Here are some common questions regarding Google Analytics 4. It will permanently replace Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023.
Contents
- When was Google Analytics 4 released?
- When does Universal Analytics go away for good?
- Should I upgrade to Google Analytics 4?
- How does Google Analytics 4 work?
- Does Google Analytics 4 store IP addresses?
- Is Google Analytics 4 free?
- Does Google Analytics 4 use cookies?
When was Google Analytics 4 released?
Google Analytics 4 has been the default Google Analytics property since Oct. 14, 2020. All new GA properties are now GA4 by default. You can no longer solely create a Universal Analytics (sometimes referred to as GA3) property.
When does Universal Analytics go away for good?
From Google’s Help Center:
On July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will no longer process data. You’ll be able to see your Universal Analytics reports for a period of time after July 1, 2023. However, new data will only flow into Google Analytics 4 properties.
Google Analytics 360 properties will receive a one-time processing extension ending on October 1, 2023
Should I upgrade to Google Analytics 4?
Yes, you should upgrade as soon as possible. Since you can’t migrate Universal Analytics data, you will only have numbers as far back as your GA4 property creation date.
How do you set up Google Analytics 4? Follow my step-by-step guide to get started.
How does Google Analytics 4 work?
You may be wondering, “What is the difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?”
From Google’s help center:
Analytics creates a single user journey from all the data that is associated with the same user ID. Unlike Universal Analytics, a Google Analytics 4 property incorporates User ID natively across all reporting, analysis and insights and does not require a separate User-ID reporting view.
A key feature of GA4 is that each property can contain multiple data streams. This is also known as Web + App properties.
Data Streams in GA4 are like Views in Universal Analytics.
For example, if you have a website, an iOS app and an Android app, these would be three separate UA properties. But in Google Analytics 4, you’ll have one property with three data streams: Web, iOS and Android.
Another important aspect of GA4 is that it’s event-based. While Events are part of the Behavior dashboard in Universal Analytics, they are the heart and soul of GA4 data.
Anything that occurs on your site can be tracked as an event, with parameters attached to that event.
A page view, for instance, is an event. “page_view” is a default event in GA4. Tracking something like newsletter signups, though, would require a custom event.
Anything that occurs on your site can be tracked as an event, with parameters attached to that event.
In Universal Analytics, you can only utilize the four default parameters to go with events. But in GA4, there are five default parameters, and you can add up to 25 more customized parameters. These are the five default parameters in GA4:
- language
- page_location
- page_referrer
- page_title
- screen_resolution
Does Google Analytics 4 store IP addresses?
As an enhanced user-privacy measure, Google Analytics 4 does not store IP addresses by default. This cannot be changed. (It was the opposite in Universal Analytics.)
Additionally, IP addresses are “never written to disk.”
Is Google Analytics 4 free?
Yes, Google Analytics 4 is free to set up and use.
You can pay to upgrade to Google Analytics 360 and increase data collection limits. In many cases, especially for smaller organizations, it’s not necessary to upgrade.
Does Google Analytics 4 use cookies?
From Google’s help center (emphasis mine):
The gtag.js JavaScript library uses first-party cookies to distinguish unique users as well as unique sessions from a single user. The library does not require you to set cookies to transmit data to Google Analytics. To learn how to customize the default settings, see Cookies and user identification.
You do not need cookies to collect data in Google Analytics 4.
Live Google Analytics 4 Demo: This is a training I did for the AP. I believe anyone wants to get to know the platform will find this useful.
Do you have other questions about Google Analytics 4? Share them in the comments and I’ll add them to the article.