Well, it’s finally happening: the dreaded Universal Analytics sunset has begun.
Here in the US, UA still processes data, but we got an ominous message when we logged into our account this morning:
“This property is scheduled to stop processing data very soon. Once this takes effect, you will need a Google Analytics 4 property to measure website performance.”
This warning started appearing in UA around 7:00 AM EST, once again reminding marketers that they need to migrate to Google Analytics 4 to maintain their website measurement.
Why we care Today’s forced migration to GA4 is a historic moment of transition in the history of digital marketing. Advertisers now have no choice but to use GA4 if they want to track the performance of their websites and campaigns, unless they want to find an analytics alternative outside of Google, of course.
How it works. Google has advised that today’s AU shutdown is being implemented in stages, so it is possible that some vendors may still be able to access certain data. However, all properties that are still working are in the queue to be deleted, which will happen continuously.
What did Google say? Google has been warning sellers that they need to migrate to GA4 for over a year. Turned on Twitter and through a statement to Analytics Help CenterGoogle said:
“Today, we begin shutting down Universal Analytics as we welcome you to Google Analytics 4. “This won’t happen overnight, so some Universal Analytics properties may continue to process data. “However, all properties have now been added to the queue, and those that have not completed the update will be rolled out.” Google Analytics 4 is our next-generation measurement solution and has replaced Universal Analytics.” “Standard Universal Analytics properties have stopped processing new data. To keep measuring your website, you’ll need a Google Analytics 4 property. We strongly recommend that you make the switch to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible. If you use Universal Analytics data in your Google Ads account, make sure -migrate Google Ads links from your Universal Analytics property to your Google Analytics 4 property.
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Chronology The shutdown of Universal Analytics is taking place in the following stages, with the final phase set for July 2023:
March 2023: Google automatically created a GA4 property for sellers who did not turn off the automatic property creation option. Where possible, existing site tags have been used.
July 2023: UA stops processing requests, including standard properties for accounts that also contain 360 properties. Sellers still have access to previously processed data in their UA property until July 2024.
July 2024: All sellers, even those with 360 properties, will no longer have access to the UA API and UI.
Deep dive: For more information on how to migrate to GA4, read “Learn how to make the switchguide
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About the author
Nicola Agius is Search Engine Land’s paid media editor after joining in 2023. She covers paid search, paid social, retail networks and more. Prior to that, she was Director of SEO at Jungle Creations (2020-2023), overseeing the company’s editorial strategy for various websites. He has more than 15 years of experience in journalism and previously worked at OK! Magazine (2010-2014), Mail Online (2014-2015), Mirror (2015-2017), Digital Spy (2017-2018) and The Sun (2018-2020). He also previously partnered with SEO agency Blue Array to co-author the Amazon best-selling book “Mastering In-House SEO.”
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