Google will begin routinely configuring your Common Analytics properties to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for you. However you truly 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 easy methods to decide out.
Making the change to GA4
On February 9, Google despatched an electronic 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 might have in UA, reminiscent of your objectives, audiences, Adverts hyperlinks, customers, and extra.
However what’s Google’s definition of “haven’t migrated”?
Situation 1: You will have a UA property and haven’t arrange a GA4 property. The UA property will not be opted out of the auto-migration setting.
This will probably be a standard state of affairs for individuals who haven’t had the time or don’t wish to arrange GA4. That is primarily the “lengthy tail” of consumers Google needs to maintain on GA.
If you happen to simply didn’t have the time or need to do the migration, maybe this isn’t a foul possibility for you. However bear in mind that your information could look fairly completely different. (Extra particulars on how the migration works beneath.)
Situation 2: You will have created a GA4 property however haven’t linked it to a UA property. Google doesn’t understand it’s the identical as your UA property and doesn’t contemplate 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 can rely on how a lot of the GA4 setup assistant you might have accomplished (extra on that in a second).
Situation 3: You will have created a GA4 property and linked it to a UA property however haven’t accomplished all GA4 Setup Assistant steps.
If you happen to’re not opted out of migration in UA, then Google will begin filling within the gaps for you on this state of affairs.
Get the day by day publication search entrepreneurs depend on.
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, reminiscent of assist with viewers migration and a extra simple course of for Google Adverts linking.
Adverts linking
Typically, you have to have twin admin entry, which means you should be an admin on each the Analytics and Adverts accounts to hyperlink. It may be irritating and time-consuming to make sure you have the correct entry ranges.
The setup assistant device references the hyperlinks you might have in UA and doesn’t require admin entry to Adverts to hyperlink. That is nice in case you are having somebody not sometimes concerned in Adverts serving to you migrate, reminiscent of a contractor or company.
When you click on Import from Common Analytics, a brand new display exhibits you all the Adverts hyperlinks you might have arrange in UA.
You possibly can verify or uncheck the packing containers for what you wish to import to GA4 after which hit Import chosen Adverts hyperlinks. It is as straightforward as that.
Conversions
The device will reference your conversions in UA and verify if they’re eligible (i.e., occasion or vacation spot objectives) for migration to GA4.
Objectives utilizing different purpose varieties or regex should not at present eligible for migration, however possibly sooner or later.
This migration display is much like the Adverts linking display. Test the eligible objectives you wish to migrate to GA4 conversions. Ineligible objectives will probably be grayed out.
You will have the choice to alter the identify 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 a variety of customers with entry to your UA property that you simply wish to copy to GA4, it might be essentially the most useful device.
When you choose Import from Common Analytics, it should ship you to a assist heart article detailing the method.
You will have to make use of a Google Sheets Add-on device for this. It appears like work, however it’s fairly fast and painless. The assistance heart article offers nice step-by-step directions on easy methods to use it.
Why some customers may wish to decide out
Again to the warnings I’ve in retailer for you…
For instance you fall into Situation 3 (that’s, you might have 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 probably be finished for you.
That is the place, for my part, 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 may 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 finished them – except you need Google to do it.
That is particularly essential for these seven steps:
- Turning on Google Indicators.
- Organising Conversions.
- Defining Audiences.
- Managing Customers.
- Linking to Google Adverts.
- Bidding to GA4 conversions.
- Concentrating on advertisements to GA4 audiences.
Let’s break a number of of those down:
Linking to Google Indicators
Google Indicators is required for remarketing/retargeting with Google merchandise. However some nations could have authorized implications or restrictions, so I would recommend checking together with your authorized crew to make sure.
Managing Customers
I simply stated how a lot I like this characteristic. However with nice energy comes nice duty. You need to verify the entry being granted, as there could also be customers you don’t want emigrate. If you happen to let Google do it, they’re going to migrate everybody from UA.
Bidding to GA4 conversions
That is the place the actual hazard begins. If you happen to 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 might migrate to be essential.
Then, when you let Google bid to these conversions in Adverts, they’re altering the objectives from UA to GA4 conversions that you’re spending actual cash towards.
If you happen to didn’t arrange these conversions, you threat an automatic course of spending your cash in a means chances are you’ll not need or that isn’t optimized towards your present objectives.
Concentrating on Adverts to GA4 Conversions
Similar issues as above. You’d 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 is going to migration seem like?
For some issues, like conversions, they might append a UA_ to the identify 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? This is easy methods to decide out
So are you satisfied but that it’s 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 change for “Robotically arrange a fundamental GA4 property.”
Opting out will stop the UA property from being migrated.
If you happen to do not decide out however are linked (that popup modal we maintain getting), then you’ll need to Mark as full all 12 steps (or no matter you do not 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 your entire UA property to a GA4 property beginning as early as this week.
The extra sophisticated your UA property, the later it will likely be migrated since they’ll seemingly begin with less complicated properties.
Opinions expressed on this article are these of the visitor creator and never essentially Search Engine Land. Workers authors are listed right here.
