Google Analytics 4 (“GA4”) was released in October 2020 and is a complete rebuild of GA Universal Analytics. Since the release of GA4, several resources have been published detailing the differences and similarities between the often-used Universal Analytics, commonly known as GA3, and GA4.

Make no mistake: Google is eager for analytics users to adopt GA4. This enthusiasm finally manifested with the recent announcement that all standard Universal Analytics Properties (GA3) will stop data collection on July 1, 2023. Google is making GA3 obsolete sooner than later, leaving millions of web publishers, online stores, and brands without visibility into the data their digital marketing plans are built around.

Our guide will detail what has changed between GA3 and GA4, dates to know, and our available findings to make the transition as straightforward for your organization as possible. 

Critical Differences Between Universal Analytics and GA4

Unlike GA3, which is based on Page Views and Sessions, this new model is based on event-driven data where Page Views are considered Events. It uses Page “behavior” to make “predictions” and provides a better view than GA3 of the overall user journey, conversion funnels, and why people drop off a website.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the newest version of Google Analytics, offering many new features and enhancements over Universal Analytics (UA). 

Critical differences between GA3 and GA4

1. GA4 offers more powerful and customizable reporting features than UA.

Google Analytics 4 offers more powerful and customizable reporting features than Universal Analytics. Reporting features in GA4 include custom tables, complex segmentation, and support for multiple users. GA4 also offers enhanced data filters that isolate and analyze data more effectively.

GA4 also offers a new Custom Report Builder that makes it easier to create custom reports. With this builder, you can create reports by dragging and dropping fields into the report grid and creating custom calculations for your data.

2. GA4 supports more user types than UA.

GA4 supports more user types than UA. In addition to standard users, GA4 also supports administrator users and view-only users. Administrator users have full access to all GA4 features, while view-only users can view reports but cannot modify them.

3. GA4 includes a new feature called “Intelligence.”

GA4 includes a new feature called “Intelligence” that provides intuitive insights and recommendations into your data. This feature uses machine learning to surface patterns and trends in your data and can also guide improving your website or app.

4. GA4 offers a new “Data-Driven Attribution” model.

GA4 offers a new “Data-Driven Attribution” model that provides a more accurate attribution of conversions to the channels and campaigns that drove them. This model uses machine learning to analyze data from multiple channels and customized touchpoints, and it can attribute conversions to the channels that had the most significant impact on them.

5. GA4 360 has a new pricing model.

GA4 has a new pricing model based on the old GA 360 price of $150k/year. GA4 360 clients will get the first 25 million hits free in a month. A variable per-event fee will be billed based on event volume (beyond the initial 25M monthly events). 

GA4 supports user-level data collection User-level data collection allows you to track and analyze the behavior of individual users on your website.

6. GA4 has a new user interface, which is more user-friendly and easier to navigate than UA.
7. GA4 has a new user interface, which is more user-friendly and easier to navigate than UA.
8. GA4 offers enhanced data import and export capabilities
9. Google Analytics 4  allows users to easily import and export data between Google Analytics and other data analysis tools
10. GA4 supports a broader range of integrations with other Google products and services.

Important Dates

All standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits on July 1, 2023.

Understand what’s going to happen

• Until July 1, 2023, you can continue to use and collect new data in your Universal Analytics properties.
• After July 1, 2023, you’ll be able to access your previously processed data in your Universal Analytics property for at least six months. 
• Export your historical reports during this time or connect to Alembic to ensure that two years of GA Universal Analytics data is preserved. 
• Google Analytics 360 properties will receive a one-time processing extension ending on October 1, 2023.
• Data will be accessible until January 1, 2023, and customers are expected to export their data to preserve it. 

Migrating from Universal Analytics to GA4

PROs & CONs Don’t wait; start migrating data earlier. 

Besides some changes to reporting interfaces, fundamental changes create pros and cons to GA4 vs. GA3.

PROS to GA4

Changes to Session duration

GA4 does not restrict sessions by time. Here, your session count is likely less because it does not create new sessions for source changes mid-session. This also affects the average session time hugely.

GA4 provides an enhanced measurement feature that allows automatic tracking of the below types of events:

• Scroll tracking
• Outbound clicks
• Site search tracking
• Video engagement
• Tracking file downloads.

Since GA4 offers to track features across apps and the web, marketers can track users across devices and platforms. In addition, it uses machine learning to automatically highlight relevant information to marketers.

GA4 tracks using the same schema for web and app; hence it can provide more cross-device and platform tracking that proves to be one of the best tools for omnichannel eCommerce monitoring.

Sessions

In GA4, a session is derived from the “session_start event,” and there is no time limit for it to last. The session will begin to end for apps once moved to the background. There are three types of session-based metrics: Sessions, Engaged Sessions, and Engaged Sessions per user.

Event tracking setup and automation

GA4, event tracking setup, is more flexible where it captures the below four categories of events:

• Automatically collected events
• Enhancement measurement events
• Recommended events
• Custom events

Automatically collected and enhancement measurement events do not require code changes on the page and app. These are captured by default if the web page has gtag.js implemented on the page or via Google Tag Manager.

GA4 Vs. GA3 Debugging

GA4 offers a real-time debug view report functionality, which is not available in GA3. This new feature allows you to validate analytics configuration from the reporting interface.

Engagement metrics

With GA4, Google Analytics has refreshed the engagement metrics by adding a new set of attributes like Engaged Sessions, Engaged Sessions per User, Engagement Rate, and Engagement time. These metrics help you track users more accurately on the website and apps than metrics like pageviews and bounce rate in GA3. Moreover, GA4 has no such metrics as bounce rate, unlike GA3.

BigQuery schema

GA4 provides a default-free connection to BigQuery. It helps you access your data and run SQL queries for more precise user data analysis. In contrast, GA3 does not come with a default connection unless you use GA 360. 360 Universal Analytics properties will receive a one-time processing extension ending on July 1, 2024.

Potential pitfalls and challenges

CONS to GA4

Attribution modeling

GA4 lacks attribution modeling options like GA3, which is another reason it is not said to be ready for commercial use. GA3, on the other hand, has robust attribution modeling features via multi-channel funnels and extensive attribution reports.

In GA3, IP anonymization is disabled by default, and you can enable it. However, in GA4, this feature is built-in and is enabled by default which you cannot disable.

The IP anonymization feature anonymizes the visitor’s IP to your website. The last three digits from the visitor’s IP are automatically deleted and replaced with zeros. So, for example, 69.162.81.155 will be anonymized to 69.162.81.0.

Data stream setup

In GA3, you must create separate views and data streams for app and web tracking. Whereas in GA4, you can create separate streams, you do not have the choice to create different views.

For Data Retention

Google Analytics 4, you only have two options: 2 months and 14 months. GA3 stores your data for the period you choose. For example, you have options like 14 months, 26 months, 38 months, and 50 months, and your data does not expire automatically.

eCommerce tracking

GA3 stands tall as compared to GA4 in eCommerce tracking capabilities. GA3 offers a long list of tracking details as compared to GA4. This isn’t surprising since Google says GA4 is not yet ready for commercial consumption.

GA4 Vs. GA3 attribution modeling

GA4 lacks attribution modeling options like GA3, which is another reason it is not said to be ready for commercial use. GA3, on the other hand, has robust attribution modeling features via multi-channel funnels and extensive attribution reports.

GA4 Vs. GA3 Reporting views: There is only one reporting view and no option to create additional views in GA4. In GA3, you can create up to 25 reporting views per property.

Conclusion

GA4 has come up with many new features and changes compared to GA3. But, at the same time, there is a long way to go for GA4 with the updates yet to come. Google suggests marketers create GA4 property and use it parallel with your GA3 property. We suggest the same and make sure to migrate your GA3 conversions mirrored into GA4. Want to learn more? Sign up for a Demo of our platform to maximize your GA3 or GA4 Analytics.