GA4 Migration FAQs
After nearly two (2) decades, Google is sunsetting the Universal Analytics (UA) version of Google Analytics (GA) and has replaced it with Google Analytics 4 (GA4). With UA’s final end-date set for 1 July 2024, we are actively in process of moving VA.gov’s tracking into GA4.
Why is this happening?
Since GA became available to the public in 2006, the internet landscape has changed to include things like smartphones, tablets, apps, streaming media, digital marketing, HTML5, privacy laws, PII, PHI, internet of things, etc. UA’s measurement protocols can no longer keep pace with all these changes so Google rebuilt the tool from the ground up with GA4. This is why there are new Properties and we have transition the tracking implementation.
Why is it called GA4?
GA4 is the fourth version of Google’s Analytics tools. You most commonly hear GA UA, but the current version of GA is also called GA3 because it’s the third version of UA.
What will happen to the GA UA Properties I have been using?
Google has communicated that all UA Properties and associated Views will be permanently deleted on or soon after the 1 July 2024 end-date. Expect to no longer be able to access GA UA by any means – GUI (Google User Interface), API, Looker connector – after this date.
What happens to the all the data from GA UA?
GA data for the 'All VA.gov Website Data [Production]' View is exported on a daily basis to Google BigQuery, a process that will continue until Google deletes the the parent Property. This data is used for creating Domo reports and is otherwise restricted due to querying costs.
Strategies for maintaining historic metrics once UA goes away will be coming soon.
Event Tracking
Is anything tracked automatically?
By default, GA tracks pages, visits, referrals, users, devices, and other basic information right out of the box.
Also, if you use the Design System’s components (and you should), most components have an attached tracking event so those interactions are automatically collected in GA as well.
What are custom events?
For the VFS Teams, a custom event is a recordEvent that lives in your codebase.
Why do we need to provide an audit of our Team’s/Product’s custom events?
While there is a lot of overlap in the custom events used across the VFS Products, there’s also a lot of differences as well Product specific custom events that the only way to be sure we don’t miss any events is to ask the Teams to audit their codebase and share them using the Analytics - VFS Custom Event Audit Form.
Reporting
Will the migration to GA4 effect my reports?
Yes. The GA4 Properties are a new data source and does not connect to the UA data in any way. There’s also changes to the data like page views are now an event and there is no more unique events metric. Don’t worry, we’ll help you realign your metrics when the time comes.
What about my dashboards and reports in GA?
The GA4 GUI has new and different reporting options from those in UA so we will all be creating new reports in GA4. We are still figuring this part out but the current plan to start sharing information and resources/trainings around late April/early May.
What about my reports in Domo?
We have already started the process to update the Domo GA data tables and associated reports for GA4. Ideally, this update will have minimal impact for users of these Platform Analytics & Insights Team managed reports once complete though all changes will be communicated.
If you or your team maintain your own data tables and reports with GA data, please reach out using our Slack channels – #vfs-analytics or #platform-analytics – so we might assist you as you make updates for GA4.
Miscellaneous
Where can I find updates on the GA4 migration?
The Platform Analytics & Insights Team will update the VFS Teams of further changes, updates or impacts surrounding the GA4 migration through Team-of-Teams or via Slack – #vfs-all-hands and #vfs-analytics.
Have a question that wasn’t found on this document? Please either reach out to the #vfs-analytics channel, or use the footer to suggest content changes to this page.
Help and feedback
Get help from the Platform Support Team in Slack.
Submit a feature idea to the Platform.