A GA4 Checklist: What to Do Next to Prepare for Google Analytics 4

Published by Spinutech on August 30, 2022

Google has set the date: July 1, 2023.

That is when Universal Analytics (UA) will sunset, making way for Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Designed to be future-proof and provide business owners and their marketing partners with a web analytics tool that can survive in a world without cookies, GA4 represents the most dramatic platform update since Google first launched Google Analytics in 2005.

So what can you do between now and July 1, 2023, to prepare?

We’re glad you asked!

For Business Owners:

Set up GA4 

If you haven’t already, you need to create a GA4 property for your website or application. The sooner you do so, the better, because the next step after that is even more critical.

Tagging for GA4

Once you’ve created your GA4 property, you should be using Google Tag Manager (GTM) across your site to tag and track for GA4. The sooner you begin populating GA4, the better. You'll want to have a significant amount of historical data come July 1, 2023.

Carry over your events and goals to GA4

To maintain as much consistency between UA and GA4 as is possible, make sure you are tracking the same events and goals in GA4 as you have been in UA.

For Digital Marketers:

Replicating reports

If there are reports you’ve been pulling from UA on a regular basis, check to see if you’re able to pull those same reports in GA4, whether they are available out-of-the-box or need to be created.

Get familiar with the UI

No matter how many articles you read about GA4 — this one included — there is no substitute for learning the GA4 user interface through experience. The more you use it, the more comfortable you’ll become. Before you know it, you’ll be a subject matter expert on GA4.

Explore Google’s demo GA4 account

If you don’t already have access to a GA4 property, Google has made available a demo GA4 property that you can use to explore the platform’s new capabilities on your own.

Find a Guide to Help You Navigate GA4

As you explore GA4, know that you don’t have to go it alone. Even digital marketers who have been using UA for the last decade are having to immerse themselves in all things GA4 to get a handle on all of the changes Google has made to their flagship web analytics platform.

Since the announcement that UA would sunset on July 1, 2023, our Data & Analytics team has been working hand-in-hand with our clients to set up GA4, implement dual tagging, and develop plans for how to leverage the platform’s new features to support their digital marketing efforts.

Contact Spinutech today if you’re interested in getting the most out of GA4.