Update data.gov Google Analytics tag (analytics.js) to the GA4 (gtag.js)

[FuhuXia]

User Story

In order to benefit from the new generation of Google Analytics, data.gov teams wants upgrade to Google's GA4 (gtag.js) tagging solution.

Acceptance Criteria

[ACs should be clearly demoable/verifiable whenever possible. Try specifying them using BDD.]

• WHEN visit https://catalog.data.gov
  THEN we see https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js in the source code
  AND visitor data are collected to the new GA4 properties on the GA dashboard.
• WHEN visit https://www.data.gov
  THEN we see https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js in the source code
  AND visitor data are collected to the new GA4 properties on the GA dashboard.
• WHEN visit https://sdg.data.gov/
  THEN we see https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js in the source code
  AND visitor data are collected to the new GA4 properties on the GA dashboard.
• WHEN visit https://resources.data.gov/
  THEN we see https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js in the source code
  AND visitor data are collected to the new GA4 properties on the GA dashboard.

Background

We got email notification from Google to encourage for the upgrade.

Security Considerations (required)

Developer will need to gain access to the GA dashboard to configure GA4 properties.

Sketch

• Configure new GA4 properties on the GA dashboard.
• Add gtag.js snippet to ckanext-googleanalyticsbasic ckan extensions for catalog.data.gov and static code to www.data.gov
• Leave both old generation analytics.js snippet and new generation gtag.js snippet on for a while, verify it is working expected before taking analytics.js off.

[jbrown-xentity]

Search analytics issues, there are 9 issues that are semi-related. Should validate this ticket with other possible work.

[btylerburton]

Based on comments at the TTS Digital Council, we should first enroll in GSA's GA360 enterprise analytics program. This will give our UA implementation another year of life and then GA360 admins will create a GA4 account for us, after which developers can create implementation tickets.

[hkdctol]

Discussion at IRL was we update our own existing account and enroll in the GSA GA 360

[FuhuXia]

It turns out we lost the whole block <!-- Google Analytics --> ... <!-- End Google Analytics --> when we migrated from ckan 2.8.10 to 2.9.5 in August of 2022.

[dlennox24]

We determined that the CKAN templates were being overwritten by other CKAN plugins. Fuhu was able to resolve this with this PR: GSA/catalog.data.gov#1084. This likely also contributed to the lost of overall views in the GA reports. I've updated the PR with the GA4 tracking code. Once this is deployed we can verify if data is flowing into the GA4 property.

[dlennox24]

PR is merged and data from catalog.data.gov is flowing into the GA4 property. Next steps are to ensure static site data is being ingested into the GA4 property. This will likely require a separate data stream to allow for the difference in subdomains.

[dlennox24]

Verified that the new gtag javascript was being used in the data.gov static site. I've update the tracking code to use the GA4 version. Once this is deployed, I can verify that data is flowing into the GA4 property from the static sites. Once that verification is complete, this story can be marked complete.

PR: GSA/datagov-11ty#158

[dlennox24]

I verified that data is flowing into the GA4 from both catalog.data.gov and the 11ty site.

Examples:

• Page data from 11ty
• catalog.data.gov page data

[hkdctol]

@dlennox24 what we discussed about making sure that sdg and resources are included in the Data.gov GA4, can we include that here, and then we can close ticket

[dlennox24]

I added https://sdg.data.gov/ and https://resources.data.gov/ to the acceptance criteria and moved this back to in progress. These sites don't have the new GA4 tag/code added to them yet.

[dlennox24]

I've added the new GA4 code to resources and sdg. The PRs are currently pending review and approval.

[hkdctol]

@dlennox24 will close after confirming data is flowing

[dlennox24]

Data has been flowing! Marking as complete.