The view_promotion event
view_promotion is a GA4 recommended e-commerce event for internal merchandising. You fire it when a promotion — a banner, hero slot, or campaign creative inside your own site — becomes visible. It carries promotion_id, promotion_name, creative_name, and creative_slot, plus an items array. Paired with select_promotion, it measures the on-site impact of promotional placements distinct from external ad campaigns.
What this means
view_promotion is a GA4 recommended event for internal promotions — merchandising you control on your own pages, as opposed to paid external ads. You fire it when the promotional creative is shown to the user.
The event identifies the promotion with promotion_id and promotion_name, and the specific creative with creative_name and creative_slot, so you can distinguish one banner variant or slot from another.
Promotion vs creative parameters
promotion_id and promotion_name name the campaign; creative_name and creative_slot name the asset and where it sat. The items array links the promotion to the products it featured. Because view_promotion and select_promotion share these fields, you can compute a click-through-like ratio for each internal placement.
- promotion_id / promotion_name: the internal campaign
- creative_name / creative_slot: the asset and its position
- Pairs with select_promotion for placement performance
How it appears in analytics and logs
A view_promotion event means an internal promotional slot was displayed. Low view counts on a promo slot can indicate it renders below the fold or is rarely reached.
Diagnostic use case
Measure impressions of internal promotions and banners so you can compare which on-site placements actually get seen.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID can record internal promotion impressions as first-party events so you can evaluate on-site merchandising without third-party tracking.
Common mistakes
- Confusing internal view_promotion with external ad_impression.
- Firing it on render even when the slot is off-screen.
- Leaving creative_slot empty, so placements are indistinguishable.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Promotion and creative parameters describe content, not individuals. No personal data is required to record a promotion impression. Educational, not legal advice.
Related pages
- The select_promotion event
select_promotion is the click counterpart to view_promotion in GA4's recommended e-commerce set. You fire it when a user interacts with an internal promotional banner or slot. It carries promotion_id, promotion_name, creative_name, creative_slot, and items so you can join clicks back to impressions and read which on-site placements drive engagement with featured products.
- The view_item_list event
view_item_list is a GA4 recommended e-commerce event that fires when a visitor sees a list of products — a category page, search results, or a recommendation row. It carries an items array plus item_list_id and item_list_name so you can attribute impressions to a specific list. It measures product exposure: which lists put which items in front of people.
- E-commerce events: the funnel before purchase
E-commerce events are a recommended set that model the shopping funnel before and around purchase: view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, add_payment_info, and purchase. Each shares a common items array, so the same product schema flows through the journey. Implemented consistently, they let you see where buyers drop off — and they carry product data, never buyer identity.
- CTA tracking
Track on-site promotional placements.
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.