Google will begin robotically 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 would possibly nonetheless be topic to “auto-migration.” Learn on for extra particulars about it and easy methods to choose out.
Making the swap to GA4
On February 9, Google despatched an e mail saying they may quickly begin configuring Google Analytics 4 for customers beginning in March (as early as this week).
Which means when you’ve got 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’ve gotten in UA, akin to your objectives, audiences, Adverts 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 might be a standard 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.
Should 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 might look fairly totally different. (Extra particulars on how the migration works beneath.)
State of affairs 2: You could have created a GA4 property however haven’t linked it to a UA property. Google doesn’t realize it’s the identical as your UA property and doesn’t think about this migrated.
Have you ever seen this popup modal in GA4? Seemingly 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 depend upon how a lot of the GA4 setup assistant you’ve gotten 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.
Should 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, akin to assist with viewers migration and a extra easy course of for Google Adverts linking.
Adverts linking
Typically, it’s essential to have twin admin entry, that 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’ve gotten in UA and doesn’t require admin entry to Adverts to hyperlink. That is nice if you’re having somebody not usually concerned in Adverts serving to you migrate, akin to a contractor or company.
When you click on Import from Common Analytics, a brand new display exhibits you the entire Adverts hyperlinks you’ve gotten arrange in UA.
You may examine or uncheck the bins 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 examine if they’re eligible (i.e., occasion or vacation spot objectives) for migration to GA4.
Objectives utilizing different aim sorts or regex will not be at the moment eligible for migration, however perhaps sooner or later.
This migration display is much like the Adverts linking display. Verify the eligible objectives you wish to migrate to GA4 conversions. Ineligible objectives might be grayed out.
You could 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 when you’ve got quite a lot of customers with entry to your UA property that you simply wish to copy to GA4, it could 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 want to make use of a Google Sheets Add-on device for this. It appears like work, nevertheless it’s fairly fast and painless. The assistance heart article provides nice step-by-step directions on easy methods to use it.
Why some customers would possibly wish to choose out
Again to the warnings I’ve in retailer for you…
For instance you fall into State of affairs 3 (that’s, you’ve gotten 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 might be executed for you.
That is the place, for my part, issues can get fairly sketchy quick.
Sure, I simply instructed you the Setup Assistant has some helpful instruments. However they’re useful as a result of you possibly can management the migration your self.
For all 12 steps within the Setup Assistant, it’s essential to mark them Full even when you’ve got not executed them – except you need Google to do it.
That is particularly necessary for these seven steps:
- Turning on Google Alerts.
- Establishing Conversions.
- Defining Audiences.
- Managing Customers.
- Linking to Google Adverts.
- Bidding to GA4 conversions.
- Concentrating on adverts to GA4 audiences.
Let’s break a number of of those down:
Linking to Google Alerts
Google Alerts is required for remarketing/retargeting with Google merchandise. However some nations might have authorized implications or restrictions, so I might recommend checking along with your authorized crew to make certain.
Managing Customers
I simply mentioned how a lot I like this characteristic. However with nice energy comes nice duty. It’s best to examine the entry being granted, as there could also be customers you don’t want emigrate. Should you let Google do it, they will migrate everybody from UA.
Bidding to GA4 conversions
That is the place the true hazard begins. Should 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 necessary.
Then, in the event 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.
Should you didn’t arrange these conversions, you danger an automatic course of spending your cash in a manner chances are you’ll not need or that isn’t optimized towards your present objectives.
Concentrating on Adverts to GA4 Conversions
Identical considerations as above. You’d have Google migrate audiences for you, hoping they’re adequate, after which bid towards them along with your cash. Your oversight is taken out of the method.
So what is going to migration appear to be?
For some issues, like conversions, they could append a UA_ to the identify of the conversion in GA4 to point that it got here from UA. Different issues might not have any indication of the place they got here from.
Satisfied? This is easy methods to choose out
So are you satisfied but that it is best to choose 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 primary GA4 property.”
Opting out will stop the UA property from being migrated.
Should you do not choose out however are linked (that popup modal we maintain getting), then you will want 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 choose out or don’t mark all as full, Google would possibly migrate some or all your UA property to a GA4 property beginning as early as this week.
The extra sophisticated your UA property, the later will probably be migrated since they’ll possible begin with less complicated properties.
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