Troubleshooting GA4 Traffic and Consent Mode Issues with Complianz

Many WordPress site owners use the Complianz plugin to manage cookie consent and ensure their Google Analytics tracking is GDPR-compliant. A common point of confusion arises when Google Analytics 4 (GA4) data doesn't appear as expected, with issues ranging from missing e-commerce events to a high volume of "unassigned" or "(not set)" traffic. This guide will help you diagnose and resolve these common GA4 and Complianz integration problems.

Why This Happens

GA4 tracking issues in a consent management context are rarely caused by a single factor. The problem often lies in the complex interaction between consent states, script loading, and GA4's own data processing. It's important to methodically rule out common configuration and third-party conflicts before concluding the plugin itself is the cause.

Common Solutions and Diagnostic Steps

1. Verify Your GA4/GTM Implementation is Firing

Before investigating consent issues, confirm that your analytics tags are actually being fired. A missing or incorrect Measurement ID is a frequent culprit.

• Use a Debugging Tool: Install a browser extension like Tagbird for Chrome or Omnibug for Firefox. After giving consent on your site, reload the page and check the debugger to see if the expected `page_view` and other events are being sent to the correct GA4 property.
• Check the Network Tab: Your browser's developer tools (F12) can show network requests to Google's analytics servers. Look for requests to `www.google-analytics.com` or `analytics.google.com` and ensure they contain your correct G- measurement ID.

2. Investigate "Unassigned" or "(not set)" Traffic

A significant amount of traffic showing as "unassigned" is a known challenge with GA4, particularly when using consent mode. This often affects campaign data.

• Consent Mode Behavior: When users decline analytics cookies, Consent Mode v2 will send anonymous, cookieless pings to Google. These pings are used for conversion modeling but often lack specific campaign data, which can result in a "(not set)" designation for those users. This is an expected part of how privacy-centric tracking works and is not necessarily an error.
• Rule Out Other Causes: The 'Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent' team has noted that issues like this are often unrelated to the plugin. It's crucial to check if the problem started after a specific change, like switching Google Ads campaign types (e.g., from Performance Max to Google Shopping), which can also affect data attribution.

3. Rule Out Plugin and Caching Conflicts

Other WordPress plugins, especially caching and optimization tools, can interfere with analytics scripts.

• Disable Caching Temporarily: As seen in one case, errors related to analytics tracking disappeared when accessing the site with `?nowprocket` appended to the URL, bypassing WP Rocket's optimizations. Temporarily disable your caching plugin to see if analytics data begins to flow correctly. If it does, you will need to reconfigure your caching plugin to exclude analytics scripts from optimization.
• Conflict Test: Deactivate all other plugins except Complianz and switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four). If the tracking works, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the one causing the conflict.

4. Understand GA4's Default Behavior

Some features work differently in GA4 compared to Universal Analytics (UA).

• IP Anonymization: For users concerned about privacy, note that IP anonymization is enabled by default in GA4. Unlike UA, which added an `aip=1` parameter to requests, GA4 does not show this parameter. This is the intended behavior according to Google's documentation.

When Complianz is Unlikely to Be the Cause

Based on the sample support threads, the plugin's support team often clarifies that certain requests are outside the plugin's scope. For example:

• Excluding Logged-in Users: The plugin cannot natively exclude logged-in users from GA4 tracking. This type of filtering must be configured within your Google Analytics account or Google Tag Manager settings.
• Traffic from Specific IPs: If you see traffic from specific regions (like the USA) that you believe is related to a site scanner, this is not traffic blocked or generated by the Complianz plugin and must be handled via GA4's internal filters or settings.

By following this structured approach—verifying your tag setup, understanding consent mode behavior, and testing for conflicts—you can effectively pinpoint the root cause of most GA4 data discrepancies when using the Complianz plugin.