Google has announced it will shut down Universal Analytics on July 1, 2024, ending the transition to GA4.
Google’s transition to Analytics 4 requires immediate action from users of Universal Analytics to maintain data access and campaign measurements.
Here’s Google’s notice on its Analytics Help page:
Google advised users:
- “Universal Analytics shuts down on July 1, 2024. To avoid campaign disruption, migrate to Google Analytics 4 conversions and audiences.”
- “To maintain your website measurement, you’ll need a Google Analytics 4 property. If you haven’t already, make the switch to Google Analytics 4.”
Google Universal Analytics recap
GUA provides data that helps you see where your website and app traffic comes from and what actions users take once they arrive.
Google Analytics does it by monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on how people find you, their demographics, how users navigate your site or app, and how they move through your sales funnel.
Why the transition?
Google’s transition to GA4 marks a significant change in its analytics offerings to increase privacy, adaptability to future technology and regulation updates, and how it provides businesses with critical marketing information.
For example, one change is how Analytics measures screen views.
Google explains:
- “Universal Analytics measures screen views in separate mobile-specific properties, whereas GA4 combines both web and app data in the same property.”
Google provides detailed information on the difference between Analytics 4 and Analytics Universal on its Analytics help page.
Key dates you need to know
If you still need to switch to GA4, you must act fast to maintain your historical Universal Analytics data.
Google timeline notice says:
- “Starting the week of July 1, 2024, you will not have access to any current or historical Universal Analytics data, and most users will lose access to the interface and the API on this date.”
- “After July 1, 2024, once a property does not show in the interface, you should consider your property shut down.”
- “We know your data is important to you, and we recommend that you export your previously processed data before this date.”
How it might affect your business
Business owners who use Google Analytics to track their website’s data must take action now.
Here’s what Google says will happen from July 1:
- “Universal Analytics goals and e-commerce transactions will stop measuring new conversions, including those within linked advertising accounts. This may affect ad campaign performance if those conversions are combined 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 Universal Analytics data.”
- “BigQuery export and backfill of historical data from Universal Analytics 360 properties can only be requested up to and including June 30, 2024. Already exported data remains available in BigQuery.”
- “Attribution projects that were part of Attribution (beta) in Google Analytics will be deleted.”
Google also gave this notice:
What you need to do
To keep access to your Universal Analytics data, export it before July 1, 2024. If you haven’t already, next, initiate and configure your Google Analytics 4 property, transfer your Google ad links, and follow GA4 events to create new conversions. Google also advises: “If you intend to use the BigQuery integration to export historical data from your Universal Analytics 360 property, we strongly recommend initiating this” before July 1.