Does my data layer have to follow the GA4 recommended-event shape for Croct to read it?
my data layer was hand-rolled years ago with custom event names and its own parameter shapes, well before we standardized on anything. Now I am adding the Croct tag and I am unsure how much of it will actually map.
Do events need to match the GA4 recommended-event structure to be picked up, or can the tag figure out arbitrary names? Container is a single one we control end to end if that matters.
1 answer
The tag maps Google's recommended events, using the GA4 reference as the spec, from your data layer to Croct events. Events that match the recommended-event names and parameter shape are mapped automatically. Events that fall outside that set, including custom names, are not auto-mapped. The Google Tag Manager integration docs list what is covered.
The recommended-event families the tag understands are ecommerce, lead generation, user acquisition, and engagement. So the practical answer for a hand-rolled data layer is: anything you can rename or reshape to match a recommended event will map cleanly, and anything genuinely custom you send as a custom event through the SDK instead. Both paths land in the same profiles.