If you’re running surveys with Qualaroo and using Google Analytics to track your site, there’s a good chance you’re missing out on insights if you haven’t connected the two. This guide is for marketers, UX folks, and product managers who want to make their survey data actually useful—not just collect more numbers for the sake of it.
Below, I’ll walk you through setting up the integration, share some hard-won advice on what to track (and what’s a waste of time), and show you how to turn survey responses into something you can actually act on. Let’s cut the fluff and get right to it.
Why Bother Linking Qualaroo to Google Analytics?
Here’s the deal: Qualaroo gives you direct feedback from your users, while Google Analytics tracks what those users do. When you connect the two, you can see not just what people are doing, but why they’re doing it—or not doing it.
You get: - The ability to segment survey responses by visitor behavior (pages viewed, traffic source, etc.) - A way to measure if certain answers correlate with conversions or drop-offs - Context to your survey data, so you’re not just guessing
But don’t expect magic. This isn’t going to hand you a silver bullet. It’ll just make your data a whole lot more usable.
Step 1: Get Clear On What You Want to Track
Before you start clicking around, decide what questions you’re actually trying to answer. The integration is only as good as the plan behind it.
What’s worth tracking: - Which pages do people answer surveys on? - Do certain survey answers correlate with conversions (or bounces)? - How do new vs. returning users answer differently? - Which traffic sources send users who leave the best (or worst) feedback?
What to skip: - Dumping every survey response into GA “just because”—this gets noisy fast - Tracking generic events like “survey shown” if you’re not going to do anything with that info
Pro tip: Write down 1-2 questions you want to answer with this data. If you can’t think of any, the integration might not be worth your time right now.
Step 2: Set Up Qualaroo’s Google Analytics Integration
Let’s walk through the setup. This isn’t rocket science, but it pays to be precise.
1. Check your Google Analytics version
- GA4: The process is different than Universal Analytics. (If you’re still on Universal, now’s the time to migrate.)
- Make sure your GA property is collecting data on the same domains as your Qualaroo surveys.
2. Enable Google Analytics Tracking in Qualaroo
- Go to your Qualaroo dashboard.
- Select the survey (or “Nudge”) you want to track.
- Find the “Integrations” or “Analytics” tab.
- Look for the Google Analytics option and toggle it on.
- Usually, you’ll be asked to enter your Google Analytics Measurement ID (for GA4) or Tracking ID (for Universal Analytics).
- Save changes.
3. What actually gets tracked?
Qualaroo sends “events” to Google Analytics when users interact with your surveys: - When a survey is shown - When someone starts a survey - When someone completes a survey - Sometimes, when a specific answer is selected
Heads up: Out of the box, Qualaroo only sends basic event info. If you want to track specific answers, you’ll need to do some custom work (see below).
Step 3: Customize Events for Actionable Insights
Here’s where most people get stuck. By default, you’ll get vague events like “Qualaroo Survey Completed.” That’s…fine, but not super helpful.
Make it actionable by: - Sending survey answers as event parameters (e.g., the actual text of the answer, or a code for it) - Naming events in a way that makes sense when you see them in GA (e.g., “qualaroo_nps_response” instead of “event_1”)
How to Send Answers to GA4
Option 1: Use Qualaroo’s Built-in GA4 Support (if available)
Some Qualaroo plans let you map answers to GA4 event parameters. This is the cleanest way, but not always available.
Option 2: Custom JavaScript Events
If you’re comfortable with code, you can fire custom GA4 events using Qualaroo’s JavaScript API.
Example (for GA4):
js window.addEventListener('qualaroo:response', function(event) { const answer = event.detail.answerText; gtag('event', 'qualaroo_response', { 'survey_id': event.detail.surveyId, 'answer': answer }); });
- This sends the actual answer text as a parameter.
- You’ll need to add this JS snippet to your site, ideally after both Qualaroo and GA4 are loaded.
Caveats: - Don’t send personally identifiable information (PII) to GA. No emails, names, open-text answers that might contain private info, etc. - If you’re not technical, get help from a developer for this step.
Step 4: Use Custom Dimensions and Segments to Slice the Data
Once events are flowing into GA, don’t just stare at them—break them down.
Useful things to segment by: - Traffic source (where did the respondent come from?) - Device (mobile vs. desktop answers can be very different) - Conversion path (did people who answered a certain way go on to convert?) - Page URL (are there pages with lots of negative/positive feedback?)
How to do it: - In GA4, head to “Explore” and build a custom report. - Use the “Event name” for Qualaroo responses. - Add custom dimensions (like answer text or survey ID) if you set those up. - Filter by things like source/medium or landing page.
What to ignore: - Don’t get lost in vanity metrics (e.g., “we got 100 responses!”). Focus on what changes your decisions.
Step 5: Turn Insights into Action
Now that you have Qualaroo data in GA, here’s how to actually use it:
- Spot friction points: If lots of users leave negative feedback on a specific page, dig into that page’s analytics and see what’s causing trouble.
- Prioritize fixes: Segment by conversion rate—do people who complain about “pricing” actually convert less? If not, maybe it’s just noise.
- Test changes: Make a tweak, then watch if survey answers (and user behavior) shift. Don’t expect instant results; look for trends over a few weeks.
- Share findings: Pull simple charts or export data to share with your team. Don’t overcomplicate—one clear graph beats a 20-slide deck.
Honest Advice: What Works, What Doesn’t
What works: - Tracking specific survey answers alongside user behavior - Using survey data to explain dips in conversion or clicks - Running targeted surveys tied to real user journeys
What doesn’t: - Tracking every tiny event “just in case” - Expecting survey data to magically solve all your UX problems - Ignoring privacy—don’t push sensitive info into GA
Don’t bother: - With super broad, non-specific surveys (“How do you like the site?”). You’ll get “It’s fine” and nothing actionable. - If you never look at your analytics anyway. This setup isn’t worth it unless you’re ready to dig in.
Keep It Simple—Then Iterate
Connecting Qualaroo with Google Analytics isn’t hard, but making sense of the data takes some thought. Start small: pick one or two key questions, set up the basics, and actually use what you learn. Don’t try to build a perfect analytics machine on day one.
Iterate, keep what’s useful, and don’t be afraid to kill what isn’t. You’ll get better insights—and spend less time digging through dashboards you don’t need.