How to use Google Analytics with React?

Question

In my react app I have some pages:

1. Main
2. Service
3. Contact
4. Profile (private)
5. etc..

I need to track users activity with Google Analytics. I googled react-ga and it's just fine. But with this library I have to initialize my GA on every route I use. For example:

Route "/" - main page:

class Main extends Component {

    componentDidMount() {
        initGA();
    }

    render() {
        return (
            <div>
                <Component1 />
                <Component2 />
            </div>
        )
    }
}

My initGA() looks like:

import ReactGA from 'react-ga';

export const initGA = () => {
    ReactGA.initialize('UA-00000000-1');
    ReactGA.pageview(window.location.pathname + window.location.search);
    console.log(window.location.pathname + window.location.search);
}

My App class looks like:

class App extends Component {
    render() {
        return (
            <BrowserRouter>
                <div className="App">

                    <Switch>
                        <Route exact path="/" component={Main} />
                        <Route exact path="/signup" component={SignupLayout} />
                        <Route component={PublicLayout} />
                    </Switch>

                </div>
            </BrowserRouter>
        );
    }
}

In my way of using react-ga I'm adding initGA() function on every component which renders on route response. I think it is not right to duplicate initGA() in every component. Please, guys, how do you use react-ga? What is right way to use react-ga?

Answer 1

To make it work need to use Router functionality. So in App component import { Router } from 'react-router-dom'. It has to be Router not BrowserRouter.

Then import createHistory from 'history/createBrowserHistory'

const history = createHistory()
ReactGA.initialize('UA-000000-1');
history.listen((location, action) => {
    ReactGA.pageview(location.pathname + location.search);
    console.log(location.pathname)
});

This code will fire on every route change!

Than give a history attribute to your Router component.

Complete code:

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import { Router, Route, Switch } from 'react-router-dom';
import createHistory from 'history/createBrowserHistory'
import Main from './components/pages/Main';
import ReactGA from 'react-ga';


const history = createHistory()
ReactGA.initialize('UA-00000000-1');
history.listen((location, action) => {
    ReactGA.pageview(location.pathname + location.search);
    console.log(location.pathname)
});

class App extends Component {

    render() {
        return (

            <Router history={history}>
                <div className="App">

                    <Switch>
                        <Route exact path="/" component={Main} />
                        <Route exact path="/signup" component={SignupLayout} />
                        <Route component={PublicLayout} />
                    </Switch>

                </div>
            </Router>
        );
    }
}

export default App;