What do you create in Google Analytics first?
A Measurement ID is the only thing WordPress needs from Google Analytics. It looks like G- followed by letters and numbers. A code that starts with UA- is the old product and will not fill a GA4 report.
Open analytics.google.com and sign in with the Google account that should own the data. Start measuring, name the account, then name the property. Set the reporting time zone to the one you work in, and set the currency you actually bill in. Choose Web, enter the site URL without a stray path, and create the stream.
On the stream screen, copy the Measurement ID. WordPress.com sites on a Premium, Business, or Commerce plan paste that ID under Jetpack, then Traffic. A self-hosted site, including one on WebJi®, does not have that screen. Use the steps below.
Which install should you pick?
Use one method. Two tags on the same pages count each visit twice, and the reports look busier than the site is.
| Method | Use it when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Site Kit by Google | One WordPress site, and you can install plugins. | Do not also paste the tag by hand. |
| Google tag in the header | Plugins are blocked, or you already keep a child theme. | A parent theme update deletes header.php edits. |
| Google Tag Manager | The site also fires Ads or other tags. | Publish the container, or the tag stays a draft. |
Site Kit is enough for a normal brochure or shop site. Pick the header snippet only when you cannot install plugins. Pick Tag Manager when this site already fires ads or other tags from one container.
How do you connect Site Kit?
Do this in wp-admin on the live site, not on a password-protected copy. Stop when Realtime shows you.
- Open Plugins, then Add New. Search Site Kit by Google. Click Install Now, then Activate. A Site Kit item in the left menu means the plugin is on.
- Open Site Kit and start setup. Sign in with the Google account that owns the GA4 property. Allow the access it asks for, then verify the site. A maintenance lock or a coming-soon password makes that check fail.
- If Site Kit offers Search Console, you can add the site. That only records that you control the domain. It does not place the site in Google search results.
- Choose to set up Google Analytics, select the property for this domain, and finish. The connected ID should start with G-, the same ID you copied from the stream.
- Leave wp-admin. Do not also paste a Google tag into the theme. You are done when Realtime shows one active user.
How do you add the tag without a plugin?
In Google Analytics, open Admin, then the web data stream, then the tag instructions. Choose the manual option and copy the Google tag. It belongs immediately before the closing head tag, so it loads on every public page.
Paste it in a child theme, or with a plugin that only inserts a header snippet. Editing the parent theme file header.php looks finished until the next theme update replaces that file and the tag disappears.
After you save, view the page source on the homepage and search for your G- ID. If it is missing, the snippet is in the wrong file or a cache is still serving the old HTML. Clear the cache, then look again. Do not install Site Kit on top of this snippet.
When should you use Google Tag Manager?
Tag Manager is a container, not a report. You install the container snippet once, then add a GA4 tag inside Tag Manager using the same Measurement ID, and you publish the container. An unpublished container sends nothing.
Use it when the site already has a container, or when you need Google Ads and Analytics to share one install. If you do not have those extra tags, Site Kit is the shorter path. Do not paste the Google tag and also fire it from Tag Manager.
How do you know the tag is working?
- Realtime shows at least one active user while you browse the site in a private window.
- The page source contains one G- ID, not two, and not a UA- ID.
- The next day, the standard reports start to fill. They can stay empty for 24 to 48 hours after the first hit.
- Your own office visits are excluded only after you add a filter. Until then, your tests are real hits.
Page value is a column you see later, after a conversion is marked. It is not a code you paste, and an empty page value does not mean the tag failed.
Those reports show which pages people open and which channel sent them. Turning that into a content plan is a separate job. WordPress SEO covers that work. The site still needs a normal WordPress install that can run plugins, which is what WordPress hosting provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add Google Analytics to my WordPress site?
Create a GA4 web stream, copy the Measurement ID that starts with G-, install Site Kit by Google, and connect that property. Open Realtime and load the site. One active user means the tag is on.
How do I add Google Analytics to my website?
If the site is self-hosted WordPress, follow the Site Kit steps above. A WordPress.com site on a paid plan pastes the same Measurement ID under Jetpack, then Traffic. The ID still has to start with G-.
How do I add Google Analytics to WordPress without a plugin?
Copy the Google tag from the web stream and paste it before the closing head tag in a child theme, or with a header snippet plugin. Do not edit the parent theme header.php, and do not also run Site Kit.
How do I set up GA4 on WordPress?
GA4 is the current Analytics property. Create it, add a Web data stream for your domain, and connect the G- ID with one method only. A UA- ID is the old product and does not fill GA4 reports.
How do I know Google Analytics is working?
Open the Realtime report, then visit the site in a private window. You should see one active user within a minute. Other reports can stay empty for a day or two after the first hit.
Is Google Analytics free for a WordPress site?
The standard GA4 property does not charge a fee, and you do not buy it from your host. A paid plugin add-on, or Google's enterprise Analytics product, is separate from this setup.