How to Upgrade from UA to Google Analytics 4

Universal Analytics officially stopped processing new data in mid-2023, but many businesses are still navigating the transition to its replacement, Google Analytics 4. Think of this less as an upgrade and more like moving to a completely new analytics platform with a different language and philosophy. This guide will walk you through setting up GA4, explaining the key differences, and ensuring you're collecting the data you need to grow your business.

Why a Simple 'Upgrade' Isn't Enough: UA vs. GA4

The biggest hurdle in switching is understanding that Google Analytics 4 is fundamentally different from Universal Analytics (UA). UA was built around sessions and pageviews, which made sense in an era of simple desktop websites. GA4 is built around events and users, giving you a more flexible, cross-platform view of how people interact with your business online, whether on a website, an app, or both.

The Core Shift: From Sessions to Events

Imagine explaining a user's visit. Universal Analytics would tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end, called a "session." It focused on what happened within that single visit.

Google Analytics 4, on the other hand, is a collection of individual actions. It sees a user who performs a page_view, then a scroll, then a click, and finally a form_submit. Each of these is an "event." This event-based model is more powerful because it focuses on user behavior, not just visits.

Key differences include:

• Data Model: Session-based (UA) vs. Event-based.
• Metrics: Bounce Rate is gone, replaced by a more useful "Engagement Rate."
• Reporting Interface: GA4's UI is completely redesigned, with an emphasis on creating custom exploration reports rather than providing dozens of pre-built ones.
• Tracking: GA4 combines web and app data into a single property for a unified view.

This means your old goals, events, and reports won't automatically carry over. You need to thoughtfully rebuild them within GA4's new framework.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Migrating to Google Analytics 4

Follow these steps to get your new GA4 property set up correctly. Don't worry - you can (and should) run GA4 alongside your old UA property for a while as you get comfortable.

Step 1: Use the GA4 Setup Assistant

The GA4 Setup Assistant is a tool inside your Universal Analytics account that simplifies the initial creation of your GA4 property. It’s the official starting point, but be aware: it is not a complete migration tool.

1. Log into your Universal Analytics account.
2. Go to Admin (the gear icon in the bottom-left corner).
3. In the "Property" column, you'll see an option called GA4 Setup Assistant. Click it.
4. Click the Get Started button under "I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property."

The assistant will create a new GA4 property and copy some basic settings like your property name and URL. Crucially, it will not migrate your historical UA data, and it will not move over your Events and Goals. It just gets the ball rolling.

Step 2: Install the GA4 Tag on Your Website

Your new GA4 property isn't collecting data yet. You need to add its tracking tag to your website. You have three common ways to do this:

Option A: Using Google Tag Manager (Recommended)

If you're already using Google Tag Manager (GTM), this is the cleanest and most powerful method.

1. In your new GA4 property, go to Data Streams and click on your website's data stream. You'll find your "Measurement ID" at the top right (it looks like G-XXXXXXXXXX). Copy it.
2. In Google Tag Manager, go to Tags > New.
3. Name your tag something clear, like "GA4 Configuration - [Your Website]".
4. For Tag Configuration, choose Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
5. Paste your G- Measurement ID into the field.
6. Under Triggering, choose the "All Pages" trigger to make the tag fire on every page view.
7. Save, preview to test, and then Publish your GTM container.

Option B: Using a CMS Plugin (e.g., WordPress, Shopify)

Many modern platforms have simple integrations for Google Analytics.

• WordPress: Use a plugin like Site Kit by Google or MonsterInsights. They will usually just ask for your G- Measurement ID.
• Shopify: Go to Online Store > Preferences. In the Google Analytics section, you should find a field to paste your GA4 ID.

Option C: Installing Global Site Tag (gtag.js) Manually

If you're comfortable editing your website's code, you can do this directly. In your GA4 Data Stream settings, look for "View Tag Instructions" > "Install manually." Copy the provided code snippet and paste it immediately after the <head> tag on every page of your site.

Step 3: Verify Your Data is Flowing

Once the tag is installed, you need to make sure it's working. GA4's Realtime report is perfect for this.

1. In your GA4 property, navigate to Reports > Realtime.
2. In a separate browser tab, visit your website and click around on a few pages.
3. Within 30-60 seconds, you should see yourself appear as a user on the Realtime report map and see page_view events coming in. If you see activity here, your basic setup is a success!

Step 4: Recreate Your Key Conversions and Events

This is where the real work begins. Your old "Goals" from Universal Analytics do not exist in GA4. Instead, you capture important actions as events and then mark specific events as conversions.

GA4 automatically tracks basic events like page_view, scroll, and file_download through "Enhanced measurement" (you can check these settings in your Data Stream). But for business-critical actions like form submissions or button clicks, you'll need to create custom events.

Here’s a common example: tracking a "Contact Us" form submission that redirects to a /thank-you page.

1. In GA4, go to Admin > Events. All incoming event data appears here.
2. Click on Create event and then Create.
3. Give your custom event a name. Use snake_case, like generate_lead or contact_form_submit.
4. Under "Matching conditions," set the parameter to event_name, the operator to equals, and the value to page_view.
5. Add a second condition: set the parameter to page_location, the operator to contains, and the value to /thank-you.
6. Click Create. Now, every time someone views a page with /thank-you in the URL, GA4 will log a generate_lead event.
7. Next, go to Admin > Conversions. Click New conversion event and enter the exact name of the event you just created (generate_lead). And that's it! It is now being tracked as a key conversion.

This same logic applies to other actions. For more complex tracking, like button clicks that don't go to a specific page, Google Tag Manager is your best tool for creating and sending those custom events to GA4.

Step 5: Link Your Other Google Services

Connect GA4 to other platforms to get more integrated reporting.

Navigate to Admin > Product Links to connect:

• Google Ads: Essential for tracking ad campaign performance, importing GA4 conversions into Google Ads for bidding optimization, and building remarketing audiences.
• Google Search Console: Lets you see organic search query data and landing page performance directly within GA4.

Step 6: Configure Key Property Settings

Before you get too far, visit the admin panel for a few quick but important adjustments.

• Data Retention: Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. The default is to save user-level data for only 2 months. Change this to 14 months immediately so you can analyze long-term trends in your exploration reports.
• Referral Exclusions: Go to your Data Stream > Configure tag settings > List unwanted referrals. Add the domains of any third-party payment gateways you use (like paypal.com, stripe.com, shopify.com) to prevent them from showing up as the source of your sales.

Proven Tips for a Smoother Transition

Moving to a new platform is always challenging. Here are a few recommendations to make it easier.

1. Run Both in Parallel

Even though UA is no longer collecting data, keep your old installation. Your historical data will live there. More importantly, getting used to GA4 takes time. It’s valuable to gain confidence in the new reports without feeling pressure.

2. Export Your Historical UA Data

Remember, your UA data is not moving into GA4. Eventually, it will become inaccessible. You should export your most important reports for your records. You can do this by exporting to CSV/PDF, using the Google Sheets Add-on for Google Analytics, or, for large datasets, syncing with a tool like BigQuery.

3. Train Your Team (and Yourself)

The new interface is daunting at first. Don't try to master everything at once. Start with the core reports in the Reports > Lifecycle section, like a Traffic Acquisition report, to see how people find your site, and an Engagement report to see what content they interact with.

4. Embrace the New Model

Instead of looking for your old session-based reports, start thinking in terms of user actions. Ask questions like: "What sequence of events leads to a user making a purchase?" or "Which marketing touchpoints contribute to a newsletter signup event?" This mindset shift is the key to unlocking the real power of GA4.

Final Thoughts

Migrating to Google Analytics 4 is a necessary step that involves more than just flipping a switch - it requires a rebuild of your measurement strategy. By following the steps to use the Setup Assistant, correctly install your tag, and thoughtfully recreate your conversions, you can set a strong foundation for understanding user behavior and making better business decisions.

While getting comfortable with GA4 is important, pulling reports across Google Analytics, Google Ads, your Shopify store, and your CRM can still be a heavy lift. We built Graphed to remove that friction completely. You can connect your data sources in minutes and create real-time dashboards just by describing what you want to see. Instead of fumbling with GA4's menus to find an insight, you can just ask, "Show me a chart of my top traffic sources driving contact form submissions last month," and get an answer in seconds, streamlining your whole reporting process.