Mobile App Analytics: Understand How Your Congregation Engages

Your church mobile app is more than a convenience—it’s a window into how your congregation connects with your ministry. Are people listening to sermons? Which series resonate most? Do push notifications drive engagement? Are members exploring events and groups? Without analytics, you’re guessing. With the right data, you can make informed decisions about content, communication, and app features that matter most to your people.

Why Analytics Matter for Churches

Every tap, every screen view, every notification open tells a story. Analytics help you understand which sermons get the most attention, which push notifications drive action, and how members navigate between giving, events, and sermon content. This data empowers you to promote the right content, refine your communication strategy, and invest in features that deepen engagement. Whether you’re a small church or a multi-campus ministry, knowing how your app is used helps you serve your congregation better.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what the OnlineGiving.org mobile app tracks, how to set up Google Analytics, and how to use the data to improve your app experience.

Mobile App Analytics User Guide

Table of Contents

1. What the Mobile App Tracks
2. How to Set Up Google Analytics
3. Complete Screen View Reference
   • Sermons
   • Push Notifications
   • Giving
   • Ministry Platform
   • Rock RMS
   • CCB
   • PCO
   • Other
4. Custom Events (GA4 element_click)
5. Push Notification Lifecycle Events
6. StudioC Engagement Tracking
7. What Is NOT Tracked
8. How to Use Analytics Data to Improve Your App
9. Frequently Asked Questions

What the Mobile App Tracks

The mobile app integrates with Google Analytics (Universal Analytics and GA4 via Firebase), OneSignal for push notifications, and StudioC for gamification when enabled. Every screen visit is tracked as a screen view event. Every tap or navigation action is tracked as an element click event in GA4. Push notification delivery and opens are tracked by OneSignal. StudioC tracks badge clicks, message views, and dashboard engagement when that feature is enabled.

Churches configure analytics by entering their Google Analytics tracking ID and OneSignal App ID in App Settings. Donation completion and sermon audio play/pause are not tracked within the app; giving analytics are available in the control panel Giving Reports.

How to Set Up Google Analytics

To enable analytics for your church mobile app:

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Go to Mobile App → App Settings.
3. Search for “Google Analytics Tracking ID”.
4. Enter your GA tracking ID (e.g., G-XXXXXXXXXX for GA4 or UA-XXXXXXX-X for Universal Analytics).
5. Save the setting.
6. Click “Refresh Mobile Application Cache” and allow up to 2 minutes for the cache to refresh.

The app supports both Universal Analytics and GA4 properties. Screen views go to Universal Analytics; GA4 receives screen views and element_click events via Firebase Analytics. For push notifications, configure the OneSignal App ID in App Settings under the Push Notifications group.

Complete Screen View Reference

Screen views are recorded whenever a user opens or navigates to a screen. Over 60 distinct screen types are tracked. Screen names often include dynamic values (e.g., sermon title, event ID) for detailed reporting.

Sermons

• Sermon Feed Index Page — Main sermon feed list
• Series Detail: [series title] — Series detail view
• Sermon Detail: [sermon title] — Individual sermon detail
• Sermons Modal: [series] > [sermon] — Modal view of sermon within series
• Audio Sermon: [sermon title] — Audio sermon playback screen
• Sermons: Archive Page — Archive of past sermons
• View Sermon Speakers — Speakers list
• View Sermon Topics — Topics list
• View Sermon Scriptures — Scriptures list

Push Notifications

• Push Notification: Index Page — Push inbox list
• Push Notification: [notification title] — Individual notification view
• Push Notification: Manage Channels — Channel subscription management

Giving

• Give: donate — Donate screen
• Give: profile — Giving profile
• Give: text-giving — Text giving
• Give: history — Giving history
• Give: recurring — Recurring donations
• Give: [other endpoints] — Custom giving pages

Ministry Platform

• MP Event Calendar, MP Event Detail, MP Groups, MP My Groups, MP My Group, MP Church Directory, MP Campus Finder, MP Opportunity Finder, plus check-in, announcements, and more

Rock RMS

• Event calendar, event detail, small groups, campuses, group detail

CCB (Church Community Builder)

• Event calendar, event detail, campus finder, groups list, group detail

PCO (Planning Center)

• Event calendar, event detail, groups list, group detail

Other

• Sermon Notes: Index Page — Notes list
• Sermon Notes: [note title] — Individual note view
• App Page: [page title] — Custom app page
• Google Calendar: Index Page — Google Calendar list
• Google Calendar Event: [event summary] — Calendar event detail
• View Custom Event Calendar — Custom event calendar
• View Custom Event — Custom event detail
• View RSS — RSS feed list
• View All Messages — Messages list

Custom Events (GA4 element_click)

Every tap and navigation action within the app is tracked as an element_click event in GA4. This event includes parameters that help you understand user behavior:

• element_type — Route type (page, service, route)
• element_label — Context label for the tapped element
• element_screen — Current screen name when the tap occurred
• element_link — Link details (page name, route, or service action)

Use element_click data to analyze user flows, identify which buttons or links are most used, and understand how members navigate between sections.

Push Notification Lifecycle Events

OneSignal automatically tracks delivery rates and open rates for each notification. The mobile app records screen views when members interact with push content:

1. Sent — OneSignal queues the notification for delivery
2. Delivered — Notification arrives on the member’s device
3. Received (foreground) — If the app is open, the notification appears and is saved to the inbox
4. Opened (tapped) — Member taps the notification, which navigates to the notification detail or deep link

You can see the delivery count and status directly in the Push Notifications list in the control panel. The Status column shows the number of successful deliveries. Delivery history is tracked per device and automatically cleaned up after 30 days.

StudioC Engagement Tracking

When StudioC gamification is enabled, the app tracks additional engagement events sent to Google Analytics:

• Badge click — User taps a lit badge
• Unlit badge click — User taps an unlit badge
• Badge CTA click — User taps a badge call-to-action (lit)
• Unlit badge CTA click — User taps a badge call-to-action (unlit)
• Message click — User taps a message
• Interstitial click — User taps an interstitial
• Message view — User views a message
• Interstitial open — User opens an interstitial
• Dashboard view — User views the StudioC dashboard

Check your GA4 dashboard for these custom events when StudioC is enabled.

What Is NOT Tracked

The following activities are not tracked within the mobile app:

• Sermon audio play/pause — Only screen views for audio sermon screens are tracked. Play/pause and listening duration are not tracked.
• Giving completion — Giving happens in an embedded iframe. Donation analytics are available in the control panel Giving Reports.
• Form submissions within the app — Not tracked as app events.
• Explicit session start/end — Google Analytics handles sessions automatically.

How to Use Analytics Data to Improve Your App

Use your analytics data to identify popular sermons and series, optimize push notification timing and content, understand navigation patterns via element_click events, evaluate ChMS integration usage, and measure StudioC engagement when gamification is enabled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What analytics does the mobile app track?

The app tracks screen views (every page or screen visited), element clicks (every tap or navigation action), push notification opens, and StudioC engagement when enabled. All data flows to Google Analytics. OneSignal tracks push delivery and opens separately.

How do I set up analytics for the mobile app?

Enter your Google Analytics tracking ID in App Settings. The setting is called “Google Analytics Tracking ID” and supports both Universal Analytics and GA4 properties. For push notifications, configure the OneSignal App ID in App Settings. After saving, click “Refresh Mobile Application Cache” and allow up to 2 minutes for changes to take effect.

Can I see which sermons are most popular?

Yes. Screen view events include the sermon title and series name. Check your Google Analytics dashboard for “Sermon Detail” and “Audio Sermon” screen views to see which sermons get the most engagement.

Does the app track giving events?

The app tracks when users open giving screens (Donate, Profile, Text Giving, History, Recurring, etc.) but does not track giving completion. Donation analytics are available in the Giving Reports section of the control panel.

How are push notification opens tracked?

OneSignal automatically tracks notification delivery and opens. When a user taps a notification, the app records the open event and navigates to the notification content. You can view open rates in the Push Notifications list in the control panel.

What is the element_click event?

It is a GA4 custom event fired on every navigation or tap. It includes parameters such as element type, label, current screen, and link details. Use it to analyze user flows and which buttons or links are most used.

Does the app track when users play or pause sermon audio?

No. Only screen views for the Audio Sermon screen are tracked. Play/pause and listening duration are not tracked.

Where do I see StudioC engagement data?

StudioC events (badge clicks, message views, dashboard views) are sent to Google Analytics when StudioC is enabled. Check your GA4 dashboard for these custom events.

Can I use both Universal Analytics and GA4?

Yes. The app supports both. Configure the tracking ID in App Settings. Screen views go to Universal Analytics; GA4 receives screen views and element_click events via Firebase Analytics.

Need help setting up analytics? Contact us at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000.