Gaming recommended events overview
GA4 groups recommended events by industry, and games have their own set: level_start, level_end, level_up, post_score, unlock_achievement, tutorial_begin, tutorial_complete, earn_virtual_currency, and spend_virtual_currency. Using these documented names instead of custom ones unlocks GA4's progression and economy reporting. This overview maps the set and how the events combine into funnels.
The gaming event set
GA4's games recommended events cover three areas: progression (level_start, level_end, level_up, tutorial_begin, tutorial_complete), achievement and scoring (post_score, unlock_achievement), and the in-game economy (earn_virtual_currency, spend_virtual_currency).
Each has a documented name and parameter shape. Firing them as named events lets GA4 populate its games-oriented analysis without custom report building.
Combining events into funnels
The events compose: tutorial completion predicts whether players reach level_start; level_end success rates locate difficulty spikes; level_up tracks long-run depth; and the virtual-currency pair models the economy that often funds real purchases. Treating them as a system, not isolated events, is where the analytical value lies.
- Progression: level_* and tutorial_* events
- Engagement: post_score, unlock_achievement
- Economy: earn_ and spend_virtual_currency
How it appears in analytics and logs
Recognising the gaming event set tells you which documented names exist, so you avoid reinventing them as custom events and losing report mapping.
Diagnostic use case
See the full GA4 gaming recommended-event set at a glance and how progression, score, and economy events combine.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID can record these progression and economy events first-party so game analytics works without third-party identifiers.
Common mistakes
- Reinventing gaming events as custom names.
- Instrumenting one event in isolation instead of the funnel.
- Mismatched naming that breaks cross-event joins.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Gaming events describe gameplay and in-game economies, not players. Keep PII out of all parameters. Educational, not legal advice.
Related pages
- The level_start event
level_start is part of GA4's recommended events for games. You fire it when a player begins a level or stage, passing a level_name parameter. Paired with level_end, it lets you measure how many players start versus finish each level — the core of game progression and difficulty analysis. Like all recommended events, its documented name plugs into GA4's gaming-oriented reporting.
- The earn_virtual_currency event
earn_virtual_currency is a GA4 recommended gaming event for in-game economies. You fire it when a player earns soft currency — coins, gems, points — passing virtual_currency_name and value. Paired with spend_virtual_currency, it lets you model the in-game economy: earning and spending balance, currency sinks and faucets, and how the economy relates to real-money purchases.
- Recommended vs custom events
GA4 events come in three tiers: automatically collected, recommended, and custom. Automatic events fire without setup; recommended events have Google-defined names and parameters that unlock standard reports; custom events are ones you invent. The practical rule is to prefer a recommended name whenever one fits, because custom names miss out on prebuilt dimensions, reports, and predictive features.
- Event Explorer
Explore gaming event funnels.
Sources and verification notes
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.