Plan the move from Universal Analytics to GA4

Analytics is installed, but the team cannot answer how many useful enquiries arrived. Moving to a new system is treated as replacing a snippet. It is also an opportunity to define what should be measured and who will use it.

Google’s March 2022 announcement set 1 July 2023 as the end of new-hit processing for standard Universal Analytics properties. Planning GA4 collection in advance mattered for continuity. This is historical context, rather than a present-day instruction based on an old deadline.

Agree the measurement purpose

List meaningful actions such as a completed order, accepted enquiry or important journey stage. Button clicks are not equivalent outcomes. Clicking submit does not establish successful receipt.

Define when each event fires, its parameters and who verifies it. Keep names in an agreed register. Align payment and form events with actual system outcomes so reporting does not overstate success.

The new system is not an exact copy

GA4 uses an event-based model. Do not expect every old report to transfer or produce matching numbers. Explain definitions, periods and treatment of test actions when comparing systems.

Keep account ownership with the business. Give staff individual access with appropriate permissions. Do not send email addresses, telephone numbers or secrets as event data. Align collection with the implemented user-choice behaviour too.

Verify the migration with test journeys

• Define useful events and their precise meaning.
• Test both successful and unsuccessful outcomes.
• Check repeated events and duplicate installations.
• Preserve necessary older reports for historical comparison.
• Explain the new reports and their limitations to staff.

Installing analytics does not establish reliable measurement during website assessment. Decision-making needs data whose meaning, source and verification route the team understands.