How to opt out of automatic GA4 migration

Opting out of Automatic GA4 Migration

To assist you in opting out of the automatic GA4 migration, we have produced a video tutorial that shows you how to do it. You can follow the steps outlined in this YouTube video by Conversion Uplift to prevent a new GA4 property from automatically being created for you and to retain control over the migration process.

Google Analytics 4 is replacing Universal Analytics. On July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics properties will stop collecting data, and only GA4 properties will be collecting data after that date. Google strongly recommends that you manually migrate your Universal Analytics settings to GA4. Not all UA configurations have an obvious GA4 counterpart, and also the automated process might not make the same choices as you would. Therefore, it’s important to review and adjust your settings before the migration occurs.

Opting for a manual migration over an automatic process can provide a range of benefits. By using a web analytics expert, you can ensure that your GA4 property is set up according to your specific needs and preferences.

For example here are some items you will miss out on if you rely on automatic migration:

• Form submission success event
• Transform GA3 Enhanced Ecommerce tracking for GA4
• Configure content groupings in GA4
• Create element visibility events (e.g. banner or button is visible in browser)
• Change data retention period from 2 to 14 months
• Remove unwanted query parameters from landing page URLs
• Create events for important pageviews or event clicks in GA4 console
• Enable conversion events in GA4 console
• Capture download file name and type
• Time on page event tracking via GTM
• Capture button and navigation text on clicks
• Redacting personal identifiable information to prevent breaching GDPR regulations
• Page load speed metrics via GTM
• Migrating all non-destination goals from GA3
• Adding new metrics and dimensions, such as Session Conversion Rate and landing page, to standard reports
• Register custom dimensions & metrics in GA4 console (e.g. browser language)
• YouTube video metrics configured for your website set up
• JavaScript error events to track as an important indicator of site health
• Link Google Ads and create audiences for remarketing via Google Ads
• Audience trigger events in GA4
• Set domains for cross-domain tracking
• Filtering out internal traffic
• Capture browser language
• Remove unwanted referrals from payment methods used by your users
• Track affiliate visitors and sales via a 1st party cookie
• Capture and categorize content groupings
• Remove trailing slash from page paths to prevent duplication
• Trigger events based upon source, medium & campaign UTM parameters
• Configure data from different environments to be sent to separate GA4 Properties
• Create and configure new marketing pixels (e.g. Tiktok or Google Ads)
• Set up a GA4 test property for other environments
• Test your events to validate they work

By opting for a manual migration with the help of a web analytics expert, you can ensure that you don’t miss out on any of these valuable features and functionalities. This can also help you make the most of your GA4 property and get the insights you need to make informed decisions about your website and business.

To opt out of automatic GA4 migration, you will need to have the Editor role on your Universal Analytics property.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Log in to your Google Analytics account and click Admin.
2. Ensure that you are in the correct account and Universal Analytics property.
3. In the Property column, click GA4 Setup Assistant.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and turn off the Automatically set up a basic Google Analytics 4 property toggle.
5. Alternatively, click Manage GA4 migration in the yellow informational banner at the top of your Analytics account, and turn off the same toggle.
6. If you have multiple properties that you want to opt out of, you can use the GA4 Migrator for Google Analytics add-on for Google Sheets. After installing it, select Set the automated GA4 setup opt-out status, and then follow the on-screen directions.

In conclusion, while Google will automatically create a GA4 property for you based on your Universal Analytics settings, it’s important to manually review and adjust your configurations to ensure a smooth transition. Opting out of the automatic migration is also an option for those who prefer to handle the migration manually.