Naming conventions guide

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Overview

Good naming conventions are like a well-organized filing system - they help everyone find what they need quickly. This guide shows you how to name your tracking events and data points clearly and consistently.

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Why naming matters

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The cost of confusion

When tracking uses unclear names:

• Reports are hard to understand
• Teams waste time figuring out what data means
• Errors happen when people guess wrong
• New team members struggle to learn

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The benefit of clarity

With good naming:

• Everyone knows what each metric means
• Reports are self-explanatory
• Fewer mistakes happen
• Onboarding is faster

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Core principles

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Naming your events

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Event structure

Think of events as sentences: object + action Good examples:

• product_viewed (customer viewed a product)
• cart_updated (shopping cart was changed)
• form_submitted (user submitted a form)
• video_played (someone started a video)

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Common event categories

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Event naming rules

1. Use lowercase letters - product_viewed not Product_Viewed
2. Separate words with underscores - cart_updated not cart-updated
3. Use past tense - clicked not click
4. Be specific - newsletter_form_submitted not just submitted

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Naming your data points

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What are data points?

Data points are the details you collect with each event. For example:

• When someone views a product, you might track: product name, price, category
• When someone logs in, you might track: user ID, login method, time

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Data point patterns

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Creating your naming system

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Step-by-step approach

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Building your reference guide

Create a simple document like this: Event naming guide:

• All events use lowercase with underscores
• Format: object_action (product_viewed, cart_updated)
• Use past tense for actions

Common events:

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Real-world examples

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E-commerce naming

For an online store, you might use: Events:

• homepage_viewed
• search_performed
• product_viewed
• cart_item_added
• checkout_started
• purchase_completed

Data points:

• customer_id
• product_sku
• order_total_usd
• shipping_method
• payment_type

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Media site naming

For a news or content site: Events:

• article_viewed
• video_started
• content_shared
• comment_posted
• subscription_started

Data points:

• content_id
• article_category
• read_time_seconds
• video_duration
• share_platform

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B2B site naming

For business websites: Events:

• demo_requested
• whitepaper_downloaded
• contact_form_submitted
• webinar_registered
• trial_started

Data points:

• company_name
• industry_type
• employee_count
• lead_source
• interest_level

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Common mistakes to avoid

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Unclear names

❌ Bad examples:

• event1 - What does this track?
• clk - Is this click? Which click?
• pv - Page view? Product view?
• value - Value of what?

✅ Good examples:

• newsletter_signup_completed
• header_menu_clicked
• product_page_viewed
• cart_total_value_usd

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Inconsistent formats

❌ Mixing styles:

• productViewed (camelCase)
• user-logged-in (kebab-case)
• PURCHASE_COMPLETE (SCREAMING_CASE)

✅ Pick one style:

• product_viewed
• user_logged_in
• purchase_complete

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Missing context

❌ Too vague:

• price - Price of what? In what currency?
• date - What date? For what event?
• status - Status of what?

✅ Add context:

• product_price_usd
• order_date
• delivery_status

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Industry-specific tips

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Retail

• Include SKUs in product events
• Specify currency in all price fields
• Track both online and store events clearly
• Distinguish guest vs member actions

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Publishing

• Differentiate content types (article, video, podcast)
• Include content categories
• Track engagement depth
• Note subscriber vs non-subscriber

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SaaS/B2B

• Track feature usage clearly
• Distinguish trial vs paid events
• Include company/account context
• Monitor user roles

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Maintaining your conventions

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Regular reviews

Schedule quarterly reviews to:

• Check if naming is still clear
• Add new events as needed
• Remove obsolete tracking
• Update documentation

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Team training

Ensure everyone understands:

• Why consistent naming matters
• Where to find the naming guide
• How to suggest new names
• Who approves changes

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Evolution strategy

As your business grows:

• Keep core patterns consistent
• Add new prefixes for new areas
• Document all changes
• Communicate updates clearly

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Quick reference checklist

When naming anything new, check:

• Is the purpose clear from the name?
• Does it follow our patterns?
• Is it consistent with similar items?
• Will others understand it?
• Is it documented?

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Getting help

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When to ask for help

Reach out when:

• Creating tracking for new features
• Unsure about naming patterns
• Seeing inconsistent data
• Planning major changes

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Resources

• Your tracking plan documentation
• Tag Insight support team
• Industry best practices
• Team knowledge sharing

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Next steps