Caveats to Google offer to migrate to Google Analytics 4

Do consider making further set-up after moving to the new Google Analytics 4 (to be sunset in July 2023)

Google are offering to automatically move your Google Analytics Universal Analytics Property to Google Analytics 4. However, an automtic migration won’t deliver the following benefits of a manual migration:

1. Form submission success event.
2. Tailor GA4 Ecommerce implementation to your user journey
3. Configure content groupings in GA4
4. Create element visibility events (e.g. banner or button is visible in browser).
5. Change data retention period from 2 to 14 months
6. Remove unwanted query parameters from landing page URLs
7. Create events for important pageviews or event clicks in GA4 console
8. Create & enable conversion events in GA4 console
9. Capture download file name and type
10. Time on page event tracking via GTM
11. Capture button and navigation text on clicks
12. Redact personal identifiable information to prevent breaching GDPR regulations
13. Page load speed metrics via GTM
14. Migrating all non-destination goals from GA3
15. Adding new metrics and dimensions, such as Session Conversion Rate and landing page, to standard reports
16. Register custom dimensions & metrics in GA4 console (e.g. browser language)
17. YouTube video metrics configured for your website set up to capture video name, plus video start and complete
18. JavaScript error events to track as an important indicator of site health
19. Link Google Ads and create audiences for remarketing via Google Ads
20. Audience trigger events in GA4
21. Set domains for cross-domain tracking
22. Filtering out internal traffic
23. Capture browser language
24. Remove unwanted referrals from payment methods used by your users
25. Track affiliate visitors and sales via a 1st party cookie
26. Capture and categorise content groupings
27. Remove trailing slash from page paths to prevent duplication
28. Trigger events based upon source, medium & campaign UTM parameters
29. Configure data from different environments to be sent to separate GA4 Properties
30. Create and configure new marketing pixels (e.g. Tiktok or Google Ads)

OPT-OUT of the auto migration

Here how you OPT-OUT of the auto migration offered by Google Analytics to the new Google Analytics 4.

In your existing Universal Analytics account, go to Admin → Property column → GA4 Setup Assistant

Scroll to the bottom and Toggle OFF the switch for “Automatically set up a basic GA4 property”

Next hire me as I help you to ensure the set-up is fit for purpose that works for your business model.