Tracking QA and implementation testing

Ecommerce tracking audit

A command line tool that opens a store, finds a product, adds it to the cart, reaches checkout, and checks the tracking evidence created at each step.

View source code See the evidence

Problem

A dataLayer event is not delivery proof.

A store can show the right event name in GTM while the request to GA4 or Meta is missing. Checking that path by hand takes time and can produce unclear results.

The test needed to follow the customer journey.

A user gives the tool one homepage URL. It discovers a product and follows the public store flow through checkout initiation.

The audit records the website event and the provider request as separate evidence. This prevents a dataLayer push from being reported as proof that a platform received the event.

Implementation

One URL starts the full browser check.

The browser keeps a record of the route, action, dataLayer push, tracking request, provider ID, and HTTP response at each supported stage.

DiscoverFind a public product from the homepage or sitemap.
ActOpen the product, add it to cart, and reach checkout.
CaptureRecord dataLayer pushes, provider requests, IDs, and responses.
ReportWrite HTML, CSV, JSON, and journey screenshots.

Test evidence

The result separates what worked from what was not proved.

The test store reached all four journey stages. Meta sent the three expected events. GA4-style events appeared in dataLayer, but no standard GA4 collection request was captured.

Journey coverage4 stages reached

Homepage, product, cart, and checkout were opened successfully.

Meta evidence3 events answered

ViewContent, AddToCart, and InitiateCheckout returned HTTP 200.

GA4 evidence3 requests not seen

The triggers existed in dataLayer, but the audit found no standard GA4 request.

PowerShell showing the completed ecommerce tracking audit and its evidence files — **Audit output**The run writes an HTML report, CSV evidence, JSON, and screenshots without changing the script.

Meta Events Manager showing PageView, ViewContent, InitiateCheckout, and AddToCart events — **Platform evidence**Meta Events Manager shows the supported ecommerce events as active and recently received.

GTM Preview showing the view_item dataLayer event and ViewContent Meta Pixel tag — **Product view**The view_item push triggered the ViewContent Meta Pixel tag.

GTM Preview showing the add_to_cart dataLayer event and AddToCart Meta Pixel tag — **Cart action**The add_to_cart push triggered the AddToCart Meta Pixel tag.

GTM Preview showing the begin_checkout dataLayer event and InitiateCheckout Meta Pixel tag — **Checkout start**The begin_checkout push triggered the InitiateCheckout Meta Pixel tag.

Result

A reusable audit with inspectable evidence.

Input: One ecommerce homepage URL, with an optional product URL.
Browser output: Journey coverage, screenshots, dataLayer pushes, tracking requests, provider IDs, and HTTP responses.
Files: report.html, summary.csv, tracking_requests.csv, data_layer.csv, and journey.json.
Privacy: Known personal data fields are redacted before evidence is saved.

Limits

The report stays inside what the browser can prove.

The tool reports the evidence it observes. It does not turn an incomplete signal into a successful result.

Stops before purchase

No order is submitted and the purchase event is not tested.

Browser side only

Server-side events and final attribution inside an advertising platform are outside this audit.

Standard endpoints

A custom first-party tracking proxy may need its endpoint added to the tool.

Store differences

Some storefronts require extra selectors for products, carts, consent, or checkout.