How to Easily Track File Downloads in Google Analytics

If you are selling digital products or apps, tracking downloads is one of the best ways to understand your customers.

Customer insights are essential to building customer-centric marketing strategies too. Why? You are able to narrow down “niche” and spend more time on the most popular downloadable resource development.

If you provide what customer wants, they’ll like your brand even more!

Google Analytics is the most popular analytics software. (and it’s free)

However, Google Analytics is not beginner-friendly. The user interface is kind of complicated. To embed the code, you even need a little bit of coding knowledge. Moreover, Google Analytics does not support file download tracking automatically. What does it mean? You need to set it up manually.

BUT! You can easily track file downloads in Google Analytics by using MonsterInsights.

In this article, you’ll learn how to easily track file downloads in Google Analytics using MonsterInsights.

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. This is a sponsored blog post, but all opinions are my own. Please read my full disclaimer here for more info.

Step-by-Step to Track File Downloads in Google Analytics

It’s super easy, don’t be surprised!

First, you need to install MonsterInsights and activate it.

Log into your WordPress account.

And then, Go to Plugins > Add New > Type “MonsterInsights” into search plugin > find plugin named “Google Analytics Dashboard Plugin for WordPress by MonsterInsights” (the purple mascot with a magnifying glass) > click Install Now > after that, click Activate.

Now, you’ll see a new menu item labeled “Insights” in your WordPress admin menu. Click it to bring the MonsterInsights setup wizard.

In the MonsterInsights setup wizard, you’ll be asked to choose a category for your website.

• Business Website – for example, company website
• Publisher – for example, blog
• eCommerce – for example, online store

Select one of them and click the Save and Continue button.

On the next page, click on the Connect MonsterInsights button.

This will bring up a Google account login page. Once you login into your Google account, you’ll be asked to allow MonsterInsights to access your Google Analytics account. Click on the Allow button to continue.

The next step is to select your website to track and then click Complete Connection.

After that, you’ll be asked to select the recommended settings for your website. And, done!

You don’t need a specific setting. File downloads tracking will be enabled automatically with MonsterInsights.

Super easy right?

After install MonsterInsights (paid plan) you can track these without any settings:

• File download tracking
• eCommerce tracking – you can start tracking sales from your WooCommerce as well as a digital download

How to View File Downloads in WordPress

It’s also super easy to view file downloads in WordPress!

Go Insights > Report > Publishers Report. Scroll down to Top Download Links.

Link Label is the name of digital products, and Clicks is how many times customers downloaded digital products. The report is pretty straightforward and easy to understand.

Wrapping Up

I’m also a MonsterInsights user.

I really like this tool because I don’t have to log in to my Google Analytics account every time. You can check all the tracking on the WordPress dashboard.

Looks like this on WordPress:

Monsterinsights offer an intuitive design which means you know exactly what to do once you see it. The simple design makes us focus on a task. (it’s difficult to get lost)

Monsterinsights also offer 14 days money-back guarantee. If you don’t like it, you can cancel. (stress-free) Please check their website here for more details.