comparison the fig of scroll events to the fig of page_view events to get a consciousness of however galore readers are afloat consuming your content. 

But you tin get much actionable information with customized scroll lawsuit information successful Explorations.

How to Find Scroll Depth Data successful Explorations

To analyse elaborate scroll extent thresholds astatine the leafage level, you tin usage GA4 Explorations.

First, click “Explore” from the left-hand navigation.

“Explore” selected from Google Analytics menu

Then, click successful the “Blank” study template to make a customized Exploration from scratch.

“Blank” study  template selected nether  "Explorations" section

Now you tin prime your “Dimensions” for your customized report.

Click connected the “+” motion to the close of “Dimensions.”

“+” motion   highlighted to the close    of “Dimensions"

You’ll spot a database of implicit 300 dimensions arranged successful groups. You privation to analyse scroll extent astatine the leafage level, truthful click connected the “Page / screen” drop-down to grow your options and find the magnitude you need. 

“Page / screen” enactment    selected nether  "Select dimensions" drop-down menu

Use the checkbox to the near of “Page way and surface class” to prime this dimension. Then, click “Event” truthful you tin prime the different magnitude you’ll need.

“Page way  and surface  class” magnitude  selected and "Event" enactment    highlighted

You tin present prime the “Event name” magnitude utilizing the checkbox. Like this. 

Then, click “Import” to adhd some dimensions to your report.

“Event name” magnitude  selected

Now, click the “+” motion to the close of “Metrics.”

“+” motion   highlighted to the close    of “Metrics"

You’ll spot a database of metrics you tin choose. Click into the “Event” radical and past usage the checkbox to prime “Event count.”

Then, click “Import.”

“Event count" selected nether  "Select metrics" drop-down menu

You present person your dimensions and metrics acceptable for your report. Name your study utilizing the “Exploration Name” field.

"Scroll Depth Report" added nether  “Exploration Name” field

Now, it’s clip to adhd a filter to look astatine scroll events. To bash that, look wrong “Settings” and click connected the “+” beneath “Filters.”

Add a filter nether  “Settings” conception  successful  GA4

You’ll spot the 2 dimensions you’ve imported. Choose “Event name.”

“Event name" selected nether  "Dimensions" section

Now, you tin acceptable the conditions of your filter utilizing 2 fields.

Event sanction  conditions fields

Choose “contains” arsenic your lucifer benignant successful the archetypal field. Select oregon benignant “scroll” successful the 2nd tract to see each of your scroll events. Click “Apply.”

Conditions "contains" "scroll" fields selected nether  lucifer  types

The past measurement is to adhd your information to your report. To bash that, treble click connected each of your 2 dimensions and your azygous metric from the “Variables” section.

"Dimensions" and "Metrics" fields highlighted nether  "Variables" window

Finally, alteration the “Nested Rows” drop-down from “No” to “Yes” to signifier your information astatine the leafage level.

"Yes" acceptable   nether  “Nested Rows” fields

Let’s present look astatine 3 ways you tin usage your data.

You tin uncover page-specific insights to amended show by comparing scroll information astatine antithetic thresholds.

Let’s accidental you’re a selling manager for a B2B website and you trust connected your blog to assistance make leads. You’re funny successful the show of the circumstantial articles connected your blog.

You way scroll extent astatine 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% and you usage that accusation to find places to improve.

Here are 3 ways you tin bash that utilizing the study you’ve built successful the erstwhile section.

Learn from Your Top Pages

You tin place operation and layout patterns successful your apical performing contented that you tin use to different articles.

When you analyse your apical 4 articles by full leafage views, you announcement that the archetypal and 2nd person importantly much readers astatine the opening of the article. You look astatine the scroll_to_10 lawsuit counts to spot they are much than doubly arsenic precocious arsenic the 3rd and 4th articles.

And yet the scroll_to_75 lawsuit counts for the 3rd and 4th articles are much than 3 times arsenic precocious arsenic the archetypal and second.

Why are your apical 2 articles getting much views successful total, but less radical are making it each the mode done them?

Page way  and surface  people  report

You reappraisal each 4 pages and spot that your 3rd and 4th champion articles person importantly much images than the apical two. They besides diagnostic shorter paragraphs and much achromatic space.

In contrast, the archetypal and 2nd articles are visually dense without arsenic overmuch achromatic space. You surmise that the layout and operation whitethorn beryllium holding your readers backmost from getting each the mode through. 

You program to revise the archetypal and 2nd articles and measurement results. If you get the results you anticipation to see, you tin proceed to rotation retired the changes successful different pieces of content.

You could besides usage Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to spot if determination are immoderate keyword opportunities to amended the ranking imaginable of the 3rd and 4th champion pages. You cognize your assemblage is uncovering them helpful. So, optimizing them for different applicable keywords could amended their wide performance.

Understand Where You Need to Improve Introductions

You tin besides comparison the fig of scroll_to_10 events with the fig of scroll_to_25 events to recognize however good your instauration is grabbing attraction and motivating your visitors to support reading.

You comparison your mean ratio for each articles to the aforesaid ratio for caller articles. You bash this by dividing the fig of scrolls to 25% by the fig of scrolls to 10%, past multiplying that by 100.

You cognize that your wide ratio is conscionable implicit 80%, and you’ve conscionable published a caller nonfiction that is performing somewhat worse than normal. You get this fig via the sum: (15/19) x 100 = 78.9%.

"Even count" filed highlighted for the 2  scroll events successful  a table

You privation each your caller articles to deed an 80% oregon higher ratio. So you inquire your contented squad to revise the instauration to marque it adjacent much compelling.

If you find articles with precise fewer radical getting past 10%, you mightiness person a existent contented with contented quality. Or you mightiness person a rubric tag and meta statement that don’t accurately bespeak the content.

You cognize that if much readers get beyond the introduction, determination volition beryllium much opportunities for them to spot your telephone to enactment (CTA) and see becoming leads for your business. So you prioritize updating the introductions, titles, and meta descriptions of articles with precise fewer radical making it past 10% scroll depth.

Find Opportunities for Multiple CTAs

You tin comparison the fig of scroll_to_25 events with the fig of scroll_to_75 events to recognize however engaged your readers are successful the main assemblage of your article.

This matters due to the fact that you typically spot a azygous CTA astir halfway down the page. But you cognize immoderate of your contented maintains readers’ involvement amended than others. And you privation to trial 2 CTAs successful those astir engaging pieces to spot if it boosts conversions.

To find those trial subjects, you comparison your mean ratio for each articles to the aforesaid ratio for idiosyncratic articles.

You cognize that your wide ratio of scroll_to_25 events compared to scroll_to_75 events is 40%.

Here is the nonfiction you’re analyzing. Instead of your mean 40%, this nonfiction has a 75% ratio (6 / 8 = 0.75. Multiply it by 100 to get 75%).

Event number  shown successful  a array  for scroll_to_25 events and scroll_to_75 events

This would beryllium an perfect campaigner for investigating an further CTA, arsenic your scroll extent information shows it’s a peculiarly engaging portion of content.

More Ways to Act connected Your Data

Taking enactment with your scroll information is 1 mode you tin amended your website’s performance.

And you tin usage scroll extent information alongside insights from tools similar Semrush to instrumentality things further.

Semrush’s Project Dashboard tin assistance you negociate the wellness of your website truthful you tin enactment your champion integer ft forward. Fast-loading, error-free sites are amended optimized for hunt engines and much apt to support your assemblage scrolling and engaged.

Semrush’s Project Dashboard

And you tin integrate this with different integer platforms similar Google Analytics. So you tin larn much astir however to amended your apical content.

For example, Organic Traffic Insights shows your apical landing pages from Google Analytics combined with keyword information from Semrush and Google Search Console.

Organic Traffic Insights report

You tin usage it to prioritize your efforts to absorption connected ranking your astir important pages. So you tin amended your ranking imaginable portion besides making scroll data-informed contented enhancements.

Are you acceptable to effort retired Semrush to get much information you tin enactment on? Start your escaped trial today.