In early April 2024, you may have received an email from Google Analytics announcing the cessation of data storage for your Universal Analytics (UA) account. You might have scratched your head and wondered what the techno-mumbo-jumbo was telling you. Here’s a summary and action items you’ll need.
When is it effective?
According to the memo, “On July 1, 2024, Google Analytics 4 properties will have fully replaced Universal Analytics properties.”
What does that mean for me?
If you haven’t migrated to Google Analytics 4, follow Google’s Migration Guide for Beginner’s to start making the switch a.s.a.p.
Also, as of July 1, your Universal Analytics (UA) account will be inaccessible through your analytics interface (analytics.google.com).
What action(s) should I take today?
You should download / export your data now!
If this isn’t done through one of the methods provided in Google Analytics, your data will be permanently deleted by Google and won’t be recoverable. If you plan to use the BigQuery integration to export historical data, you should do that immediately, especially if you plan to use the free version that exports only 60 days-worth of data.
Keep in mind, the BigQuery export of historical data can only be requested up to and including June 30, 2024. Previously exported data remains in BigQuery.
How do I create a BigQuery account and reports?
I like this video from Adam Finer, Learn BI Online, where he explains “How to Link BigQuery GA4 Tutorial to Build Reports.” In his 14-minute, step-by-step tutorial he demonstrates how to link to a BigQuery database and create reports from the data stored there.
Bonus Tip
If you plan to use the free BigQuery account, check out my previous article “How to Increase Google Analytics Data Retention Controls Beyond 14 Months,” to keep your data flowing.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
If you fail to upgrade your Google Analytics account before the deadline, you’re going to be out of luck. Not only do you lose reporting data for your website, but settings accessed or used through advertiser (Google Ads), publisher (e.g., Google News), or other product integrations will be unavailable.
Plus…
- Universal Analytics goals and ecommerce transactions will stop measuring new conversions, which may affect ad campaign performance if those conversions are used in combination with Smart Bidding.
- Universal Analytics audience lists will be closed, which may affect ad campaign media activation and performance.
- API requests related to Universal Analytics properties will fail, including requests for deletion of Universal Analytics data through the User Deletion API. This also means that tools relying on an API, such as Looker Studio, will not show any Universal Analytics data.
- Attribution Projects that were part of Attribution (beta) in Google Analytics will be deleted.
Act Today
If you haven’t paid much attention to the Google Analytics application, now’s the time to spend a bit of time ensuring your account is fully set up, historical data is retained, and you understand how to create reports from that data.
If you need help, reach out. My team would be happy to assist.