Launched in beta version from October 2020, the new version of Google Analytics, GA4, will officially and definitively replace the old version named Universal Analytics or GA3 starting from July 1, 2023.
Web analysts have likely received this alert in their Google Analytics interface and have noticed the successive updates to GA4, which will finally have its final and stable version as of July 2023.
Among the main reasons that forced Google to apply this upgrade are political-legal reasons related to the obligation to respect personal data. Indeed, GA4 differs from its predecessor GA3 and will no longer rely on cookies for data collection and will not store IP addresses either, allowing companies to comply with privacy regulations.
There are also technical reasons since Universal Analytics (GA3) was built for a generation of online measurement, primarily rooted in desktop web browsing and with independent sessions, making this methodology obsolete and no longer meeting the needs of web analysts and marketers who need to conduct advanced analysis of customer journeys. This functionality is represented in the GA4 version with flexible event measurement to customize based on your goals and cross-device measurement (unified analysis of applications and the web).
As of July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will cease to process and save session details recorded on your website.
Google states that it will delete all your data, and you won't have the choice to keep them longer. You will still be able to view your Universal Analytics reports for a certain period, by the end of the year at the latest, but this remains to be confirmed by Google.
However, it will be essential to export your essential data from past years as soon as you migrate to GA4.
Need more information or assistance for a successful migration to the new GA4 version and data backup? The MEDIANET team will be delighted to assist you !
