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# How to Track “How Did You Hear About Us?” in GA4

To track “How did you hear about us?” in GA4, send the answer as a parameter such as `hdyhau` on a meaningful event like `sign_up` or `purchase`. Register that parameter as an event-scoped custom dimension, verify it in DebugView, then connect the GA4 property to Brandwave. This guide shows the complete setup.

The Brandwave team

August 6, 2026

12 min read

## What “How did you hear about us?” tracking tells you

Web analytics is good at recording clicks. It is less reliable when somebody discovers your brand in a podcast, sees several creator posts, hears a recommendation in a private group, then visits your website directly days later. “How did you hear about us?”, often shortened to HDYHAU, adds the customer’s own account of that discovery.

Also called self-reported attribution, HDYHAU helps to expose word of mouth, the influence of creators, podcasts, communities, newsletters, AI assistants, and other sources that can disappear into direct traffic or an incomplete last-click journey. HDYHAU is not perfect attribution: responses depend on memory and will not capture every touchpoint. But it is still a valuable signal when considered alongside behavioral analytics, tracked links, promo codes, and creator-performance data, helping you identify patterns and make better-informed marketing decisions.

## Step 1: Choose “How Did You Hear About Us?” survey options

Place the "how did you hear about us" question immediately before or after whatever event it is that you define as success for your business. This could be a sign up, an account creation, a download, a demo request, or a successful checkout.

For most teams, a single-choice list with an “Other” option is easier to complete and analyze than a blank text box. If you're tracking your creator program with Brandwave, we suggest you add options for creator marketing and even call out creators by name if that is practical for the size of your program.

| Option | When to include it | Useful follow-up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Google Search | Organic search matters to acquisition | What did you search for? |
| Creator or social platform | You invest in creator content | Which creator? |
| Friend or colleague | Referrals and word of mouth matter | Optional free text |
| Podcast or newsletter | You sponsor or appear in media | Which one? |
| ChatGPT or another AI assistant | AI discovery is plausible for your audience | Which tool? |
| Other | Always include a catch-all | Please tell us more |

Keep the stored value stable and machine-friendly, such as `google_search`, `podcast`, or `friend_or_colleague`.

![Current Brandwave How did you hear about us survey with search, social, referral, newsletter and AI assistant options](/blog/hdyhau-survey-current.webp)

A short single-choice question gives customers an easy way to tell you how they found you.

## Step 2: Send the answer to the GA4 data layer

Ask the person who manages your website or tag setup to push your success event to GA4. This should contain a consistent event name and a parameter containing the HDYHAU answer. The example below records a successful sign-up and the answer `podcast`. Your event might instead be `generate_lead`, `purchase`, or another GA4 event that represents the outcome you care about.

dataLayer.push({ event: 'sign_up', hdyhau: 'podcast' })

## Step 3: Configure Google Tag Manager and GA4

In Google Tag Manager, create a Data Layer Variable named `DLV - hdyhau` with the data layer variable name `hdyhau`. Create a Custom Event trigger for the conversion event, such as `sign_up`. Then create or update a GA4 Event tag so it sends the event name and the `hdyhau` parameter to the correct GA4 measurement ID.

| GTM item | Recommended value |
| --- | --- |
| Data Layer Variable | Name: `DLV - hdyhau` · Variable: `hdyhau` · Version: 2 |
| Custom Event trigger | Event name: `sign_up` |
| GA4 Event tag | Event name: `sign_up` |
| Event parameter | Parameter: `hdyhau` · Value: `{{DLV - hdyhau}}` |
| Firing trigger | The `sign_up` Custom Event trigger |

Next, open GA4 and create an event-scoped custom dimension. Use a readable display name such as "How did you hear about us", choose Event scope, and enter `hdyhau` as the event parameter. We recommend you mark this success event as a key event.

Complete a test conversion and confirm that the custom event fired, `DLV - hdyhau` contains the expected value, and the GA4 Event tag sent `hdyhau` as the parameter name. Then check GA4 DebugView. Standard GA4 reports and newly created custom dimensions can take 24 to 48 hours to populate, so DebugView is the faster setup check.

## Verify the event in GA4 DebugView

Before waiting for standard reports, use GA4 DebugView to confirm that the success event arrives with the expected `hdyhau` value. Complete a test sign-up or other conversion while debug mode is enabled, open DebugView in the same GA4 property, and select the event to inspect its parameters.

If `hdyhau` is missing or has the wrong value, fix the data layer variable or GA4 Event tag before continuing. DebugView is for validating collection in real time; the event-scoped custom dimension is what makes the parameter available for reporting later.

## Step 4: Connect the correct GA4 property to Brandwave

In Brandwave, open [Workspace settings → Integrations](/dashboard/organization-settings#integrations), connect Google, and select the Google Analytics 4 property that receives your success event and HDYHAU parameter.

Brandwave receives read-only access to your GA4 data. If the expected property is missing, check that the Google account completing the connection has access to it.

## Step 5: Choose the event that matters

Open [Intelligence → Customers](/dashboard/intelligence/customers) and use Add event in the Success events section. Brandwave calls the GA4 events you care about "success metrics". Select the same event that carries the HDYHAU answer, such as `sign_up`, `generate_lead`, or `purchase`. A success metric should represent a meaningful outcome to your business.

Brandwave backfills available event history after setup. If your event does not appear, submit a test conversion, verify it in GA4, and allow time for GA4 to make the event available through its reporting APIs.

## Step 6: Choose the HDYHAU event detail

On the event-details step, select the registered GA4 custom dimension that represents your HDYHAU answer.

## Close the loop in Brandwave reporting

Once data has synced, Brandwave groups the raw HDYHAU answers and shows them beside your GA4 success metrics, creator activities, and marketing campaigns. You can correct inconsistent labels, for example grouping "Instagram", "saw_on_instagram", and a specific creator answer into useful source categories without changing the original GA4 data.

This is full-circle attribution in a practical sense: behavioral analytics shows what happened on the website, the customer tells you where awareness began, and creator-performance data shows what your partners published and when. Seeing those signals together helps you investigate which creators and campaigns may be influencing demand that click-based attribution misses.

Read the result as evidence, not automatic proof that one creator caused every conversion. Look for repeated patterns across time, compare them with tracked links and promo codes, and keep the attribution method visible when you report results. The [influencer marketing measurement framework](/blog/influencer-marketing-measurement.md) explains how this outcome layer fits with creators, activities, and costs, while the [ROI guide](/blog/influencer-marketing-roi.md) covers attribution limits and revenue calculations.

When you are ready to turn that evidence into a decision, your AI assistant can connect to Brandwave through the [MCP server](/docs/mcp-server/overview), or your team can build a custom workflow with the [Brandwave API](/docs/api-reference/overview). This gives the assistant one place to query creator, activity, campaign, cost, performance, and attribution data, compare signals that would otherwise sit in separate reports, and help you identify useful patterns, unanswered questions, and practical next steps.

![Brandwave Customers view showing the GA4 signup event and grouped How Did You Hear About Us answers](/blog/hdyhau-success-events-current.webp)

Read customer discovery answers alongside the signup event they were collected with.

## Troubleshooting checklist

- No event in GTM Preview: confirm the data layer push happens only after the success event succeeds and that the Custom Event trigger name matches exactly.
- Tag fires but `hdyhau` is undefined: check the Data Layer Variable name, version, spelling, and capitalization.
- Event reaches GA4 without the answer: confirm the GA4 Event tag uses `hdyhau` as the parameter name and `{{DLV - hdyhau}}` as its value.
- Dimension is missing in Brandwave: register `hdyhau` as an event-scoped custom dimension in the same GA4 property, then wait for GA4 to expose it.
- Event is missing in Brandwave: submit a valid test conversion and verify the event in GA4 DebugView or Realtime before reconnecting.
- Answers look fragmented: standardize stored values and use Brandwave’s grouping controls to normalize historical variations.
- Counts do not match every conversion: some people skip the question, and Google may group or hide low-volume values to protect privacy.

## Get help with your setup

Closing the loop on reporting by getting HDYHAU data successfully ingested into Brandwave is key to getting the most out of the platform. If you need a hand to get up and running, email [hello [at] gobrandwave.com](mailto:hello@gobrandwave.com) and one of the team will be happy to assist you. You can also [compare Brandwave plans](/pricing) before connecting your property.

## FAQ

### What is a “How did you hear about us?” survey?

It is a short question asked at a meaningful event for your business, such as a sign-up, download, checkout, or a demo request, that records the customer’s own account of where they discovered your brand. HDYHAU responses can provide self-reported attribution for sources that click tracking can miss.

### What options should a “How did you hear about us?” question include?

Use options that reflect real discovery paths: search, specific social platforms or creators, friends or colleagues, podcasts, newsletters, communities, AI assistants, events, and an Other option. Ideally, the more detailed the data the better, but try to strike the right balance where you don't cause the user to skip and ignore the question.

### How do I track “How did you hear about us?” in GA4?

Send the answer as a parameter on a meaningful GA4 event, for example hdyhau on sign_up. Register hdyhau as an event-scoped custom dimension in GA4, then verify the event and parameter in GTM Preview and GA4 DebugView.

### How do I verify a HDYHAU event in GA4 DebugView?

Complete a test conversion while debug mode is enabled, open DebugView in the same GA4 property, and select the success event. Confirm that the event contains the expected hdyhau parameter value before waiting for standard reports or connecting the property to Brandwave.

### Should the GA4 custom dimension be event-scoped or user-scoped?

Use an event-scoped custom dimension when the answer is attached to a specific conversion event. This keeps the response associated with the sign-up, lead, or purchase that carried it and matches Brandwave’s event-detail setup.

### Does self-reported attribution replace UTMs or promo codes?

No. UTMs, referral data, promo codes, platform reporting, and self-reported attribution measure different parts of the journey. Use them together and state the method next to any attributed result.

### How does Brandwave use HDYHAU data?

Brandwave ingests a registered GA4 event-scoped custom dimension for a selected success event, groups raw answers into useful source categories, and displays the evidence beside creator activities, campaign periods, and success-metric trends. It supports investigation and reporting; it does not automatically claim that one creator caused a conversion.

### What should I do if my HDYHAU dimension does not appear in Brandwave?

Confirm that the dimension is registered in the connected GA4 property, uses Event scope, and references the exact parameter sent by your event. Submit a test conversion, verify it in GA4, wait for standard processing, then reconnect or configure the event details again.

## Sources

- [Google Tag Manager Help: The data layer](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/6164391?hl=en): https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/6164391?hl=en
- [Google Tag Manager Help: Custom event trigger](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679219?hl=en): https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679219?hl=en
- [Google Analytics Help: Create event-scoped custom dimensions](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/14239696?hl=en): https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/14239696?hl=en
- [Google Analytics Help: Set up event parameters](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11396839?hl=en): https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11396839?hl=en
- [Google Analytics Help: Monitor events in DebugView](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7201382?hl=en): https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7201382?hl=en
- [Google Analytics Help: About key events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9267568?hl=en): https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9267568?hl=en

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## Connect self-reported attribution to the full picture

Bring HDYHAU responses, GA4 outcomes, and creator performance together so dark social becomes evidence you can use.

[Connect your attribution](/sign-up)