The item list is a key concept for tracking the 'discovery path' of a product in GA4 e-commerce. Even for the same product, purchase conversion rates can vary greatly depending on whether it is discovered through home screen recommendations, category navigation, or search. We measure this difference using item_list_name and item_list_id.
The item list parameter must record the exposure context in view_item_list and select_item, and send the same value to view_item, add_to_cart, and purchase. This way, you can track the funnel from which list the user came from and ultimately completed the purchase.
In practice, the item_list_name value system must be clearly designed in advance. If there is no consistent naming rule such as 'Category_Top', 'Search_T-shirt', or 'Recommended_Bestseller', report data will be fragmented and analysis will be difficult. In particular, in the case of dynamically created recommendation lists, the list name format must be agreed upon in advance with the development team.
GA4 screen path: Reports > Monetization > Ecommerce Purchases > Add 'Item List Name' dimension to compare performance by list.
Key takeaways
- The item_list_name and item_list_id parameters record the name and ID of the list where the product is displayed.
- The same value must be maintained from view_item_list to purchase to track the conversion rate for each list.
- Compare the conversion rate difference between listings for the same product to understand which listing placement is effective.
- If naming rules are not designed in advance, report data becomes fragmented.
- It corresponds to UA's list impression and has been standardized as the item_list_name parameter of GA4.