When Google Analytics 4 was announced, many people were surprised to see the end of Universal Analytics (UA). It's a big change — but Google has made big changes before. If you tried GA4 before and weren't sold, it's time to give it another look. The analytics tool has been significantly improved.
What is Google Analytics 4?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, released in May 2019. It's the successor to Universal Analytics, which was launched in 2011. Google Analytics has evolved quite a bit since it was first launched in 2005 as Urchin.
In July 2016, GA expanded its capabilities by adding social media tracking features, providing marketers with detailed reports about social media activity — including engagement rate per post, reach across networks, and the number of posts shared via specific network types.
Plan your migration to GA4
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is now available to all users and replaces Universal Analytics (UA). This means that if you have a valid UA property ID for your site, it will automatically be upgraded to GA4.
If you are using an older version of Universal Analytics, such as version 3 or earlier, those versions are no longer supported by Google and you need to plan your migration now.
You can use both GA4 and Universal Analytics at the same time.
You can use both GA4 and Universal Analytics simultaneously. If you do this, your UA data will be retained longer than normal (up to 6 months) as it will still be available in the older version of Google Analytics. That way you can continue to view it without having to worry about your old code breaking.
You could also use GA4 for some accounts/websites and Universal Analytics for others. For example, if you have an account with a very high number of sessions per day (over 10 million), then using GA4 will ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
Keep your UA data for longer.
You can keep your data for longer by retaining it in its original format, then importing it into GA4 when you're ready to use it. You'll find a number of ways to get started with the new version of Analytics, including:
- The GA4 dashboard, which replaces the old Google Analytics interface and offers a streamlined experience that's easy to navigate.
- The GA4 API (application programming interface), which allows you to use data in your own applications without needing login credentials.
- The mobile app, which lets users access reports from anywhere at any time.
You want to be ready for the eventual sunset of UA, so planning now is good.
You need to plan for the eventual sunset of UA. If you are planning on moving to GA4, there are some important things you can do now:
- You can use both GA4 and Universal Analytics at the same time, meaning legacy sites using UA will continue to be tracked.
- Keep your UA data for longer by using the appropriate settings in your GA configuration.
- Use the GA4 console to manage your properties after switching over from UA.
Conclusion
Overall, GA4 is a welcome update that will help us better understand and market to our customers. With consumer privacy and data security becoming increasingly important topics for customers and regulators alike, it's good to see Google take steps towards addressing these concerns. Don't wait — start planning your migration today.