Track when users leave and return to your tab using Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Step 1: Set Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
If you haven’t set up GA4 for your website yet, follow these steps:
1. Create a Google Analytics account (if you don’t have one).
• Go to Google Analytics and sign in.
• Click on “Admin” (bottom left corner).
• Under “Account”, click “Create Account” and follow the setup.
2. Set Up a GA4 Property
• In Admin, under “Property”, click “Create Property”.
• Give your property a name (e.g., “My Website GA4”).
• Set your time zone and currency.
• Click “Next”, select your business details, and click “Create”.
3. Add the GA4 Tracking Code to Your Website
• Go to Admin > Data Streams.
• Select “Web” and enter your website URL.
• Copy the Measurement ID (it looks like G-XXXXXXXXXX).
• Add this to your website inside the <head> section:
html:
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());
gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>
If you’re using WordPress or a website builder (like Shopify or Wix), there might be a Google Analytics integration, where you just paste your Measurement ID.
Step 2: Add a Custom Event for Tab Visibility
Now, we’ll add a custom event to track when users leave and return to your website tab.
1. Add this JavaScript to your website (inside <script> tags in the <head> or before </body>):
html:
<script>
document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", function () {
if (document.visibilityState === "hidden") {
// User left the tab
gtag('event', 'tab_hidden', {
event_category: 'Tab Visibility',
event_label: 'User left tab',
non_interaction: true
});
} else if (document.visibilityState === "visible") {
// User returned to the tab
gtag('event', 'tab_visible', {
event_category: 'Tab Visibility',
event_label: 'User returned to tab',
non_interaction: true
});
}
});
</script>
What this does:
• Sends an event “tab_hidden” when the user leaves the tab.
• Sends an event “tab_visible” when the user returns to the tab.
Step 3: Verify Events in GA4
1. Go to Google Analytics.
2. Click on “Reports” > “Real-time”.
3. Open your website in a new tab and switch away from it for a few seconds.
4. Come back and check if you see “tab_visible” and “tab_hidden” events appearing in the real-time reports.
Step 4: Create a Custom Event in GA4 for Reporting
1. Go to GA4 Admin Panel.
2. Under “Property”, click “Events”.
3. Click “Create event”.
4. Click “Create” again.
5. Fill out the event settings:
• Custom event name: tab_leave_return
• Matching conditions:
• event_name equals tab_hidden
• event_name equals tab_visible
6. Click Save.
Step 5: View the Data in GA4 Reports
1. Go to Reports > Engagement > Events.
2. Look for “tab_hidden” and “tab_visible” events.
3. After a few hours or a day, you’ll start seeing trends in these events.
Optional: Using Google Tag Manager (If You Prefer a No-Code Approach)
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If you use Google Tag Manager (GTM) instead of manually adding JavaScript, follow these steps:
1. Go to Google Tag Manager (tagmanager.google.com) and create an account.
2. Create a New Tag.
3. Choose “GA4 Event” as the Tag Type.
4. Enter your GA4 Measurement ID.
5. Set Event Name to tab_hidden or tab_visible.
6. Create a Trigger:
• Click Triggers > New Trigger.
• Select “Page Visibility”.
• Choose “Hidden” for tab_hidden and “Visible” for tab_visible.
• Save and Publish.