Custom Code to Add a Google Analytics Tracking Code in WordPress

Adding Google Analytics to WordPress - Custom Solution

Custom Code Solution

Add this code to your theme's functions.php file or preferably in a site-specific plugin. This solution uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) tracking.

Code to add GA4 tracking code to your WordPress site header:

function add_google_analytics() {
    // Replace G-XXXXXXXXXX with your GA4 Measurement ID
    $tracking_id = 'G-XXXXXXXXXX';
    ?>
    <!-- Google Analytics -->
    <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=<?php echo esc_attr($tracking_id); ?>"></script>
    <script>
        window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
        function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
        gtag('js', new Date());
        gtag('config', '<?php echo esc_attr($tracking_id); ?>');
    </script>
    <?php
}
add_action('wp_head', 'add_google_analytics');

Alternative Method (for older Universal Analytics):

function add_universal_analytics() {
    // Replace UA-XXXXXXXXX-X with your Universal Analytics tracking ID
    $tracking_id = 'UA-XXXXXXXXX-X';
    ?>
    <!-- Google Analytics (Universal) -->
    <script>
        (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
        (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
        m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
        })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');
        ga('create', '<?php echo esc_attr($tracking_id); ?>', 'auto');
        ga('send', 'pageview');
    </script>
    <?php
}
add_action('wp_head', 'add_universal_analytics');

Best Practice Tips

• Replace the tracking ID with your actual Google Analytics tracking code
• Test in debug mode to ensure the code loads correctly
• Consider using conditions to load analytics only on production environments
• Make sure to comply with privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA) by implementing proper consent mechanisms

Plugin Solutions

If you prefer using a plugin, here are reliable options:

1. MonsterInsights - Popular solution with detailed reporting
2. Google Site Kit - Official Google plugin for WordPress
3. GA Google Analytics - Lightweight plugin for basic tracking

Additional Considerations

• GA4 is now the standard tracking method as Universal Analytics was discontinued in July 2023
• Consider implementing cookie consent if serving EU visitors
• Test tracking implementation using Google Analytics Real-Time reports
• Use Google Tag Manager for more advanced tracking needs

Privacy-Conscious Implementation

Code to load analytics only after user consent (requires cookie consent implementation):

function add_google_analytics_with_consent() {
    // Replace G-XXXXXXXXXX with your GA4 Measurement ID
    $tracking_id = 'G-XXXXXXXXXX';
    ?>
    <script>
        function loadAnalytics() {
            var script = document.createElement('script');
            script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=<?php echo esc_attr($tracking_id); ?>';
            script.async = true;
            document.head.appendChild(script);
            
            window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
            function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
            gtag('js', new Date());
            gtag('config', '<?php echo esc_attr($tracking_id); ?>');
        }
        
        // Load analytics if consent is given
        if (document.cookie.indexOf('analytics_consent=true') > -1) {
            loadAnalytics();
        }
    </script>
    <?php
}
add_action('wp_head', 'add_google_analytics_with_consent');