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Since 2005, or rather, since the launch of its first version, Google Analytics has been one of the most sought-after tools for experts, involved in SEO, design, and digital marketing services. Now, its current version, Universal Analytics, or UA, is expiring, and from July 1, 2023, it will no longer function at all. This is why, while there is still some time, companies need to migrate to the new version of Google Analytics, Google Analytics 4, or GA4, if they don’t want to be left without a tool that shows the current state of their business in real time. That’s why our experts decided to put together a detailed GA4 migration guide on how to complete this migration.
Although the vast majority of digital professionals who are already aware of the need for GA4 transition and are not enthusiastic about this, it’s difficult to overestimate the significance of the launch of the Google Analytics update. The fact is that this new version provides a qualitatively new approach to collecting customer data, performing more comprehensive analytics than ever before.
So what is upgrading to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)? In a nutshell, this is the newest version of Google Analytics that collects data about customer interactions with applications and websites that belong to the same project. As a result, this data is more consistent than in the previous GA version and provides a clearer and more complete picture of project success and weak spots.
In addition, this main feature is accompanied by other features, such as:
Below, we suggest that you review other significant features of the new version of Google Analytics. Since you are probably familiar with the UA version, let’s look at them in the context of the differences between GA4 and UA.
So, the first thing that catches your eye is the event-centric interface with well-grouped reports (grouping in the new version is more logical than in the previous one). In particular, Google’s team updated the data model. Now it’s based on events and parameters. Indeed, in the previous version of Google Analytics, the main parameter for generating analytics was page views.
As a result, you can get a complete picture of the target audience, regardless of the communication channels they use and the types of their personal devices (we recommend learning more about omnichannel marketing). GA4 also has some new parameters that include metrics such as engagement sessions, engagement rate, as well as engagement time. Also, it can check attribution, demographics, events, and so on.
Even though upgrading to Google Analytics 4 saves the parameters of user devices by assigning specific identifiers to customers, analytics for the same project are collected from A to Z. Thus, you get a more informative analysis of the behavior of customers than it was in the UA version. You can also learn about multichannel marketing to get a comprehensive understanding of how to use it in your business strategy.
The Google team has provided an upgrade to Google Analytics 4 with a brand-new reporting interface, which is not similar to the previous version. In particular, they used machine learning for the formation of these reports, which allows the platform to draw unobvious conclusions based on the collected data. Also, this new interface makes it easier to evaluate the actions of customers (both in real time and at fixed time intervals) at each stage of the sales funnel. Here are the two main types of reports that you’ll be able to see in the update:
Moreover, the new version is compatible with Google Data Studio, which opens up new possibilities for visualizing your analytical data.
Another feature that distinguishes GA4 from UA is the ability to analyze the effectiveness of the channels through which traffic comes. Attribution models are responsible for this, dividing the number of conversions by the user’s traffic sources. For UA, this model was indirect and based on the last click, while GA4 models can be adapted to specific business needs by the users of the platform themselves.
The upgrade to Google Analytics 4 comes with a number of safeguards by default in terms of complying with GDPR and CCPA policies. One of them is the IP anonymization of users. What’s more, by default, GA4 filters traffic identified by Google as spam, thus clearing the collected data.
And finally, another useful change in the Google Analytics 4 upgrade is the flexible validation of the collected data, which is the responsibility of the DebugView module. In particular, it’s this module that provides verification of transmitted data from connected test devices. Note that in the previous version of Google Analytics, such verification was problematic and required the use of many tools and special knowledge on the part of platform users.
The main reason for the GA4 transition is the upcoming end of support for the previous version. Therefore, whether you like it or not, you still have to do it before July 2023.
As for the GA4 transition procedure itself, you must understand that it’s not possible to directly import Google Analytics historical data from UA to GA4 due to the difference in the data models they use.
At the same time, unfortunately, Google itself doesn’t yet provide convenient proprietary tools that would allow this to be done in a few clicks, taking into account the differences of each version. Therefore, all your preparations for the migration should be made, taking into account the remaining time while the previous version of Google Analytics operates and the fact that you’ll need some more time for the GA4 transition itself. That’s why we compiled our GA4 migration guide.
In general, even though the Google Analytics 4 upgrade is formally considered an improved version of UA, in fact, these are two completely different tools that are based on different principles of operation. GA4 is a more advanced solution with a unique set of features that were not available in any of the previous versions of Google Analytics. Therefore, the sooner you migrate, the sooner you’ll acquire the new skills needed to work with GA4 and will be able to benefit from working with this tool.
Since there is no universal button that would allow you to transfer your existing database to the upgrade to Google Analytics 4, it’s you who will have to take care to save it before migrating. For this, there are three ways, each of which has its own restrictions on use. You can read about them in our GA4 migration guide below.
The easiest way to extract data from your Google Analytics account is to do it manually. The only thing you need to remember is that this approach only works when your data array is less than five thousand rows. Here’s how it goes:
Voila, the export is complete!
If, for some reason, the previous method doesn’t suit you, you can install an add-on that’s responsible for exporting data. It’s available on the Google Workspace Marketplace. After downloading it, follow the following steps.
To install the add-on, first create a separate folder on your Google Drive. This is where your data from the legacy version of Google Analytics will be uploaded. After that, create a Google Sheet and open it. Here in the main menu, you’ll see the menu item “Extensions,” where you can select the option “Add-ons.”
Click “Get add-ons” and install Google Analytics. The app will automatically redirect you to the Google Workspace Marketplace to do this, where you’ll find the appropriate app. Install it according to the guidelines for users who need to go through the authorization process.
Open the previously created Google Sheet file again and go to Extensions. You’ll now have the Google Analytics application displayed here. Click this option so that you can create a report.
Actually, for this, you must click the menu item “Create a new report.” Specify its name and select a view. This can be Account, Property, and View. Don’t forget to specify configuration options based on dimensions, metrics, and segments.
Now you can start customizing your report: to do this, click “Create Report.” As a result, you’ll be redirected to additional parameters, which you can also set if you need.
After all these manipulations, you’ll be ready to run reports. Open one of them, click “Extensions,” select Google Analytics again, and start exporting data by clicking “Run Reports.”
When the export procedure is completed, click “OK.” Note that you can also find errors in these reports. To fix them, you should fix their original source and repeat the previous steps.
Finally, you can use the Google Analytics Reporting API v4, which provides access to analytical data in UA. Unlike the previous two export methods, this one gives you access to most reports, which means you can spend less time exporting parts of your analytics.
However, this method also has disadvantages, which primarily consist of a high entry threshold for users who are going to apply it. In particular, they need to be familiar with the API to connect it to the previous version of Google Analytics and perform the operations they need. But if you have the necessary skills, Google Analytics Reporting API v4 will be the holy grail for you, as it will help you quickly archive large amounts of data (including real-time data and historical data).
As for the UA to GA4 migration procedure, it consists of two global phases: the preparation phase and the migration itself. Below we’ll consider each of them in detail in this GA4 migration guide so that, if needed, you can independently cope with this difficult task.
The first thing you need to start your GA4 migration checklist is to create new GA4 properties and launch them immediately. It’s these properties that will be responsible for importing historical data from the previous version of Google Analytics and setting the new version to continue monitoring this data in the future. Therefore, the timely setting of properties will help you start your work with the Google Analytics 4 upgrade as soon as possible.
As for the deadlines, you’d better do this work with properties before July 1, 2023. However, if you do not have time to do this in advance, nothing bad will happen. The main thing is not to postpone this stage at all.
Working with Properties starts by adding a new tracking tag for GA4 to your project. This is done through Google Tag Manager.
Once the tag has been added, you’ll need to check the property a few days later so you can make sure everything works as it should and that the traffic data displayed is relevant for this new property.
Now you’ll need to create a new data stream. To do this, in the “Properties” column, click “Data Streams” and select “Add Stream.” The stream can refer to iOS and Android applications, as well as web solutions.
Lastly, you’ll need to activate Google Signals to access advanced reporting and remarketing options. In particular, this feature will allow you to tailor your ads within your remarketing campaigns to different types of user devices. Thus, all customers who have given their permission to display personalized advertising will see the results of the work of Google Signals. You can also read more about how to build an effective digital marketing strategy and learn about our relevant marketing and advertising case study.
You must understand that the new analytics properties do not inherit any tracking elements from any other properties, even if you already had them in the previous version of Google Analytics.
For example, in your UA to GA4 migration, you can use tracking elements such as:
As well as add your own, which you may need for your own project.
Think about which of these tracking elements would be really useful to you and which of them you might find ineffective for your project. You may also need to expand some of them.
As for the goals, these were created in each new report view in the previous version of Google Analytics, but this doesn’t happen in the GA4 version because of the updated data model. Therefore, you’ll have to manually transfer them to the new version of Google Analytics, taking into account its changed data model. Remember that GA4 will limit you to 30 conversions per property (in the UA version, as you may remember, you had 20 goals per property).
Also, it’s important in this transfer to determine the goals that are associated with events and the goals that are not associated with them. This will affect the form in which they will be transferred to GA4.
Now you’re all set to start implementing the UA to GA4 migration procedure. Let’s find out how this works out in practice.
Let’s see how typical properties for your UA to GA4 migration are configured.
Events in GA4 and UA are almost identical, except that in the new version of Google Analytics, you’ll have to set up tags for goals from scratch. Along with this, some events can be transferred automatically.
Therefore, before proceeding with the transfer manually, you’ll need to check which of them have already been added. This can be done in the “Settings” section of the navigation menu. All other event elements can be quickly created using Google Tag Manager.
As you can see, the GA4 upgrade has renamed goals to conversions, and now they are event-centric. That’s why it’s best to start the Universal Analytics to GA4 migration with events-related goals, as they are more convenient in terms of their structure for the new version of Google Analytics. After the transfer, don’t forget to label your goals as conversions.
As for non-event-related goals, you can add them to the GA4 upgrade through the interface or using the program code. Also, in some cases, it makes sense to first create an audience (to learn how to do this, refer to the “Audiences” section below) and then link these goals to this audience.
Speaking of the UA version, here you could create content groupings using the interface. Google Analytics 4 doesn’t have this property—everything here is created using page tags. Use Google Tag Manager to create this property.
This is one of the most difficult property types to set up, as it requires work with both the interface and the program code. And if the latter can be transferred in a couple of clicks, then working with the interface will require more effort from you.
To set up this type of property, you’ll need to open the GA4 Admin menu and select “Data Streams.” Here you will click on the address of your web resource and select “Advanced tag settings” in the “Advanced settings” section. Now you can set the domains in “Set up your domains,” specifying all the necessary URLs to get end-to-end analytics.
When performing a GA4 migration, you should understand that you’ll need to specify all references to products again. Note that there is no need to remove these resources from the previous version of Google Analytics.
You’ll see all product links in the admin navigation menu. Simply select the links you need and connect them to the GA4 upgrade.
This type of property is usually used to customize ads. By the way, you can learn more about how to choose a proper strategy for your marketing campaigns here.
However, GA4 expanded its capabilities since now it can also be used to set up conversions. Remember that it’s important to do this before July 1, 2023, so that the audience data you use in your advertising campaigns remains up-to-date.
To do this, you need to analyze the properties in the previous version of Google Analytics and select those that relate to audience types. Usually, they are easily transferred manually. The only important thing you should keep in mind is that the terminology in the new version of Google Analytics may be different from the UA version.
To migrate this property, you’ll need to create new GA4 eCommerce tracking tags, even though you may have already created the same tags in the old version of Google Analytics. You can do this using Google Tag Manager.
First, you’ll need to audit your properties. For this, create a separate document, which will be useful to you during the GA4 migration process.
At this step, you’ll need to export historical data. We’ve described how to do this in the previous paragraph.
Before migrating, please consider the structure of your account. This GA4 migration plan should be formed according to your business requirements, the number of properties, and the data streams that Google Analytics will need to process.
After your GA4 migration plan is completed, use the GA4 Setup Assistant to set up your account. In particular, click “Administrator” at the bottom left, hover over “Account,” and select the option you need. After that, move the cursor to “Properties” and select the one from the previous version of Google Analytics that was responsible for collecting analytical data for your project.
Now click on “GA4 Setup Assistant” under “Properties” and select the option “I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property.” To do this, click the “Get started” button.
After this, select “Create” and continue creating in the new window “Set up a Google tag page.” Select the “Create a resource” option to access your old tags from UA. If you did everything correctly, you’ll receive a message about the successfully completed stage.
In this step, you’ll need to connect GA4 to third-party services such as Google Ads.
To do this, select the “Administrator” role (the button is located at the bottom left) and move the cursor to “Account” to select the option you need. Then move your mouse to “Linking” and select “Import existing Google Ads links from your connected Universal Analytics property,”
After that, click “Get started” and select the links you want to import. You can proceed with the import by clicking on “Import selected advertising links” at the top right. To confirm your actions, click “OK.” If everything goes well, you’ll see an appropriate system message.
This step may sound familiar to you since it’s similar to how you worked with user management in the previous version of Google Analytics. However, we think it would also be useful to describe how this happens in GA4.
After you’ve installed GA4 Migrator (this add-on is available in the Google Workspace Marketplace), you’ll need to create a new Google Spreadsheet. After that, you’ll move your cursor to “Extensions” and select “GA4 Migrator for Google Analytics.” After that, select “Migrate users to GA4” and click on the account you’re going to configure (it will be displayed in the menu). You also need to select the Universal Analytics property in the menu and click on “Import users from Universal Analytics.”
You’ll now see a report with available settings for user permissions. In this case, each row from the spreadsheet you created will have the “Ready to migrate” parameter, which means that it’s ready for exporting permissions for users to your new property in the GA4 property.
After the migration from UA to GA4 is finished, you’ll see the message “User migration complete.”
Now you need to either create new filters or configure existing ones after setting the administrator role. To do this, you have to hover the mouse over the properties, select the data streams, indicate which one is the default, move down to select “Advanced Settings,” and set the desired parameters from those that you’ll see.
Finally, you can choose the level of scope you want. For the previous version of Google Analytics, these levels were: Hit, Product, Session, and User. As for GA4, here you can add new parameters for each of them. To do this, you need to click “New custom dimension,” select one of the “Event” or “User” options in the Scope menu, enter a new name and description, set new event parameters, and save all changes by clicking on the appropriate button.
Perhaps, after reading our GA4 migration checklist, you have a question about the limitations that usually accompany any migration procedure. Indeed, they are here too.
In particular, whichever data extraction approach you choose, you still won’t get the option to export raw data. Also, you should keep in mind that the method used in the migration from UA to GA4 displays the data in a simple format. Therefore, before using it, you’ll need to combine the parameters and indicators of your data into one query.
We hope you now understand the importance and urgency of migrating from UA to GA4 and will definitely not hesitate to do so. Along with this, we’re well aware that the above GA4 migration checklist can be difficult even for experienced users of Google Analytics, so we offer you our help in Universal Analytics to GA4 migration. Contact us right now to delegate this task to professionals.
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