Although the official deadline for processing new data by Universal Analytics (UA) was July 1, 2023, historical data in UA remained accessible after that date... for a limited time.By limited and according to Google, this means that Universal Analytics reports will be available for thereabouts six months after July 1, 2023.***quick calculation***Boom, the end is almost now, and you will have to act before the end of 2023 to save your historical UA data before it becomes permanently inaccessible. This period is therefore critical for companies that need to keep a complete record of their past digital performance.If you are reading this article, you are therefore probably concerned. And as a reminder, before continuing, the transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is not only an evolution, but an absolute necessity. What to do? What are your options for ensuring a transition to GA4 that does not damage your historical data?
- Method 1 : extract your reports by date range by hand (we don't draw you a picture: it's time-consuming and very, VERY unusable in the end)
- Method 2 : use BigQuery (but you need a Google Analytics 360 account and pay for the connector)
- Method 3 (preferred) : use the Google Analytics API to properly extract information to Google Sheet
Why we recommend and use method 3
It provides much more flexibility and customization in the way you want to save your data: the mix of dimensions and metrics à la carte allows you to go much further than fixed reports based on date ranges... Then, it not only saves time, but also does not allow you to pay for the connector.
Entrust Alphalyr to back up your historical data!
Here are the main steps in our backup process:→ Need expression workshop: to properly identify which dimensions and metrics to retrieve and over what period→ Precise extraction of your data and generation of CSV→ Setting up a Looker Studio dashboard to display the data and reproduce your Universal Analytics reports (optional) Are you interested in this? Let's talk about it now before it's too late!
