Google replaced Universal Analytics (UA) with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in July 2023. All customers currently using Universal Analytics must migrate to GA4. Universal Analytics 360 will be replaced by GA4 by July 2024. This FAQ guide can help you ensure BlueConic continues to sync with Google Analytics 4.
Frequently Asked Questions about GA4 and BlueConic
How do I migrate from Universal Analytics to GA4?
To migrate from Universal Analytics to GA4, follow the setup instructions and guidelines from Google. You can find this handy checklist from Google: Make the switch to Google Analytics 4
Will the data I had in Universal Analytics show up in GA4?
Google published documentation for what reporting will look like in GA4. You can find more information using the Google help center. For instance, follow these links for important information:
Data being exported from BlueConic to Google Analytics 4 will not change. The user interface in BlueConic for setting up the new GA4 connection will also be similar to that of UA.
Will I need to migrate if I am using Google Tag Manager with BlueConic for Universal Analytics?
This depends on your current setup. If you are using Google Tag Manager (GTM) to deploy your Universal Analytics tag and would like to do so for GA4, you can continue to use the same Google Tag Manager connection in BlueConic. But you will need to add the GA4 event type tag to Google Tag Manager. Set it up using the current variables and triggers that you use for Universal Analytics, test, turn on, and you will start collecting BlueConic data in GA4. You will be able to capture both Universal Analytics and GA4 data until Google sunsets Universal Analytics.
Where can I find the new Google Analytics 4 Connection to BlueConic?
The BlueConic connection to Google Analytics 4 is available in the BlueConic Connection gallery. Log into your BlueConic tenant, navigate to “Connections,” click “Add Connection,” and search for Google Analytics 4.
Once you have fully set up the new GA4 connection with your goals, you can delete your UA Connection. Do not delete the UA Connection until you’ve set up all goals in the new GA4 Connection. These two connections can coexist, however, if you do not want to set up all goals at one time.
How do I correctly set up the new connection?
To set up the new Google Analytics 4 Connection, ensure that the tag name that you have in the Google Analytic 4 page matches up with the tag name in BlueConic. Typically, that is Google Tag. However, if you have multiple instances of Google Analytics, double check that your team hasn’t made manual changes to Google Tags.
To check that the connection is correctly set up, here are a few tips:
- Ensure that your GA4 implementation is correct. Please note that this may take 48 hours to take effect, so setting it up on Friday to check it on Monday morning is a great strategy.
- In your BlueConic tenant, add the GA4 connection, select the channel or channels that it will cover and set the tag name. Typically this is simply “gtag,” but more complicated set-ups may have specified a different tag name on set-up.
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This will allow the Export goal to show.
a) Select the segment that you are targeting. Please note that this is not an inclusive selection of the segment. It will only send data of profiles within the segment. It will not send the entire segment if users in that segment are not present on the site. For this reason, “All Visitors” is the most common selection, although your privacy measure may vary.
b) You can then adjust settings for when to push BlueConic data to GA4. You can also trigger a push to occur during a BlueConic event, like a content meter view, or inactivity. You must name this event.
c) Map BlueConic profile properties to event parameters. This is where you may need to check your current set-up, so do not delete it before moving forward on the GA4 implementation.
d) If you would like to, you can add a measurement ID. This is new to GA4, but you may also know this by the name of “Destination ID.” You can find this number on the “Web Stream Details” page of your GA4 instance.
e) You can then optionally push other data to GA4 from BlueConic, including separating out BlueConic events as separate events. - After migrating to GA4, remove all instances of the older Universal Analytics Connection from your tenant. To do this, you can open each instance of the Universal Analytics Connection, click the Save button menu and select Delete from the drop-down menu.
See the Google Analytics 4 Connection page for details on configuring and running the BlueConic connection to GA4.
If you have any questions, contact BlueConic Support.