Google Analytics 4 Upgrade - FAQs
On March 16th, 2022, Google announced standard Universal Analytics will stop recording new data on July 1st, 2023.
If you rely on Universal Analytics, we recommend that you prepare to use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) going forward.
For those marketers who rely on year-on-year comparison data, the time to begin making the switch to Google Analytics 4 is now.
Background
Why do I need to upgrade to GA4 now if Universal Analytics will work until July 2023?
Upgrading to GA4 now will allow you to build up 12 months of data before Universal Analytics is switched off in July 2023. This will allow you to make seamless year-on-year data comparisons in GA4.
Can you run Universal Analytics and GA4 on the same website?
Yes, this is our recommendation for clients with existing websites.
What about for new websites?
If you are building a completely new website, we recommend installing GA4 from day one as the default.
Will my historic Universal Analytics data be available in GA after July 1st, 2023?
After July 1st, 2023, you'll be able to access your old data in your Universal Analytics property for at least six months. Google has not confirmed if old data will be removed after that.
You will be able to download a copy of your historical data for other data analysis tools, like Excel, Power BI or Tableau.
Can I merge my historic Universal Analytics data with GA4 data?
You won’t be able to merge historic Universal Analytics data with GA4 because they use different data models. This lack of integration is the main reason you should get started with GA4 as soon as possible. Starting with GA4 lets you build up historic data for when you need it.
What’s different in GA4?
While many of the features and metrics from Universal Analytics will carry over, there are several significant changes. We’ve highlighted the key changes for our clients:
Where is Bounce Rate?
Bounce rate is not included in GA4. This metric’s significance has been an ongoing subject of debate for digital marketers.
GA4 includes more meaningful “engaged sessions.” These are sessions with a minimum of either two pages, ten seconds on-site or activating a conversion event. It puts the emphasis on users that engage with your content, rather than those that didn’t.
Where is time on page?
‘Time on page’ is replaced by 'Average engagement time.' This engagement metric shows the time that your app screen was in the foreground, or your web page was in focus. When your site or app is running in the background, Analytics won’t count the time.
Where are exit pages and exit %?
Page exit metrics are not available in the standard GA4 reports, but 'Exits' are available in the Explorer.
You cannot currently calculate an exit rate % within GA4, although this is planned in the future. The easiest way to do this now is by using a Data Studio report, which we can help create for you.
Do I have to re-tag my entire website for GA4?
GA4 uses a different data model to Universal Analytics, so the method of collection is also slightly different. So, there is some retagging work to complete that we will address as part of the migration.
Will my GA4 data match my historical Universal Analytics data?
The two use different data models, so there may be discrepancies. The extent of the discrepancies may differ, depending on your analytics set up.
Can my existing Data Studios reports be used with GA4?
We can easily change the dashboard data source to your new GA4 property, but each dashboard element will need to be updated due to the different data structures in GA4. We will need to rebuild any Data Studio reports.
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