Event Tracking Design
Events are the building blocks of product analytics. Each event represents a specific user action — clicking a button, viewing a page, completing a purchase. Well-designed event tracking makes analysis straightforward. Poorly designed tracking creates confusion and unreliable data.
Event Structure
Every event needs a name and properties that provide context. The name identifies what happened; properties explain the circumstances.
{
event: "button_clicked",
properties: {
button_name: "signup",
page: "homepage",
user_id: "123",
timestamp: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}
}
Properties answer questions you'll ask later: Which button? On which page? Which user? When? Include enough context to make the event useful for analysis, but don't track sensitive information unnecessarily.
Naming Conventions
Consistent naming prevents chaos. When different developers name similar events differently — "SignUp", "sign_up", "user_signed_up", "signup_complete" — analysis becomes a nightmare.
Adopt a clear format and stick to it. The object_action pattern works well:
signup_started
signup_completed
product_viewed
product_added_to_cart
checkout_completed
error_occurred
This format reads naturally and groups related events together. All signup events start with "signup_", all product events with "product_". Sorting alphabetically clusters related events.
Use lowercase with underscores for consistency. Avoid abbreviations that might confuse future team members. "btn_clk" saves a few characters but loses clarity.
Creating a Tracking Plan
Before implementing tracking, document what you'll track and why. A tracking plan prevents gaps and redundancy.
| Event | Properties | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| page_viewed | path, referrer, title | Page load |
| signup_started | source, method | Signup form opened |
| signup_completed | method, referral_code | Account created |
| feature_used | feature_name, duration | Feature interaction |
| error_occurred | error_type, message, page | Error detected |
For each event, specify:
- What triggers it — the exact user action or system event
- Required properties — what context must be included
- Who owns it — which team is responsible for implementation
Implementation Tips
Track events close to where they happen. If a button triggers an action, track the click in the button's click handler, not somewhere downstream where context might be lost.
Validate events before sending. Missing required properties or malformed data corrupt your analytics. Catch problems during development, not after launch.
Test your tracking thoroughly. Use your analytics tool's debug mode to verify events fire correctly with the right properties. Broken tracking is worse than no tracking — it gives you false confidence in bad data.