Google will begin mechanically configuring your Common Analytics properties to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for you. However you really don’t wish to do that for a lot of causes.
Is your GA4 already arrange? You may nonetheless be topic to “auto-migration.” Learn on for extra particulars about it and find out how to decide out.
Making the swap to GA4
On February 9, Google despatched an e mail saying they are going to quickly begin configuring Google Analytics 4 for customers beginning in March (as early as this week).
Which means that in case you have a Common Analytics (UA) property however haven’t migrated to GA4, Google will create a GA4 property for you primarily based on most of the settings you have got in UA, equivalent to your targets, audiences, Advertisements hyperlinks, customers, and extra.
However what’s Google’s definition of “haven’t migrated”?
State of affairs 1: You could have a UA property and haven’t arrange a GA4 property. The UA property shouldn’t be opted out of the auto-migration setting.
This will likely be a typical situation for individuals who haven’t had the time or don’t wish to arrange GA4. That is primarily the “lengthy tail” of consumers Google desires to maintain on GA.
When you simply didn’t have the time or want to do the migration, maybe this isn’t a foul possibility for you. However remember that your knowledge could look fairly totally different. (Extra particulars on how the migration works under.)
State of affairs 2: You could have created a GA4 property however haven’t linked it to a UA property. Google doesn’t comprehend it’s the identical as your UA property and doesn’t take into account this migrated.
Have you ever seen this popup modal in GA4? Possible sure, as a result of it pops up each time you log in or refresh.
What does linking do? It tells Google that you’ve got created a GA4 property tied to a UA property.
Will that cease Google from automigrating you?
Not essentially.
That may rely on how a lot of the GA4 setup assistant you have got accomplished (extra on that in a second).
State of affairs 3: You could have created a GA4 property and linked it to a UA property however haven’t accomplished all GA4 Setup Assistant steps.
When you’re not opted out of migration in UA, then Google will begin filling within the gaps for you on this situation.
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Utilizing the GA4 Setup Assistant
The GA4 Setup Assistant is a 12-step device that helps you observe your GA4 migration progress.
It has some fairly helpful instruments included, equivalent to assist with viewers migration and a extra easy course of for Google Advertisements linking.
Advertisements linking
Typically, you have to have twin admin entry, which means you should be an admin on each the Analytics and Advertisements accounts to hyperlink. It may be irritating and time-consuming to make sure you have the proper entry ranges.
The setup assistant device references the hyperlinks you have got in UA and doesn’t require admin entry to Advertisements to hyperlink. That is nice if you’re having somebody not sometimes concerned in Advertisements serving to you migrate, equivalent to a contractor or company.
When you click on Import from Common Analytics, a brand new display reveals you the entire Advertisements hyperlinks you have got arrange in UA.
You’ll be able to examine or uncheck the bins for what you wish to import to GA4 after which hit Import chosen Advertisements hyperlinks. It is as straightforward as that.
Conversions
The device will reference your conversions in UA and examine if they’re eligible (i.e., occasion or vacation spot targets) for migration to GA4.
Objectives utilizing different purpose sorts or regex will not be presently eligible for migration, however possibly sooner or later.
This migration display is just like the Advertisements linking display. Test the eligible targets you wish to migrate to GA4 conversions. Ineligible targets will likely be grayed out.
You could have the choice to vary the title of the conversion. I like to recommend leaving it within the underscore format.
Customers
This one is not as flashy, however in case you have loads of customers with entry to your UA property that you simply wish to copy to GA4, it could be probably the most useful device.
When you choose Import from Common Analytics, it’ll ship you to a assist middle article detailing the method.
You’ll need to make use of a Google Sheets Add-on device for this. It seems like work, but it surely’s fairly fast and painless. The assistance middle article provides nice step-by-step directions on find out how to use it.
Why some customers may wish to decide out
Again to the warnings I’ve in retailer for you…
As an instance you fall into State of affairs 3 (that’s, you have got created a GA4 property and linked it to a UA property however have not accomplished all GA4 Setup Assistant steps).
No matter you haven’t marked as full within the GA4 Setup Assistant device will likely be performed for you.
That is the place, in my view, issues can get fairly sketchy quick.
Sure, I simply advised you the Setup Assistant has some helpful instruments. However they’re useful as a result of you’ll be able to management the migration your self.
For all 12 steps within the Setup Assistant, you have to mark them Full even in case you have not performed them – except you need Google to do it.
That is particularly vital for these seven steps:
- Turning on Google Alerts.
- Organising Conversions.
- Defining Audiences.
- Managing Customers.
- Linking to Google Advertisements.
- Bidding to GA4 conversions.
- Concentrating on adverts to GA4 audiences.
Let’s break just a few of those down:
Linking to Google Alerts
Google Alerts is required for remarketing/retargeting with Google merchandise. However some international locations could have authorized implications or restrictions, so I would recommend checking together with your authorized crew to make certain.
Managing Customers
I simply stated how a lot I like this function. However with nice energy comes nice duty. You must examine the entry being granted, as there could also be customers you don’t want emigrate. When you let Google do it, they’re going to migrate everybody from UA.
Bidding to GA4 conversions
That is the place the actual hazard begins. When you let Google migrate your conversions for you, and you have not checked them, you are taking their phrase that you’re nonetheless contemplating the actions from UA that they may migrate to be vital.
Then, in case you let Google bid to these conversions in Advertisements, they’re altering the targets from UA to GA4 conversions that you’re spending actual cash towards.
When you didn’t arrange these conversions, you threat an automatic course of spending your cash in a manner chances are you’ll not need or that’s not optimized towards your present targets.
Concentrating on Advertisements to GA4 Conversions
Similar considerations as above. You’ll have Google migrate audiences for you, hoping they’re adequate, after which bid towards them together with your cash. Your oversight is taken out of the method.
So what’s going to migration appear to be?
For some issues, like conversions, they might append a UA_ to the title of the conversion in GA4 to point that it got here from UA. Different issues could not have any indication of the place they got here from.
Satisfied? Here is find out how to decide out
So are you satisfied but that it is best to decide out of automigration? Right here’s how.
In your Common Analytics account, go to Admin > Property column > GA4 Setup Assistant.
Scroll to the underside and toggle off the swap for “Mechanically arrange a fundamental GA4 property.”
Opting out will stop the UA property from being migrated.
When you do not decide out however are linked (that popup modal we preserve getting), then you have to to Mark as full all 12 steps (or no matter you don’t need automigrated) within the Setup Assistant in your GA4 property.
If you don’t decide out or don’t mark all as full, Google may migrate some or all your UA property to a GA4 property beginning as early as this week.
The extra difficult your UA property, the later it will likely be migrated since they’ll probably begin with easier properties.
Opinions expressed on this article are these of the visitor creator and never essentially Search Engine Land. Workers authors are listed right here.
