From the week commencing July 1, 2024, accessing Universal Analytics properties or the API, even in read-only mode, will be impossible, and all data will be erased. Unlike the gradual standard sunset, the complete shutdown of Universal Analytics is set to occur swiftly within a week. To preserve historical data, it’s important to know how to export it before the shutdown.
This blog post will guide you through the changes and discuss next steps that will need to be taken.
What’s happening?
From July 1, 2024, Universal Analytics is closing for good. During that week, you won’t access any Universal Analytics features or the API, and all related data will be permanently deleted. Unlike the gradual process before, this shutdown will happen quickly, within a week. Remember to save any data you need before July 1.
What should you do?
Your Google Universal Analytics account currently holds historical data from previous years. However, on July 1, 2024, both the property and its data will be permanently removed. To preserve historical data for comparing current and future performance and running historical reports, it’s essential to export and save the old data before the specified date.
How will this affect me?
- Loss of Universal Analytics Access: you will lose access to the UI and API, requiring a shift to alternatives like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or third-party solutions.
- Export Historical Data: Before July 1, 2024, export historical reports for continued access, aiding trend analysis, regulatory compliance, and strategy evolution.
- Trend Analysis: Examine historical data for patterns, trends, and seasonal variations, informing decision-making and optimizing strategies.
- Regulatory Compliance: Store historical data to meet industry and regional data retention requirements.
- Strategy Evolution: Use historical insights to refine marketing, content, and user engagement strategies based on past performance.
- Cross-Platform Analysis: Retain historical data for seamless cross-platform analysis when transitioning to new analytics solutions.
- Long-Term Insights: Historical data serves as a valuable source for understanding long-term changes and adaptations in response to evolving technology and user behaviour.
How do I export my old data?
To preserve your Universal Analytics data, you have a few options:
- Export individual reports in CSV, TSV, Excel, Google Sheets, PDF, etc.
- Use Google Analytics Reporting API to export data to cloud storage and visualize it with Looker Studio.
- Explore third-party tools like ASK BOSCO.
Considering the technical skills and time required for these options, hiring certified Google Analytics experts is advisable. Get in touch with our dedicated data team to see how we can help.
With the discontinuation of data collection, advertisers may have to explore alternative solutions or upgrade to Google Analytics 4, which offers more advanced features for cross-device tracking, machine learning, and privacy controls. ASK BOSCO is a strong and capable alternative for those looking for one – our platform holds 3 years worth of backdated data, so you don’t need to worry about historical data that may be lost due to the sunset of UA.
If you’d like more support with the transition to GA4 or want to know how to utilize ASK BOSCO and get better control of your data, get in touch with our expert team by sending us an email to team@askbosco.io.
