Organizations globally rely on Google Analytics to better understand their online business and create optimal experiences for their customers. Launched in Oct 2020, Google Analytics 4 is the new Google Analytics after Urchin, Classic and Universal in response to changing dynamics in technology, behaviour and regulations.
In fact, GA4 is not an improved version of Universal Analytics but it’s a totally new platform designed to be more scalable and more privacy-centric. But what makes it so different from Universal Analytics?
Updated as on December 2021
GOOGLE ANALYTICS UA & GA4 PROPERTY SETTINGS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Use Case | UA Property | GA4 Property | Additional Details |
| Data Model | Session based | Event based | |
| User Metric Calculation | Defines users as total users (new & returning) | Defines users as active users | |
| User access Management: Providing Access for GA data to users |  | | |
| Create & Modify events |  | | Ability to add additional events tracking, create & modify events inside the interface |
| Filter data to include or exclude specific criteria | | | |
| Delete unwanted data from processed data set | | | In UA, Manual request for data deletion is required In GA4, we can set up data deletion in interface itself and scope them to all data/events to detailed parameter values |
| Setup Cross-domain tracking in the User Interface | | | In UA, can only be done via GTM In GA4, there is an ability to setup in UI itself |
| User-ID tracking & Google Signals | | | |
| Custom Dimensions & Metrics | | | In UA, setting up a custom dimension or metric requires both UI and GTM implementation. In GA4, you can set up custom dimensions/metrics using parameters as |
| Calculated Metrics | | | |
| Unsampled data | | | In UA, Sampling occurs in reports where advanced segments, dimensions are used, 360 only. In GA4, all standard reports unsampled however, explore reports sampling depends on hit volume |
| Data import | | | |
| Measurement Protocol | | | GA4 adds additional security to data by requiring a security key to send MP data |
GOOGLE ANALYTICS UA & GA4 PRODUCT INTEGRATION | |||
| Big Query | (360 only) | | In GA4, BigQuery linking is available for free to all users. |
| Google Ads | | | In UA and GA4 both, linking requires the user to have admin access |
| Display & Video 360 Linking | (360 only) |  | In UA, Linking requires a request to the DV360 admin to approve. |
| Search Ads 360 Linking | (360 only) | Roadmap | In UA, Linking requires a request to the DV360 admin to approve. |
| Campaign Manager 360 Linking | (360 only) | | In UA, Linking requires a request to the DV360 admin to approve. |
| Search Console integration | | | |
| Optimize Linking | | | Admin access required on both products. |
| Salesforce Cloud Integration | (360 only) | | Admin access required on both products. |
GOOGLE ANALYTICS UA & GA4 REPORTING | |||
| Machine Learning powered insights | | | UA is limited to system provided insights only. GA4 has both system provided and custom insights |
| Ability to see website data in real time | | | GA4 is more advanced – You can get detailed insight into event and parameter level granularity |
| Customize reporting with dashboards and custom reports | | | Both UA and GA4 can connect natively to Data Studio. 2 GA4 has an advanced feature of creating customized reports in the ‘Explore’ section. |
| Overview of key KPIs across your data in “Home” report | | | |
| Reports on acquisition by campaign, | | | GA4 has new concept of user acquisition reports |
| source, and medium | |||
| Report on Ecommerce specific use cases | | | GA4 allows you to create ecommerce funnel reporting via Explore |
| Goals / Conversions reporting | | | In UA, limit of 20 goals per view. In GA4, conversions replace goals, 30 conversions per property |
| Report on advertising integrations | | | |
| Multi Channel Funnels | | | |
| Report on information about site users such as demographics & interests, technology, geography, and more | | | |
| Debug implementation details within the reporting | | | GA4 has ability to view new implementation changes easily without waiting for reports to populate |
| interface | |||
| Report on user actions across devices | | | In UA, it is only a small part of reports. In GA4, it is cross-device tracking as a whole based on user |
| Data-driven Attribution | (360 only) | | In UA, this is available as a feature – Multi channel funnels. In GA4, it is available for free with Attribution. |
| Segments to get a granular picture of user actions and behavior | | | In UA, creating segments is available for use throughout the interface In UA, you can create and store segments in the libraryIn GA4, segments are only available to be built and used in the Explore section. In GA4, the limit to create segments is 10 only |
GOOGLE ANALYTICS UA & GA4 EXPLORE | |||
| Free Form | (360 only) | | |
| Funnel | (360 only) | | |
| Segment Overlap | (360 only) | | |
| Path report | | | GA4 has more functionality compared to Flow reports in 360 |
| User explorer | | | In GA4, it is a standalone technique offering advanced analysis capabilities |
| Cohort | | | In UA, this is available in the reporting interface. In GA4, it is a standalone technique offering advanced analysis capabilities |
| User Time | | | In UA, this is available in the reporting interface. In GA4, it is a standalone technique offering advanced analysis capabilities |
| Template | | | In UA, this is available in the reporting interface. In GA4, it is a standalone technique offering advanced analysis capabilities |
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