GA4 Form Funnels: View, Start, Complete & Abandon

Are your forms turning your visitors away? Are you wondering how many people start filling out your form but never finish? Or maybe you just want to know how effective your contact form really is?

With Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you can finally track how users interact with your forms. This includes who views the form, who starts it, who completes it, and who abandons it. Sounds like magic? It’s not—it’s data!

What is a Form Funnel?

A form funnel is like a virtual slide that tracks your users as they go through steps in your form. Think of it like this:

• View – They land on the form page.
• Start – They begin typing in any field.
• Complete – They hit submit.
• Abandon – They started but never finished.

Each of these actions gives you a piece of the puzzle. Let’s look at how it all works in GA4.

Tracking Forms in GA4

GA4 doesn’t automatically track forms in this detailed way. You’ll need to set it up. But don’t worry—it’s simpler than it sounds. Here’s what you need:

1. Google Tag Manager (GTM)
2. GA4 configured properly
3. Some marketing curiosity 😄

With GTM, you create Custom Events triggered by form interactions. Then you send those events into GA4 where you can build funnels and reports.

Step 1: Define the Events

You’ll want to track these main events:

• form_view
• form_start
• form_submit

You can name them anything you like, but keeping it clear and simple is always best.

Implement each event using GTM triggers:

• form_view: Fires when the user loads the page
• form_start: Fires when a user clicks or types on a form field
• form_submit: Fires when the form is submitted successfully

Once these are being sent to GA4, the fun begins!

Step 2: Build the Funnel in GA4

GA4 gives you an awesome tool called Exploration. Using it, you can create a Funnel Exploration report. This allows you to track how users move through your form.

Here’s how to build your form funnel:

1. Open GA4 and go to Explore
2. Select Funnel Exploration
3. Add the steps in this order:
   • form_view
   • form_start
   • form_submit
4. Set the dimension to Event name

You’ll now see how many users view, start, and complete the form — all in beautiful chart format!

Understanding Form Funnel Metrics

Once your funnel is tracking, you can start exploring some powerful insights.

• High form_view, low form_start? Your form may look scary or too complex from the start.
• High form_start, low form_submit? People begin the process but get frustrated. Maybe there are too many fields or confusion.
• High abandon rate? Time to rethink your layout, wording, or user experience.

This kind of clarity is what marketers dream about!

Bonus: Track Form Abandonment

So how do we know when someone starts a form but bails?

We calculate form abandonment like this:

Abandon Rate = [(form_start – form_submit) / form_start] × 100

GA4 doesn’t show this as a default metric, but you can calculate it manually or in a custom report. We recommend building an Exploration Report that compares the form_start and form_submit events side by side.

Tips to Improve Your Form Funnel

Got lots of viewers but not enough completions? It’s time to optimize!

• Keep it short: Only ask for what you really need.
• Use progress indicators: Let people know where they are in the process.
• Auto-fill whenever possible: Make it easy.
• Mobile-friendly layout: Most users are on their phones!
• Highlight errors clearly: Avoid frustration.

The data from GA4 will show you exactly where users drop off. Use it to guide design decisions.

Real-Life Use Case

Let’s say you run a local gym. You have a “Join Now” form with 5 fields:

• Name
• Email
• Phone
• Fitness Goals
• Preferred Gym Location

Thanks to GA4, you notice a big drop after users see the form. Hardly anyone types in their info. Maybe the form looks long or asks for too much. So you simplify it to 3 fields. Result? 40% increase in submissions. 💪

GA4 Form Funnel Is Your Secret Weapon

Most websites lose leads because their forms aren’t optimized. And the worst part is—they don’t even know it’s happening! With GA4 form funnel tracking, you can catch problems before they cost you leads or sales.

It’s like switching from a blurry photo to HD. You see where the pain points are and where to fix them.

Best part? Once it’s set up, it keeps running in the background. Quietly collecting form insights day and night.

Final Thoughts

Form funnels in GA4 are not just for big brands. They’re for anyone who wants to understand their audience better. Whether it’s a contact form, a sign-up form, or a checkout form, GA4 can help you boost conversions.

So go ahead—track your form like a pro. Turn clicks into conversions. 📈

And always remember: every unfinished form is a story waiting to be understood.