How to Duplicate a View in Google Analytics

So, you need to copy a view in Google Analytics. It sounds simple, and in the old version of Analytics, it was. But as you’ve probably discovered, things aren’t quite that straightforward anymore with Google Analytics 4. This guide will walk you through exactly how to accomplish this, covering both the old and new methods. We’ll cover why it's a useful practice, the step-by-step process, and some best practices for keeping your Analytics account clean and organized.

Why Copy a View in the First Place?

Before we get into the technical steps, it's helpful to understand why duplicating a view is such a common and essential task for anyone managing website data. A "view" is a specific dataset for your property that has its own configuration. Creating multiple views allows you to segment your data in powerful ways without affecting your original dataset.

Here are the four most common reasons to create a copy of a view:

To Keep a Raw, Unfiltered Backup: This is the golden rule of Google Analytics. Before you do anything else, you should have one completely raw, unfiltered view of your data. Think of it as your permanent record - a master copy that you never touch. If you ever make a mistake with a filter that corrupts your data, you’ll be incredibly glad you have this pristine backup to fall back on.
To Safely Test New Filters or Settings: Filters are powerful, but they are also destructive. Once a filter is applied to a view, it permanently alters the data moving forward. You can't undo it. If you want to try something new, like excluding traffic from a specific IP address (like your office) or filtering out a specific subdomain, you should always do it on a separate "Test View." Create a copy of your main view, apply the filter, and watch it for a few days. If it works as expected, you can then add it to your primary reporting view with confidence.
For Creating Segmented Reports for Different Teams: Not everyone on your team needs to see all the data. Creating unique views for different stakeholders simplifies their reporting and helps them focus on what matters. For instance, you could create views to:
- Show only blog traffic for your content marketing team by creating a view that filters for URLs containing /blog/.
- Isolate e-commerce data for your product team by filtering for a subdomain like shop.yourwebsite.com.
- Focus on a specific region for your international marketing team by setting up a view that only includes traffic from, say, Canada.
To Grant Limited Access to Third Parties: If you're working with a marketing agency, a freelancer, or a contractor, you might not want to give them access to all of your website data. By creating a specific view just for them — perhaps one that only shows traffic data for the campaigns they're managing — you can provide the necessary insights while keeping sensitive business metrics private.

A Quick Note on Universal Analytics vs. Google Analytics 4

Here’s the most important thing to know right now: the concept of "Views" as we knew it in Universal Analytics (UA) does not exist in Google Analytics 4. This is a frequent point of confusion. GA4 has a different data model that relies on a single "data stream" for a property rather than multiple views.

So, while you might find older articles referencing a simple "Copy view" button, that only applies to the now-phased-out Universal Analytics. Don't worry, you can still achieve the same outcomes in GA4 — the method is just different. We’ll cover both below.

How to Duplicate a View in Universal Analytics (The Old Way)

If you're still managing an old Universal Analytics property or are just curious how it used to work, the process was incredibly straightforward. This is provided for historical context, as all properties have been migrated to GA4.

Step-by-step instructions for Universal Analytics:

Navigate to the Admin section by clicking the gear icon in the bottom-left corner.
In the far-right column labeled "View," select the view you want to duplicate from the dropdown menu.
Click on View Settings just below the dropdown.
At the very top of the settings page, you'll see a blue button that says Copy view. Click it.
Give your new view a descriptive name, like "Test View - IP Exclusions" or "US-Only Traffic."
Click Copy view, and you're done.

Remember, this new view starts collecting data from the moment of its creation. It will not contain any of your historical data. Any goals, filters, or settings from the original view will be copied over, which is why this method was so convenient for testing minor changes.

The GA4 Method: Using 'Audiences' and 'Comparisons' to Replicate a View

In Google Analytics 4, the goal isn't to "duplicate a view," but rather to replicate the functionality of a filtered view. You can do this in two primary ways: using Comparisons for quick analysis or creating Audiences for more permanent segmentation.

Think of it this way: instead of creating a whole new copy of your data, GA4 lets you apply filters on top of your existing data stream on the fly.

Using Comparisons for Temporary Filtering

Comparisons are the quickest way to isolate a subset of your data for in-the-moment analysis. This is very similar to applying a segment in Universal Analytics. It's perfect for when you want to look at a group's behavior for just one reporting session.

Let's say you want to see a report that only includes traffic from your blog.

Go to any standard report, like the Traffic acquisition report.
At the top of the report, click on Add comparison.
A panel will slide out from the right. Under "Dimension," search for and select Page path and screen class.
Set the "Match Type" to contains.
In the "Value" field, enter the text that identifies your blog posts. For most sites, this would be /blog/.
Click Apply.

You’ll now see your traffic report with two sets of data side-by-side: "All Users" and your newly created comparison for devices containing "/blog/". You can close the "All Users" comparison by clicking the 'x' on its card to see a report with just your filtered data.

Using Audiences for Permanent Segmentation

"Audiences" are the closest thing GA4 has to a permanently filtered view. An audience is a group of users that you define based on shared attributes or behaviors. Once you create an audience, GA4 will start populating it with users who meet the criteria, and you can then apply that audience to any of your reports.

Let's continue with the blog example and create an "Audience" for users who visit the blog.

Click the Admin gear icon in the bottom-left.
In the "Property" column, find "Data display" and click on Audiences.
Click the blue New audience button, then select Create a custom audience.
Give your new audience a descriptive name, like "Blog Visitors."
Under "Include users when," click Add new condition.
Search for the event named page_view. We want to include users who trigger this event.
Now we need to add a parameter to this event to be more specific. Click Add parameter, and select page_location from the "Events" submenu.
Set the condition to contains and enter /blog/ in the value field.
Set the "Membership duration" based on your needs. For general analysis, the 30-day default is fine.
Click Save in the top right.

Your "Blog Visitors" audience is now active and will start collecting users who view pages on your blog. To use it in a report, simply click the "Add comparison" button we used earlier, select the "Audience name" dimension, and choose your newly created audience.

Best Practices for Managing Your GA Setup

Whether you’re using old-school views or new-school audiences, a little organization goes a long way. Keeping your setup clean ensures that you (and your team) can trust the data.

Follow a Clear Naming Convention: Don't use names like "Copy of Main View" or "Untitled Audience." Be descriptive. A good name explains exactly what the view or audience is for.
- Bad: New View
- Good: [PROD] Blog Traffic - No Internal IPs
Annotate Everything: Whenever you create a new view or apply a major filter, add an annotation. This is a small note in Google Analytics that appears on your timeline charts. A simple note like, "Created new filtered view to exclude developer traffic" can save someone hours of confusion down the road.
Double-Check Your Filters: A rogue filter can ruin your data. Before applying filters to your main reporting view, always test them on a separate test view for a few days to make sure they're capturing exactly what you want — and excluding what you don't.

Final Thoughts

Replicating a view in Google Analytics has evolved from a one-click copy in Universal Analytics to a more flexible system of Audiences and Comparisons in GA4. By following the steps above, you can confidently segment your data to test new settings, create focused reports for your team, and ultimately get more valuable insights from your website traffic.

While mastering these settings in each individual platform is powerful, it often highlights a bigger challenge: your data is scattered everywhere. You’re wrestling with settings in Google Analytics, then logging into your ad platforms, your CRM, and your e-commerce dashboard just to assemble a complete picture. We built Graphed because we believe getting answers from your data shouldn't be that fragmented. By connecting all your marketing and sales sources into one place, you can stop jumping between tabs and simply ask questions in plain English — like "create a dashboard showing GA4 traffic and my Shopify sales"— and get a real-time answer in seconds.