Google Analytics 4 Migration

Should you allow Google to automatically migrate to Google Analytics 4?

There are several downsides to using Google’s automatic migration to Google Analytics 4, including:

1. Loss of data: The migration process may result in loss of data, particularly for custom dimensions and metrics.

2. Incomplete migration: The automatic migration will not transfer all of your data and settings (e.g. it only migrates goals based on destination URLs),  leaving you with missing information or incorrect data in your GA4 property.

3. Unpredictable impact on data accuracy: The migration process may cause changes in data collection and processing that affect the accuracy of your data.

4. Limited migration options: The automatic migration process does not provide options for customizing the migration, making it difficult to control the outcome.

5. Need for manual updates: After the migration, you may need to make manual updates to your GA4 property to ensure that it accurately reflects your desired setup.

6. Learning curve: GA4 has a different data model and interface compared to Universal Analytics, and you may need to invest time and resources to learn how to use it effectively.

We do not recommend using Google’s automatic migration to GA4 because many of the automatic events GA4 offers don’t work on most websites and the migration process does not install Google Tag Manager.