Field notes
Why event names fail after three releases
When a product ships its first analytics pass, event names often mirror screens: signup_started, plan_selected, checkout_completed. That works until the third release reshapes the journey and the old names stay behind.
The failure pattern is predictable. Product renames a step in the UI, engineering keeps the old event to preserve historical charts, and growth adds a parallel event for a new experiment. Within a quarter you have three labels for one action and no owner who will retire the extras.
A practical fix is to separate display language from event identity. The user may see “Choose your plan”; the event stays plan_selected with a property for the plan tier. Document that split in your taxonomy so future copy changes do not spawn new events.
Before you rename anything live, list which reports and cohorts depend on the current names. Retire events on a published schedule rather than silently stopping them mid-month.
If your catalogue already shows near-duplicates, a short health review often surfaces the top ten offenders faster than a full redesign.