How to Create a UA Code in Google Analytics

Trying to find or create a UA code for your website in Google Analytics can be confusing, especially since Google has shifted its approach. The short answer is that "UA" stands for Universal Analytics, the older version of Google Analytics, which has now been replaced by Google Analytics 4. This guide will clear up the confusion, explain the difference, and show you exactly how to get the right tracking code for your website today.

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What is a UA Code (and Why is it Disappearing)?

A "UA code," also called a Tracking ID, was the unique identifier for a Universal Analytics property. It followed a specific format that you've likely seen before:

UA-XXXXXXX-Y

Each part had a meaning:

• UA: Stands for Universal Analytics.
• XXXXXXX: This was your unique account number.
• Y: This was the property number within your account (starting with 1).

This little piece of code was essential. When you installed it on your website, it told the Google Analytics servers, "Hey, send all the tracking data for this user's activity to this specific property in my account." It acted like a mailing address for your website data, ensuring everything ended up in the right place so you could analyze your traffic, user behavior, and conversions.

However, this entire system is now considered legacy technology. Google made a significant change to its entire platform, moving everyone toward a more modern and flexible system.

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The Big Shift: Universal Analytics vs. Google Analytics 4

If you're reading this, you're likely working on a new website or trying to follow an older tutorial. It's important to understand one key fact: Google officially stopped processing data for standard Universal Analytics properties on July 1, 2023.

All new properties are now created as Google Analytics 4 properties. This isn't just a simple update, it's a completely different way of measuring user activity. Understanding the difference is crucial for any modern marketer or business owner.

Measurement Model: Sessions vs. Events

The biggest difference lies in how they measure things. Universal Analytics was built around the concept of sessions and pageviews. A session was a container for all the things a user did on your site within a certain timeframe — every page they visited, every button they clicked, all bundled together.

GA4, on the other hand, uses an event-based model. In this world, everything is an event. A pageview is an event. A scroll is an event. Clicking a button is an event. Making a purchase is an event. This approach provides a much more flexible and unified view of the user journey, especially since it can seamlessly track data across both websites and mobile apps, something UA struggled with.

Tracking Codes: UA Tracking ID vs. GA4 Measurement ID

Because the measurement models are different, the tracking codes had to change, too. Universal Analytics used the UA-XXXXXXXX-Y Tracking ID we discussed. Google Analytics 4 uses something called a Measurement ID, which follows a different format:

G-XXXXXXXXXX

So, if you are setting up a new website, you won’t be looking for a UA code. You need to find and install your "G-" Measurement ID. This is the new standard, and it's what communicates with the modern GA4 framework.

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How to Find Your Measurement ID in GA4 (The Modern "UA Code")

Since your goal is to get analytics up and running on your site, let's walk through how to find your GA4 Measurement ID. If you haven't created a Google Analytics account or property yet, the setup wizard will guide you through this, and your Measurement ID will be presented to you after you create a "data stream."

If you've already set up your GA4 property and just need to find the ID again, here are the steps:

1. Sign in to your Google Analytics account.
2. If you have multiple accounts, make sure you've selected the correct one in the top left corner.
3. Click the Admin gear icon in the bottom-left of your screen. This takes you to the account settings.
4. In the Property column (the middle one), ensure you have your GA4 property selected from the dropdown menu.
5. Under the Property column, click on Data Streams. A data stream is essentially the source of your data – in this case, your website.
6. Click on the specific web stream for your website. You likely only have one here if your setup is simple.
7. A new panel will open showing the details for that stream. In the top right corner, you will see your MEASUREMENT ID prominently displayed. It will start with "G-".

This "G-" Measurement ID is what you'll use to connect your website to Google Analytics. You can install it by either:

• Pasting the full tracking script (the Global Site Tag or gtag.js snippet provided in the 'View tag instructions' menu) into the <head> section of your website's HTML.
• Using a plugin on your platform (like WordPress or Shopify) that has a specific field for your GA4 Measurement ID.
• Adding it to Google Tag Manager, which is the recommended method for more advanced tracking setups.

The Outdated Method: Creating a Universal Analytics Property

So, is it even possible to create an old Universal Analytics property anymore? For a while, Google offered a hidden, "advanced" option to create a UA property alongside a GA4 property during setup. This transitional feature was designed to help users get comfortable with GA4 while still relying on their old reports.

Heads up: This feature has been effectively phased out for all new accounts. When you create a property now, you will be directed exclusively to the GA4 setup process. It's practically impossible for a brand-new user to create a functional UA property in 2024.

For educational purposes and for those managing very old legacy accounts, here's how that process used to work:

1. In the Admin section, you would click "+ Create Property."
2. After entering basic information like the property name and time zone, you'd see a small link that said, "Show advanced options."
3. Clicking this would reveal a toggle switch labeled "Create a Universal Analytics property."
4. You could then enter your website URL and choose whether you wanted to create only a UA property or create both a GA4 and a UA property at the same time. The latter was Google's recommendation during the transition period.
5. After clicking Next, your property would be created, and you'd find your UA- tracking ID inside the property settings.

Again, this is now a historical process. UA properties no longer collect new data, so there is no practical reason to create one today. Your focus should be 100% on implementing GA4 correctly.

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What If My Site Still Has an Old UA Code?

If you have an older website, there's a good chance the old Universal Analytics tracking code is still installed on it. Here's what that means and what you should do:

1. Your data collection stopped. Since July 2023, that code is no longer sending new traffic data to your Analytics property. The reports have been frozen in time. While you might still be able to access your historical UA data for a limited time, you are not collecting any new information.
2. Implement GA4 immediately. Your top priority is to create a Google Analytics 4 property and install its corresponding Measurement ID on your site. The longer you wait, the bigger the gap in your data will be.
3. Don't just replace the script. It's better to create a new GA4 property in your account first. If you had an existing UA property, Google provided a "GA4 Setup Assistant" in your Admin panel that could create a corresponding GA4 property linked to your old one. This helps preserve some settings like users a little more easily.
4. Keep the old code for a bit (optional but rare). For a while, the advice was "dual tagging" — running both the old UA script and the new GA4 script at the same time. This is no longer necessary since UA isn't collecting data. A clean GA4 install is the best path forward. Removing the old UA script after the new one is working correctly can slightly improve site performance.

Final Thoughts

Navigating the shift from Universal Analytics to GA4 can feel daunting, but it simplifies down to this: the "UA code" you were looking for belongs to an old system. The new standard is Google Analytics 4, which uses a "G-" Measurement ID. Getting GA4 set up correctly is the most important step for anyone wanting to use Google's free tools to measure website traffic and user behavior from this point forward.

Once you get data flowing into GA4, the next challenge is making sense of it. Instead of spending hours digging through GA4 reports or trying to build dashboards in other complex tools, our team built Graphed to do the heavy lifting for you. We allow you to connect GA4 and all your other marketing platforms in a few clicks, then build dashboards and get insights just by asking questions in plain English. It's like having an AI data analyst who can turn your raw analytics into clear answers in seconds.