Google just announced a major shakeup for Google Analytics that will affect all of its users. We want to make you aware of this change and our plans to help you prepare. We'll continue to share more in the coming weeks as details become clear, but rest assured that we’re on top of this.
[Google] will begin sunsetting Universal Analytics — the previous generation of Analytics — next year. All standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits on July 1, 2023.
Google Analytics 4 vs. Universal Analytics
Google launched a new version of Google Analytics called Google Analytics 4 (a.k.a. “GA4”) in October 2020. It’s an entirely different analytics platform and is not compatible with the current version, Universal Analytics (“UA” or “GA3”). We recently shared a GA4 vs. Universal Analytics comparison graphic and will keep it updated as new details become available.
What’s changing?
The current version of Google Analytics (“Universal Analytics”) is going to stop recording website activity on July 1, 2023. Only GA4 will work beyond that date.
Historical data in Universal Analytics will only be stored for an additional 6 months.
GA360 users will undergo the same transformation but have an additional three months to prepare.
What does this mean for you?
Our goal is to prevent disruptions for marketers that depend on Google Analytics for measuring digital campaigns and website performance. You’ll need to prepare for the different measurement and reporting tools in GA4, many of which work differently than Universal Analytics.
Additionally, and most importantly, we’ll lose access to historical data in Universal Analytics after the cutover period. All necessary data and reports should be downloaded and stored elsewhere.
Free GA4 Migration Planner
Worried that a broken or incomplete infrastructure might make your switch to GA4 difficult? We can take a look and let you know where we see potential issues and how to make it work!
Use this GA4 Migration Planner to see what you might be missing.
What comes next?
We have time to prepare but waiting too long is going to limit your ability to transition to GA4 seamlessly. We’re preparing a migration strategy to share publicly and will keep our newsletter subscribers updated as news breaks.
This is a big change for our industry. We’re here to walk you through it.
