The day that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will fully replace Universal Analytics (UA) is on the horizon, a whole year after UA properties stopped processing new data.
As of the 1 July 2024, Universal Analytics properties will no longer be accessible, as Google will turn off all UA services and APIs.
If you haven’t yet completed the migration from UA to GA4, be mindful that you have until this date to do so. If not, you risk losing historical data.
What do I need to do before GA4 fully replaces UA?
Migrate
It is critical that you migrate from UA to GA4 to ensure there are no hiccups with data collection and analysis processes.
The migration process involves creating a new property for GA4 within your Google Analytics account, implementing a GA4 tracking code into your website and setting up audiences, conversions, custom dimensions and metrics.
When services are terminated on the 1 July 2024, UA settings and data used or obtained through publisher, advertiser or other product integrations will be lost.
This includes ecommerce transactions, goals and audience lists, which may affect the performance and activation of ad campaigns.
In an effort to simplify the migration process, Google has created a comprehensive step-by-step migration guide.
Export data
Historical data from your UA property will not be transferred to GA4, and therefore, it’s important to export this data for reporting purposes and performance analysis.
To maintain access to data from your UA property, Google have provided details on how to export the data.
This includes exporting individual reports, using the Google Analytics Reporting API to export data to Cloud storage and then connect to Looker Studio, installing a Google Sheets add-on for Analytics or exporting to BigQuery.
Please note that you have until the 30 June 2024 to request BigQuery export and backfill of historical data from UA 360 properties.
You should also note that if the downloading or exporting of data isn’t completed through one of Google’s recommended methods, your data will be deleted permanently and will not be recovered.
Need help tracking the tracking the performance of your website using Google Analytics 4? Contact the friendly and knowledgeable team at Engage Web today.
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