The end of the era of Universal Analytics

Introduction

On July 1, 2024, Google is officially retiring its current web analytics model, Universal Analytics (UA), replacing it with a new standard: Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This change is crucial for online store and website owners who need to prepare for a new era in data management.

Why is this important?

For many years, Universal Analytics has been an essential tool for website and online store owners, enabling them to monitor website traffic, user behavior, and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Disabling Universal Analytics means that, starting July 1, 2024, users will lose access to the service's user interface and API. This means they must migrate to the new web analytics model – Google Analytics 4. Failure to migrate to GA4 can lead to the loss of valuable information and difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of marketing activities and understanding user behavior on the site.

How is Google Analytics 4 different?

Google Analytics 4 is not just a new version of the analytical tool, but a completely new model that introduces a number of innovative features:

1. User-centricity – GA4 places a greater emphasis on tracking user behavior across devices and channels, allowing for a better understanding of purchase paths and brand interactions.
2. Increased privacy – The new version is better adapted to privacy protection requirements such as GDPR, which is crucial in the context of changing regulations on personal data protection.
3. Data modeling – GA4 uses advanced machine learning algorithms to model data, allowing for more precise information about users and their behavior.
4. Integration with the Google ecosystem – GA4 integrates better with other Google tools, making it easier to manage advertising campaigns and analyze their performance.

What should be done?

Exporting data from Universal Analytics

You can export Universal Analytics data to multiple file types (including CSV, XLSX, PDF, and Google Sheets). You can also export data to the cloud.

Impact on Google Ads campaigns

If Universal Analytics is not linked to a Google Ads account, disabling the old analytics will not affect your advertising campaigns. However, if the service is linked to a Google Ads account, users have been unable to access the data since July 2023. Google recommends migrating Google Ads connections from Universal Analytics to a property in Google Analytics 4.

Removing Google Universal Analytics

The property should be removed unless the user is still sending data to GA4 using Universal Analytics tagging. In this case, removing UA may interrupt the data flow to GA4 and require a new Google tag to be configured.

Moving Universal Analytics from one account to another

This option will only be available until July 1, 2024.

Support from our agency

Migrating to Google Analytics 4 can seem complicated, but our interactive agency is here to help. We specialize in GA4 implementations, offering comprehensive services from installation to configuration and training. With our support, your transition to GA4 will be smooth and seamless, allowing you to continue to enjoy the full power of web analytics.