Updated on May 30th, 2023

Need to Know 

  • Google is now automatically migrating Universal Analytics properties to GA4 for users who don’t opt out of the service but strongly recommends manual migration.
  • Auto migration could lead to data loss, as custom filters, events, metrics, and audiences that are unique to your business may not be transferred over.
  • Opting out of auto migration will allow you to preserve the valuable data that allows you to set benchmarks for future development and optimize for growth.

 

Google has recently announced that they are now automatically migrating Universal Analytics properties to Google Analytics 4 for users who do not opt out of this service.

At first glance, this might seem like a convenient way to save time and resources, but Google strongly recommends manually migrating your data.

Why?

Google’s automigration feature will apply standardized settings to your analytics that will most likely result in the loss of important data for your business. 

Here are a few reasons you should take the time to set up your GA4 property manually:

  1. Auto-migrated data and analytics settings won’t be configured to your needs and goals. Auto migration will apply standardized settings to GA4 — it won’t copy over your customized filters, data, or audiences, and will most likely make your analytics data less useful in the long term.
  2. Google could auto-migrate conversions from UA to GA4 that don’t align with your current goals or strategies. Additionally, if you allow Google to bid on these migrated conversions in your Google Ads campaigns, you might end up bidding on goals based on outdated marketing objectives.
  3. Your ability to leverage the full value of your reports will be limited. Properties in GA4 are limited to 50 custom dimensions and 50 custom metrics. Without telling Google what is most important to you, it could transfer over values that are no longer relevant to your business, rendering your reports less relevant and useful. 

Make the most out of your GA4 property, while protecting the valuable data and insights your business runs on. Our Northern team is here to help you get the switch right the first time, with analytics set up based on your needs and goals, so you can hit the ground running with Google Analytics 4.

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