GA Conversions vs Goals: What’s New in GA4 and Why It Matters

In the world of digital marketing and analytics, conversions are everything. Whether it’s a product purchase, a form submission, or a newsletter signup, tracking user actions that bring value to your business is crucial. With the transition from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the way we track these actions has evolved significantly.

One of the biggest shifts? The replacement of Goals with GA Conversions. This change isn’t just cosmetic—it represents a deeper transformation in how user behavior is measured. Let’s break it down and explore what’s new, what’s better, and why it matters—using a real-world example to tie it all together.

From Goals to GA Conversions: What’s Changed?

1. Goals in Universal Analytics

In Universal Analytics, Goals were used to measure key user actions like:

Visiting a specific URL (destination goal)
Spending a certain time on the site (duration goal)
Viewing a specific number of pages (pages/screens per session)
Triggering an event like a button click

However, these goals were limited to 20 per view, couldn’t be deleted, and were somewhat rigid in tracking flexibility.

2. GA Conversions in GA4

In GA4, Goals have been replaced with Conversions, and everything is built around events.

Any user interaction can be tracked as an event
You can then mark any event as a conversion
You’re allowed up to 30 conversions per property
GA4 tracks cross-device and cross-platform interactions more effectively

In short, GA Conversions are more flexible, scalable, and precise than Goals.

Why This Matters: Key Benefits of GA Conversions

✅ Event-Based Tracking = Greater Customization

In GA4, everything is an event—from pageviews to scrolls to form submissions. That means you can track exactly what you want, in the way you want. You’re no longer boxed into fixed templates like in UA.

Example: Want to track when users click the WhatsApp button on your mobile site? Just set it up as a custom event and mark it as a conversion—done.

✅ More Accurate Cross-Device Data

GA4 was built for the modern web, where users switch between devices constantly. Conversions in GA4 account for this better, meaning you get a clearer view of a customer journey that spans mobile, desktop, and even apps.

✅ Real-Time Conversion Data

GA4’s interface allows you to view conversions in real time. This is especially helpful when running time-sensitive campaigns or A/B tests and need to optimize quickly.

Real-Time Example: An E-Commerce Brand Adapting to GA4

Let’s say you run an online apparel store called UrbanThreads. In Universal Analytics, you had goals set up for:

Product purchases
Newsletter signups
Time on site > 3 minutes

When switching to GA4, your team creates custom events for:

purchase
sign_up
begin_checkout
view_promo
click_whatsapp

You then mark purchase, sign_up, and begin_checkout as GA Conversions.

After running a spring ad campaign, you check GA4 and see:

Purchases: 350
Begin Checkouts: 520
WhatsApp Clicks: 120
Newsletter Signups: 90

From this data, you discover that while many people begin the checkout process, only 67% actually complete it. You dig deeper and realize that shipping costs were not transparent early on. You tweak the product pages to show shipping estimates—and over the next week, your conversion rate climbs.

That’s the real power of GA Conversions: flexibility, real-time insights, and actionable data.

GA Conversions Setup: Simple and Scalable

Setting up GA Conversions is simple:

Create or collect events via Google Tag Manager, gtag.js, or automatically in GA4.
Navigate to Admin > Events.
Find your event and toggle “Mark as Conversion” to ON.

You’re done! No more complex goal types or static setup.

GA Conversions vs Goals: A Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Universal Analytics Goals	GA4 Conversions
Tracking Method	Session-based	Event-based
Limit	20 per view	30 per property
Setup Flexibility	Limited	Highly customizable
Cross-Platform Tracking	Basic	Advanced
Real-Time Insights	Limited	Available
Custom Parameters	Not directly used	Fully supported

Switching from UA Goals to GA Conversions in GA4 is more than just a platform update—it’s a smarter way to understand your audience and measure success. With greater control, cross-device tracking, and real-time data, GA4 helps you make faster, smarter decisions for your business.