Lullabot Explains How to Track Article Publish Dates in Google Analytics

Staff Reporter

Lullabot has shared a guide on sending article publish dates to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) using Google Tag Manager and the data layer. Since GA4 doesn’t track publish dates by default, this method helps filter newer content from older, high-performing evergreen articles. The article is written by senior Drupal developer Matt Robison.

For Drupal users, the dataLayer module simplifies this process by exposing page attributes. However, a custom implementation using 'hook_datalayer_alter()' is required to inject the publish date properly. This ensures the date appears only on the article’s canonical URL.

After creating a custom dimension in GA4, users can track and filter articles by publish date. The article also explains how to verify data transmission using Google’s DebugView and create filtered reports.

This approach enables Drupal and other CMS users to gain better insights into content performance. It makes it easier to evaluate newer content separately and refine content strategies effectively.

Source Reference

Title

Sending an Article's Publish Date to Google Analytics

Byline

Matt Robison

Date of Publication

26 February 2025

Organization

Lullabot

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