If you’re noticing that your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) conversions are not matching Xola transactions 1:1, don’t worry—this is expected due to how analytics tracking works. Before diving into troubleshooting, we recommend reviewing this article to understand the common reasons behind these differences.
What's covered in this article:
Button Implementation Checklist
To accurately track conversions, ensure that both the correct Xola button type and the Xola JavaScript are installed on your website.
Check for Xola's Checkout Javascript
For conversion tracking to work, the Xola JavaScript must be installed on your website—either in the <head> or <footer> section of your site’s code. You can find this script in Step 1 from Settings > Button Code.
How to Verify It’s Installed:
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Open your website in a browser.
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Right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect.
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In the Elements tab, press
Command + F(Mac) orCtrl + F(Windows). -
Search for
checkout.js.
If the script appears in the page’s code, you're good to go.
Confirm the Correct Xola Button Type
Once you’ve confirmed the JavaScript is installed, check that you're using the correct type of checkout button.
Xola supports two button types that work with conversion tracking:
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Pop-Up Checkout
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Embedded Checkout
To verify:
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Click your Book Now button.
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If a checkout window pops up or stays embedded on the page, your button is compatible with tracking.
Important:
If you’ve used the URL option from Settings > Button Code (which redirects to a separate checkout page), tracking won’t work unless the Xola JavaScript is installed. Redirect-based checkouts do not allow analytics to track conversions properly.
Install & Verify GA4 Tracking Code
Once you have confirmed that you have integrated Xola's JS code and have the appropriate button types, the next step is to ensure that your Google Analytics tracking code is correctly installed on your website. There are two common methods for implementing the tracking code:
- GA4 Script: The GA4 script is directly pasted into the website's source code.
- Google Tag Manager (GTM): Instead of pasting the GA4 script directly, GTM allows for centralized management of various tags and tracking codes, including Google Analytics.
Steps to Verify Proper Code Installation
To proceed with the verification process, follow these steps:
- Obtain the Tracking ID - either the GA4 property ID or the Google Tag Manager Container ID. The GA4 ID should look something like "G-XXXXXXXXXX," while the GTM ID should look like "GTM-XXXXXXXX."
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Verify Implementation - Regardless of the method you used, whether it's Google Tag Manager or the direct GA4 script, the tracking code must be placed within the header of your website (Google Tag Manager will also provide a <noscript> that will be installed in the body instead of the head). To ensure proper installation, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the webpage and select View Page Source.
- Once the page source loads select Command + F and search for the end </head> tag. Ensure that your Tracking ID appears anywhere between the opening <head> and closing </head> tags.
Note: Proper placement of tracking codes are very important. If the tracking code is placed anywhere below the end </head> tag conversions will not pass over.
Use Additional Tools
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Google Tag Assistant — Validate your GA4 or GTM setup.
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Google Ads Setup Guide — Learn how to integrate and verify Google Ads tracking.
Set Up Accurate Attribution
In case attributions for conversions (source/medium, landing page, campaign etc.) are not coming in properly, check if xola.com is added to a cross-domain linking list.
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Go to GA4 Admin > navigate Data Streams.
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Select your web data stream.
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Click Configure Tag Settings > Configure Your Domains.
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Click on Add Condition> add the following domains:
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xola.com -
xola.app -
yourwebsite.com
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Still seeing
yourwebsite.com / referral?
Under Add Condition> Click Show More > List Unwanted Referrals and add the same domains there to clean up self-referral data.
Compare GA4 Metrics with Xola Reports
If Xola JavaScript, proper button types, and tracking code are all installed correctly verify that your E-commerce purchases correlate with transactions shown in Xola reporting.
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In GA4, go to Reports > Monetization > Ecommerce Purchases.
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In the top right corner> set your date range and take note of:
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Number of Purchases
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Revenue (calculated as price × quantity, excluding discounts/taxes)
- When accounting for Items purchased, the amount calculated in E-Commerce purchases is accounting for Add-Ons and the number of Demographics purchased. Below is how GA4 calculates revenue in comparison to UA. In GA4, Item revenue = price x quantity without consideration of discount and taxes.
- While in UA> Revenue = Price x qty - discount amount + tax amount
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To compare transactions in Xola:
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Go to Reports > Custom Reports > Reservations
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Set the date range one day earlier than GA4 (e.g., GA4: Jan 3–10, Xola: Jan 2–9)
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Filter columns by:
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Source: Filter only to Checkout
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Tags: Filter to exclude Rescue bookings, which are counted as converted abandoned bookings
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When abandoned bookings are converted, this means the guest completed the booking using the link provided via email thus not allowing the purchase to be tracked through the website.
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Calculate revenue by summing:
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Base Amount + Add-ons
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Key Considerations When Comparing Data
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Conversions will not be 1:1
Factors include:-
Direct checkout URLs
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Mobile vs. desktop differences
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Ad blockers
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Back-office bookings
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OTAs
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Converted abandoned bookings
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Big Discrepancy (>15%)?
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In GA4, expand the report and group by:
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platform/device > device category
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If desktop data is low, verify E-commerce events in GTM.
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If both mobile and desktop are low, check your GTM container or contact support.
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Incorrect Channel Attribution?
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Double-check your cross-domain tracking setup.
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Still having issues? Contact our support team at support@xola.com — we’re here to help!