Earlier this month, Google sent emails to Google Analytics customers explaining it will start moving them over to the latest version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), next month – unless they make the switch themselves.
This means, if you haven’t yet mov! over to GA4, time is running out before Google will do it for you. The problem with this is Google will automatically configure your new Analytics account with the most basic settings, so it’s important to get your GA4 account properly set up – how your business ne!s it.
Set up your GA4 account before end of Feb
The email sent out to Google Analytics telegram number database customers last week warns that Google will start migrating accounts still using the old Universal Analytics system over to Google Analytics 4 in March.
It specifies that it will automatically configure basic settings for any migrations. However, it recommends customers migrate themselves – before the automat! switch – to make sure Google Analytics 4 is set up to meet their ne!s. It also raises the issue of losing more historical data if you rely on Google to automatically configure your new GA4 account.
The email in question was sent with this subject line: “We’ll soon configure Google Analytics 4 for you”.
“Universal Analytics standard properties will
stop processing data on July 1, 2023. To exactly how to pick the right maximize historical data and to ensure that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) meets your specific ne!s, we recommend you make the switch to Google Analytics 4 now. This will give you the opportunity to customize the setup including using the latest site tag.
For any customer who does not set up a GA4 property with basic settings, starting in March, we will configure one with a few basic settings consistent with the existing Universal Analytics property; this includes certain conversion events, Google Ads links, and existing website tags.
For Universal Analytics customers whose websites are tagg! with gtag.js or
analytics.js (including through tag europe email management systems like Google Tag Manager), we will create a connect! site tag that will reuse existing tags when possible to send traffic to the new GA4 property. If you do not wish to have a GA4 property creat! and configur! bas! on your Universal Analytics property and existing tags, you may opt-out.”
Google says you can opt out of the automatic migration but keep in mind that Universal Analytics will stop processing data on 1 July 2023.
Either way, Universal Analytics customers ne! to move over to Google Analytics 4 and – as we’ve explain! before – the sooner you do this, the more historical data you’ll retain.
The email itself explains: “To maximize historical data and to ensure that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) meets your specific ne!s, we recommend you make the switch to Google Analytics 4 now”. Relying on Google to complete the migration for you will leave a lot of gaps in your data and you’ll also miss out on the full reporting potential of GA4.