Google Will Sunset Universal Analytics July 1st

Last year, we covered how Google will be sunsetting Universal Analytics (UA), and well... the time has finally come.

June 30th is the last day Google Analytics 3 collects new data, as the cutoff date is July 1st, which is when the search giant wants you to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

After July 1st, you'll only have historical access to your UA data (i.e., website traffic, reports, etc.), and it'll be available for one year until it's finally deprecated.


GA4 will be the default data reporting tool moving forward if you want to measure a website's analytics. If you don't take action to make the switch from UA to GA4, Google will just automatically create an account for you.

However, not all the configurations in your UA account will be copied over to GA4, which could be a headache for paid search marketers.

For example, settings for conversions and audiences will be automatically migrated, but not all UA metrics will shift over, so you'll have to move everything to GA4 to avoid disruptions.

To help with that, Google has a tool in UA to help you transfer all your data collection settings.

Because of online privacy laws/policies, evolving consumer behavior, and the cookieless era we're entering, GA4 is less reliant on cookies and session-based data.

GA4 collects and offers cross-platform tracking, meaning it collects data from both websites and apps at the same time. It also incorporates advanced features like predictive analytics, machine learning, and improved data visualization while prioritizing customer privacy.

If you want to learn more about the good, the bad, and the alternatives for GA4, check out Search Engine Journal's article to dive deeper.