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Troubleshooting Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Xola Integration

Solving Data Gaps - Bridge the Divide Between Your Transactions Report and GA4 Analytics

Tracking conversions with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is essential for measuring the performance of your Xola-powered checkout, but it’s common to notice differences between your GA4 data and Xola’s transaction reports. These discrepancies can stem from a variety of technical, configuration, and user-behavior factors — such as browser privacy settings, ad blockers, session attribution, mobile vs. desktop traffic, or bookings made outside your primary sales funnel.

This Troubleshooting GA4 guide is designed to help you make sense of those differences and fine-tune your analytics setup so you can trust your data, make insightful decisions, and maximize your marketing efforts. Inside, you’ll find:

  • Checklists for button and JavaScript validation

  • Best practices for tag installation

  • Troubleshooting tips for attribution and revenue tracking

  • Recommendations for comparing GA4 metrics to Xola’s reporting

Follow these steps to unlock the most accurate, actionable insights from both your analytics and booking reports—so you can focus on growing your business with confidence.

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.

Verify Xola JavaScript Installation

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.

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How to Verify It’s Installed:

  • Open your website in a browser.

  • Right-click anywhere on the page, and select Inspect.

  • In the Elements tab, press Command + F (Mac) or Ctrl + F (Windows).

  • Search for checkout.js.

If the script appears in the page’s code, you're good to go.

Validate Xola Checkout 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:

  • Pop-Up Checkout

  • Embedded Checkout

To verify:

  • Click your Book Now button.

  • 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."
  • 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

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.

  • Go to GA4 Admin > Data Streams.

  • Select your web data stream.

  • Click Configure Tag Settings > Configure Your Domains.

  • Click on Add Condition, and add the following domains:

    • xola.com

    • xola.app

    • yourwebsite.com

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.

  • In GA4, go to Reports > Monetization > Ecommerce Purchases.

  • In the top right corner, set your date range and take note of:

    • Number of Purchases

    • 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

  • To compare transactions in Xola:

    • Go to Reports > Custom Reports > Reservations

    • Set the date range one day earlier than GA4 (e.g., GA4: Jan 3–10, Xola: Jan 2–9)

    • Filter columns by:

      • Source: Filter only to Checkout

      • Tags: Filter to exclude Rescue bookings, which are counted as converted abandoned bookings

        • 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

    • Calculate revenue by summing Base Amount + Add-ons

Key Considerations When Comparing Data

  • Conversions will not be 1:1
    • Factors include:

      • Direct checkout URLs

      • Mobile vs. desktop differences

      • Ad blockers

      • Back-office bookings

      • OTAs

      • Converted abandoned bookings

  • Big Discrepancy (>15%)?

    • In GA4, expand the report and group by:

      • platform/device > device category

    • If desktop data is low, verify E-commerce events in GTM.

    • If both mobile and desktop are low, check your GTM container or contact support.

  • Incorrect Channel Attribution?

    • Double-check your cross-domain tracking setup.

Still having issues? Contact our support team at support@xola.com - we’re here to help!