This section shows you how to use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to send Practice by Numbers booking events into Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

This allows you to analyze the full online booking funnel, not just final conversions.

Where you’ll work: Google Tag Manager tagmanager.google.com
What you’ll create:
- Data Layer Variables
- Triggers
- GA4 Event Tags
What you won’t touch:
- Practice by Numbers code (events are already sent automatically)

Why This Matters

Google Ads tells you what converted.
GA4 tells you how users got there.

With GA4, you can:

See where patients drop off in the booking flow
Compare visit types, locations, and providers
Build custom booking dashboards
Attribute bookings to traffic sources

How It Works

What Practice by Numbers Does Automatically ✅

Sends booking events to GTM’s dataLayer
Includes details like:
- Appointment date & time
- Visit type
- Provider
- Location
- Patient type

What You Configure in GTM ⚙️

Create Data Layer Variables to capture that data
Create triggers for booking events
Create GA4 Event tags to send data to GA4

What GA4 Receives 📊

Custom events (ex: pbn_appointment_booked)
Detailed event parameters
Full visibility into your booking funnel

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure:

✅ You have a Google Analytics 4 property
✅ You already have a GA4 Configuration tag in GTM

If you don’t have a GA4 Configuration tag, this setup requires GA4 onboarding and is outside the scope of this guide. Contact your marketing agency for assistance.

Create Data Layer Variables

These variables allow GA4 to receive appointment details (date, provider, visit type, etc.).

How to Create a Variable

For each variable below, follow the same steps:

In GTM, click Variables
Scroll to User-Defined Variables
Click New
Rename the variable (see table below)
Click Variable Configuration
Select Data Layer Variable
Enter the Data Layer Variable Name
Click Save

Required Variables to Create

Variable Name (GTM)	Data Layer Variable Name
DLV – appointment_date	appointment_date
DLV – appointment_time	appointment_time
DLV – visit_type_id	visit_type_id
DLV – visit_type_name	visit_type_name
DLV – provider_id	provider_id
DLV – provider_name	provider_name
DLV – location_id	location_id
DLV – location_name	location_name
DLV – patient_type	patient_type
DLV – practice_slug	practice_slug

⏱️ This takes about 5 minutes and only needs to be done once.

Create Triggers for GA4 Events

You already created the Appointment Booked trigger earlier. Now create two more.

Trigger 1: Widget Opened

Go to Triggers → New
Name: PBN – Widget Opened
Trigger Type: Custom Event
Event name: pbn_booking_widget_opened
Click Save

Trigger 2: Patient Info Entered

Click New
Name: PBN – Patient Info Entered
Trigger Type: Custom Event
Event name: pbn_patient_info_entered
Click Save

You can add triggers for additional events later using the same pattern.

Create GA4 Event Tag – Appointment Booked

This sends the most important booking event to GA4.

Create the Tag

Go to Tags → New
Name: GA4 Event – PBN Appointment Booked
Tag Type: Google Analytics: GA4 Event

Configure the Tag

Select your existing GA4 Configuration tag
Event Name: pbn_appointment_booked

Add Event Parameters

Click Add Row for each parameter:

Parameter Name	Value
appointment_date	{{DLV – appointment_date}}
appointment_time	{{DLV – appointment_time}}
visit_type_name	{{DLV – visit_type_name}}
provider_name	{{DLV – provider_name}}
location_name	{{DLV – location_name}}
patient_type	{{DLV – patient_type}}

Attach Trigger

Trigger: PBN – Appointment Booked
Click Save

Create GA4 Event Tags for Other Events

Repeat the same steps above for the following events:

GA4 Event – Widget Opened

Event Name: pbn_booking_widget_opened
Parameter:
- practice_slug → {{DLV – practice_slug}}
Trigger: PBN – Widget Opened

GA4 Event – Patient Info Entered

Event Name: pbn_patient_info_entered
Parameter:
- patient_type → {{DLV – patient_type}}
Trigger: PBN – Patient Info Entered

Publish Your Changes

Click Submit
Version Name: Added PBN events to GA4
Click Publish

✅ GA4 tracking is now live.

Verify Events in GA4

Option 1: DebugView (Real-Time Testing)

Best for: Immediate verification while testing
1. Go to your Google Analytics 4 property at analytics.google.com
2. In the left sidebar, click "Admin" (gear icon at bottom)
3. Under "Data display", click "DebugView"
4. Open your booking widget in another tab
5. Complete a test booking
6. Back in DebugView, you should see events appear in real-time:
  - pbn_booking_widget_opened
  - pbn_appointment_booked
  - etc.
7. Click on any event to see its parameters
Tip: DebugView only shows events from sessions where the GA4 debug mode is active. The GTM Preview mode automatically enables this!

Option 2: Realtime Report (Live Traffic)

Best for: Seeing actual user events as they happen
1. Go to analytics.google.com
2. In left sidebar, click "Reports"
3. Click "Realtime"
4. Scroll down to "Event count by Event name" card
5. You should see your events listed:
  - pbn_appointment_booked
  - pbn_booking_widget_opened
  - pbn_patient_info_entered
  - etc.
6. Click on an event name to see more details
Shows: Events from the last 30 minutes

Option 3: Events Report (Historical Data)

Best for: Analyzing trends and conversions over time

Go to analytics.google.com
In left sidebar, click "Reports"
Click "Engagement"
Click "Events"
You'll see a table with all your events:
- Event name
- Event count
- Total users
- Event value (if configured)

Mark Appointment Booked as a Conversion in GA4

GA4 → Admin → Events
Find pbn_appointment_booked
Toggle Mark as conversion ON

Now you can:

Track booking conversion rates
Attribute bookings to channels
Optimize campaigns using GA4 data

Troubleshooting: Events Not Showing

Problem: Events not appearing in any view

Check these:

✅ Did you create the GA4 Event tags in GTM?
- Go to GTM → Tags
- Look for GA4 Event - PBN Appointment Booked
✅ Is your GA4 Configuration tag firing?
- Use GTM Preview mode
- Check "Tags Fired" section
- Should see your GA4 Config tag
✅ Are events firing in GTM?
- Use GTM Preview mode
- Complete a test booking
- Check for pbn_appointment_booked in "Messages" tab
✅ Is the GA4 Measurement ID correct?
- In GTM, check your GA4 Configuration tag
- Measurement ID format: G-XXXXXXXXXX
- Verify it matches your GA4 property
✅ Has it been 24-48 hours?
- DebugView: Instant
- Realtime: 30 minute delay
- Reports: 24-48 hour delay