Last Updated: May 20, 2022

This article is in conjunction with the article Understanding site search tracking in Google Analytics where I introduced the concept of ‘site search tracking’ in Google Analytics and also introduced ‘GET based’ and ‘POST based’ search engines.

Today I am going to show you how to set up site search tracking in Google Analytics for a POST based search engine.

If you use a search engine that is POST based, then most likely the search page URL does not contain query/category parameters and search terms.

So instead of a search page URL, like the one below:

Your search page URL may look like the one below:

No matter what you search and how many times you search, your search page URL remains intact as the search information is sent from a user’s web browser to your web server within the body of the HTTP request and not via the search page URL.

If you are using a POST based search engine then Google recommends the following two methods to set up site search tracking in GA :

1. Convert your POST based search engine to GET based search engine.
2. Send virtual pageviews along with query parameters and a search term whenever a search is performed on your website.

Get this 70 page detailed checklist containing screenshots, step-by-step instructions and links to articles

Do you want to set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) fast and correctly?

Yes I want the ebook

Method #1: Convert your POST based search engine to GET based search engine (Recommended)

Configure the site search engine on your website in the way that it sends search information (like search query parameter, search terms) from a user’s browser to your web server via search page URL (instead of within the body of HTTP request).

So whenever a search is performed on your website, both the search query parameter and search terms are appended to the search page URL like the one below:

https://www.optimizesmart.com/search/?s=keyword

So basically convert your POST based search engine to GET based search engine.

Once this task is complete then configure the site search settings in your Google Analytics reporting view i.e. set the ‘Site Search Tracking’ toggle button to ON and enter your query parameter in the text box under ‘Query Parameter’:

Note: I would recommend that you convert your POST based search engine to GET based search engine. Not only then it will be easier to set up site search tracking, you will also be able to use search results as landing pages for your marketing campaigns. Since GET requests can be bookmarked and cached, it will be easier for your users to return to their previous search on your website.

Method #2: Send virtual pageviews whenever a search is performed

If for some reason, it is absolutely not possible to convert your POST based search engine to GET based search engine then you can send virtual pageviews whenever a search is performed on your website.

Customize your Google Analytics tracking code in the way that whenever a search result page is loaded into a user’s web browser (i.e. the search is performed on your website), the search query/category parameter along with the search term is appended to the request URI. For example:

ga(‘send’, ‘pageview’, ‘/search/?s=keyword’); // rewriting request URI on page load

Here you would need to write a code which can identify and extract search term from your HTML DOM and then append query/category parameter to it before sending it as a virtual pageview to GA.

So for example, if a user searched for the keyword ‘enhanced ecommerce tracking’ on your website, he may see the search result page with the following URL:

https://www.optimizesmart.com/search/

But the request URI sent for this page to GA would be:

/search/?s=enhanced+ecommerce+tracking

instead of the usual:

/search/

Once this task is complete then configure the site search settings in your Google Analytics reporting view i.e. set the ‘Site Search Tracking’ toggle button to ON and enter your query parameter in the text box under ‘Query Parameter’.

Related Article: Creating and using Site Search Funnel in Google Analytics

Other articles on specialized tracking in Google Analytics

1. Google Analytics Ecommerce Tracking Tutorial
2. Google Tag Manager Event Tracking Tutorial
3. Google Analytics Event Tracking Tutorial
4. Google Analytics Store Visits Tracking Tutorial
5. Offline Conversion Tracking in Google Analytics – Tutorial
6. Ecommerce Tracking Google Tag Manager (GTM) – Tutorial
7. Tracking Virtual Pageviews in Google Tag Manager – Tutorial
8. Google Tag Manager YouTube Video Tracking
9. How to unlock not provided keywords in Google Analytics?
10. Google Analytics Virtual Pageviews Tutorial
11. Google Analytics and YouTube Integration Tutorial
12. Google Analytics for Facebook Tutorial
13. Cross Domain Tracking in Google Analytics – Complete Guide
14. How to use two Google Analytics codes on one page
15. The one thing that you don’t know about PayPal.com and the referral exclusion list
16. Google Analytics Calculated Metrics – Tutorial
17. Creating your own Google Analytics Tag Auditing System
18. Google Tag Manager Search Tracking without Query Parameter
19. Tracking Google Analytics Paypal Referral and other payment gateways
20. How to Track Phone Calls in Google Analytics – Call Tracking Tutorial
21. How to track leads in Google Analytics via CRM
22. Postbacks in Google Analytics Explained
23. Subscription & Recurring Revenue Analytics in Google Analytics
24. Track the Impact of Google Analytics Cookie Consent on Website Traffic
25. Tracking Offline Conversions in Google Ads
26. Implementing Scroll Tracking via Google Tag Manager
27. Scroll Depth Tracking in Google Tag Manager – Tutorial
28. Google Tag Manager Youtube Video Tracking via YouTube Video Trigger
29. How to Correctly Measure Conversion Date & Time in Google Analytics
30. Google Analytics Social Tracking – Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and LinkedIn
31. Cross Domain Tracking in Google Analytics – Complete Guide
32. Google Analytics Linkedin & Twitter Tracking
33. Creating Content Group in Google Analytics via tracking code using gtag.js
34. Google Analytics Site Search Tracking via Query Parameters
35. Google Analytics Site Search Tracking Tutorial
36. Creating and Using Site Search Funnel in Google Analytics
37. Learn to Setup Facebook Pixel Tracking via Google Tag Manager
38. AMP Google Analytics Tracking – Learn to track AMP pages
39. Setting up Sales Funnel across websites in Google Analytics
40. Regex Google Analytics & Google Tag Manager – Tutorial