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If you are still using Universal Analytics 360, you need to act fast. 

Google is no longer investing in Universal Analytics (UA) and has already started decommissioning features. 

As of 15 March 2024, Google has deprecated App Views in UA that receive data via the UA SDK or Measurement Protocol.

Starting the week of 1 July 2024, you will not be able to access any Universal Analytics properties or the API (not even with read-only access), and all data will be deleted. 

While the standard sunset took weeks to complete, the full UA shutdown will happen within a week starting 1 July 2024. You must export your previously processed data before this date.

Keep up to date with Universal Analytics changes here: 

• Google Analytics 4 has replaced Universal Analytics - Analytics Help
• What's new in Google Analytics - Analytics Help

New account and property notifications

It is a requirement that if you create a new account or property that you must amend your account and property listing and provide advice to observatory@dta.gov.au. 

Failure to do so may result in a change to your subscription tier and an unexpected invoice for retrospective charges. 

Due to the structure of the Observatory, with no account and property data linked, all agency event actuals and forecasting is undertaken manually and therefore this advice is even more important. 

Please also ensure that you are naming your accounts and properties appropriately in accordance with the naming convention guidelines

Training

The 2024 Eventbrite training collection can be accessed by clicking at 2024 Observatory Training.

If you have any requests for upcoming training, please send these through to observatory@dta.gov.au. 

A huge thank you to agency representatives that completed the recent Pulse Survey. These insights will be valuable to help understand agency needs and considerations for the future.

Is your GA4 property reusing an existing Universal Analytics tag?

The DTA, in collaboration with Jellyfish, has requested formal communications from Google in relation to properties that are reusing existing Universal Analytics (UA) tags and whether they will be impacted by the UA sunset on 30 June 2024.

Unfortunately, to date advice has been contradictory. As a result, to mitigate any potential risks, we are recommending that any GA4 properties reusing an existing UA tag be replaced with a GA4 tag prior to the sunset.

To check if a property is using a site tag from UA, open the GA4 property and go to admin > setup assistant > collect website and app data > navigate to the arrow to the right of this feature, then click import from Universal Analytics. If the setting ‘Enable data collection using existing tags (analytics.js and gtag.js tags)’ is enabled, the property should update its tracking code. 

To find the new GA4 tag to add, go to admin > data collection and modification > click the relevant stream(s) > view tag instructions.  

Conversions and key events

Google announced that they have unified the way conversions are defined across Google Ads and Analytics. This change will create a simpler and more intuitive experience in the way conversions are measured and reported.

Previously, important events that were marked as conversions in Analytics were measured differently from Google Ads conversions, leading to discrepancies.

From now on, events that measure actions that are important to the success of your website are now called 'key events’ – any event you collect can become a key event. Behavioural data from key events can be used to improve the user experience across your websites and apps.

A 'conversion' (conversions are key actions website users take that convert them into customers or subscribers) now refers to an important action that you want to use to measure the performance of a campaign. With an aligned definition of 'conversion' across Google Ads and Analytics, you can now, for the first time, view consistent conversion-based performance metrics in both Google Ads and Analytics reports.

Learn more about conversion vs key events

Reminder

I know, I know, we sound like a pesky parrot on repeat but… 

Starting the week of 1 July 2024, you will not be able to access any UA properties, the API (not even with read-only access) or any associated custom or looker reports. All data will be deleted.

If you haven’t extracted your UA data, you must export your previously processed data before this date. The DTA, Jellyfish and Google are unable to assist if this has not been completed. 

Keep up to date with UA decommissioning here:

• Google Analytics 4 has replaced Universal Analytics - Analytics Help
• What's new in Google Analytics - Analytics Help

Don’t forget to register for upcoming training

The 2024 Eventbrite training collection can be accessed at 2024 Observatory Training. 

If you have any requests for upcoming training, please send these through to observatory@dta.gov.au.