GA4 migration is the move from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, and it has a hard deadline. On July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties stop processing new data. If your B2B website still relies on Universal Analytics, you have about five months to switch.
This guide covers what changes on July 1, what to do first, and a short plan you can finish in a few weeks. It is written for marketing and operations leads, not analysts.
What happens on July 1, 2023
Google has said that on July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties stop collecting any new hits. Analytics 360 properties, the paid tier, get a one-time extension of one more year.
Until July 1, you can keep collecting data in Universal Analytics. After that date, Google says you will be able to see your old reports for at least six months. Google also plans to give a later date when the old reports go away for good. After that date, you will not see them in the Analytics screen or pull them through the API.
Google's help pages also say that Universal Analytics data will stop flowing to Google Ads after July 1, 2023, for linked accounts. Campaigns that bid on imported goals or use Universal Analytics audiences could be affected.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics will be going away" (last updated October 27, 2022); Google Analytics Help, "Introducing the next generation of Analytics, Google Analytics 4"
Check which property you use
Many sites already have a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property and do not know it. Google says that if you created your property before October 14, 2020, you are likely using Universal Analytics. If you created it after that date, you are likely on GA4 already, and no action is needed.
If you cannot tell, ask whoever set up your Analytics account. If you only have a Universal Analytics property, start now.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics will be going away"
Start collecting GA4 data now
The most important step is the first one. A new GA4 property only collects data from the day it is set up. Google states that its setup wizard does not backfill a new property with old data. So every week you wait is a week of history you will never have in GA4.
Google offers a GA4 Setup Assistant for sites that already use Analytics. In short, it does the following:
- Creates a new GA4 property that runs next to your current one.
- Copies the property name, website address, time zone and currency.
- Turns on enhanced measurement, which tracks things like scrolls and outbound clicks.
- Connects the two properties so you can move some settings across.
Your Universal Analytics property is not changed. It keeps collecting data as before. Google also says that if you have not made a GA4 property by early 2023, the Setup Assistant may create one for you. You can opt out. Most teams will prefer to make the choice themselves.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, "Add a Google Analytics 4 property (to a site that already has Analytics)"; Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics will be going away"
Expect different numbers
GA4 is not Universal Analytics with a new look. It counts things in a different way, and your reports will not match line for line.
- Everything is an event. In Universal Analytics, a page view, an event and a transaction are separate hit types. In GA4, each one is an event. A page view becomes a page_view event.
- Events lose their old labels. Universal Analytics events have a category, an action and a label. GA4 events do not. Google suggests you rethink your tracking for GA4 instead of copying the old setup.
- Sessions are built differently. GA4 session numbers come from the session_start event, so session counts can differ from the old property.
- Page views should be close. Google says page view totals are usually within a few percentage points.
Tell your leadership team this before the first report. A B2B team that sees lower or higher numbers in GA4 may think something broke. Usually it is only a different way of counting.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics versus Google Analytics 4 data"
A five-week plan
This is a sample schedule, not a Google rule. Adjust it to your team size.
| Week | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm your property type. Run the GA4 Setup Assistant and start collecting data. |
| 2 | List the goals you track today, such as demo requests, contact forms and downloads. Rebuild each as a GA4 conversion event. |
| 3 | Check linked tools. Move your Google Ads link and audiences to the GA4 property. |
| 4 | Compare a few key reports in both properties. Note the gaps and write them down for your team. |
| 5 | Export the Universal Analytics reports you need to keep. |
If your team sends leads to a CRM, test that path with a real form submission. A broken form event is easy to miss and costly to find late.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, "Add a Google Analytics 4 property (to a site that already has Analytics)"; Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics will be going away". The schedule is an editorial suggestion.
Save your old data
GA4 will not carry your history over, so decide what you need to keep. Google lists several ways to export data from Universal Analytics:
- Export single reports as CSV, TSV, Excel, Google Sheets or PDF.
- Pull data with the Google Analytics Reporting API.
- For Analytics 360 customers, export to BigQuery.
Google says it plans to share more export guidance as the shutdown date gets closer. Even so, do not wait for it. Year-over-year views are valuable in B2B, where sales cycles run for months. Save at least your traffic, lead and channel reports for the last two years.
Sources: Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics will be going away"
Sources
- Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics will be going away." support.google.com/analytics/answer/11583528
- Google Analytics Help, "Introducing the next generation of Analytics, Google Analytics 4." support.google.com/analytics/answer/10089681
- Google Analytics Help, "Add a Google Analytics 4 property (to a site that already has Analytics)." support.google.com/analytics/answer/9744165
- Google Analytics Help, "Universal Analytics versus Google Analytics 4 data." support.google.com/analytics/answer/9964640