According to Google, Google’s Universal Analytics will not process any new hits after July, 2023.
Google Universal Analytics is the code and tracking platform that most websites have been using for years to track website visitors, referrals, user actions, e-commerce metrics, button clicks, and user flows within their websites. In 2022, Google has released that only their newest tracking solution (Google Analytics 4 or GA4) will be the only solution they will be supporting, and all Google Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new website hits as of July, 2023.
Why Did Google Decide to Phase Out Google Universal Analytics?
Google has decided to phase out Google Universal Analytics for a variety of reasons:
- The new GA4 properties can track more information with greater precision.
- The original Universal Analytics was traditionally desktop based.
- Improved ROI & customer lifecycle measurement.
- To improve upon mobile-based tracking difficulties.
- Greater accuracy of data.
- Better compliance with data regulations.
How Do I Know If My Website Has GA4 Installed?
Since GA4 was launched in 2020, most websites prior to 2021 do not have the new Google GA4 properties installed. More than likely, your website is running Google Universal Analytics. If you’d like to check for yourself, you can login to your Google Analytics account, click “Admin”, and then look at the “property” option at the top of the 2nd column. If your property doesn’t say “GA4” next to it (or if it says UA next to it), you are using Google Universal Analytics. You are going to need to create, configure, and install a new GA4 property for your website or app.
What Happens If I Decide Not To Move to GA4?
If you decide to stay with Universal Analytics and not move to GA4, your Google Analytics account will no longer process any new data after July, 2023.
Do I Need To Make This Change Now?
We recommend moving to GA4 immediately, as once you move to GA4, your historical data from your Universal Analytics account will not move to your new GA4 account. What this means, is that if you change in July 2023, you’ll be opening your new GA4 account with your data starting at zero. There is no known way to import your old data from Universal Analytics to the new GA4 account. We recommend moving now, so your new GA4 analytics property will begin accumulating data, and when July 2023 comes, you’ll have data tracking from this point until July 2023 to utilize within your GA4 account.
How Do I Move from Universal Analytics to GA4?
You’ll need to login to your Google Analytics account, create and configure your new GA4 property, and install the new GA4 code. You’ll also need to re-attach any Tag Manager accounts, Google Ads Accounts, and reconfigure your tracking if you are tracking button clicks, e-commerce cart items, product checkouts, or any other custom tracking.
We Can Do This For You
If this is too complicated, or you would like us to do this for you, contact us and we would be more than happy to help or do this for you!
