Despite the warning that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) would replace Universal Analytics (UA) on July 1, the majority of marketers are still able to use their UA accounts as usual. This comes as a reassurance to marketers who were hesitant to make the switch to GA4 and have been struggling to navigate the new platform. However, some marketers have reported seeing warning messages that their UA property is scheduled to stop processing data soon. These messages advise marketers to book a support session to complete the migration to GA4 and prevent disruption to their ads.

While some marketers can still access real-time data in UA, others have confirmed that UA has already stopped processing data on their accounts. This suggests that UA accounts may be on borrowed time for those who have not yet made the switch to GA4.

Google has acknowledged the phased rollout of the sunset of UA. They explained that while some UA properties may still process data, all properties have been added to the migration queue, and those that have not completed the upgrade will jumpstart on a rolling basis. Google emphasized that GA4 is the next-generation measurement solution and has replaced UA. They strongly encourage marketers to make the switch to GA4 as soon as possible and to migrate their UA property’s Google Ads links to their GA4 property if they use UA data in their Google Ads account.

The timeline for the shutdown of UA is as follows: in March 2023, Google automatically created a GA4 property for marketers who didn’t opt out of the automatic property creation option; in July 2023, UA stops processing hits, but marketers still have access to previously processed data until July 2024; and in July 2024, all marketers will no longer have access to the UA user interface and API, including those with 360 properties.

To learn more about how to migrate to GA4, marketers can refer to Google’s “Learn how to make the switch” guide.

Overall, while UA is still functioning for most marketers, the transition to GA4 is inevitable, and marketers are advised to complete the migration to prevent any disruptions to their ads.