The transition to GA4 was completed on July 1, 2023, and the legacy Universal Analytics is history. Today, the main priority is ensuring GA4 data quality through server-side tagging (sGTM) and accurate tracking of purchase and lead values. Explore our GA4 and GTM implementation services.
After months of preparation (as discussed in our analysis on the last 70 days until Universal Analytics shutdown), the moment has arrived: in 48 hours, Universal Analytics (UA) will officially cease to exist as an active data collection tool. Starting July 1, 2023, all standard UA properties will stop recording visitors. If your business has postponed the migration to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) until now, these final two days represent your last chance to prevent a total analytics breakdown.
Key Takeaways
- Historical Shutdown Moment: On Friday, June 30, 2023, at 23:59, Universal Analytics servers will stop processing billions of internet sessions worldwide.
- Immediate DebugView Test: Before shutting down the legacy system, you must open the GA4 DebugView tool and perform a test purchase or form submission to verify event registration.
- Automatic GA4 Account Traps: Automatically generated GA4 profiles created by Google often lack e-commerce metrics and custom dimensions; relying on them without a manual audit is dangerous.
- Data Retention Extension: This is the final moment to change the 2-month data retention limit to 14 months in administrator settings, otherwise autumn reports will lack comparative data.
Why Correct Google Analytics 4 and GTM Implementation is Necessary
Over recent months, Google automatically generated new GA4 properties for many accounts based on legacy UA settings. Unfortunately, this automatic assistant creates a false sense of security in most cases.
Automatic migration fails to properly replicate complex e-commerce events, custom JavaScript goals, filters, and third-party payment gateways (such as MakeCommerce, Montonio, or Stripe). As a result, the new account only records basic page views, while sales data and revenue sources remain empty.
data analytics for precise decisions" class="wp-image-4361" />Express Checklist for the Next 48 Hours
To ensure your digital marketing team does not remain without data on the morning of July 1, complete these four steps:
1. Verify Data Flow in Realtime (Realtime & DebugView): Open your website on a smartphone or in an incognito window. Navigate to the GA4 section Reports -> Realtime. Do you see your visit? Do you see the correct geographic location and device?
2. Perform a Test Conversion: Fill out a contact form or complete a 0.01 EUR test purchase in the online store. Check whether the Events section registers generate_lead or purchase with the correct monetary amount and currency (EUR).
3. Change Data Retention Period to 14 Months: This is the most classic GA4 mistake. Go to Admin -> Data Settings -> Data Retention and change '2 months' to '14 months'. Click 'Save'.
4. Check Google Ads Integration: If you run advertising campaigns, make sure that GA4 events are selected as primary conversion goals in your Google Ads account, rather than legacy UA goal links, which will show zeros after July 1.
Common Issues Upon Payment Gateway Return
One of the most painful e-commerce issues in GA4 is self-referral and incorrect traffic sources. When a buyer clicks 'Pay with Swedbank/SEB' in the online store and returns to the store after payment, GA4 often records this as a new session with the source 'swedbank.lv' or 'montonio.com'.
| Problem | Consequences | Solution in GA4 Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Banks as incoming traffic | Purchase credits are attributed to the bank website instead of advertising | Add bank domains to the 'Unwanted Referrals' list |
| Duplicate purchase events | Refreshing the 'Thank you for your purchase' page doubles revenue | Implement unique Transaction ID verification |
| Missing currency code | Monetary amounts are not summed up correctly in reports | Always pass 'EUR' in the currency parameter |
| Session timeout set too short | Shoppers researching products longer are counted as a new session | Increase session timeout from 30 to 60 minutes |
What to Do with Historical Data After Shutdown
Although new data will no longer flow into Universal Analytics starting July 1, access to legacy reports will remain until December 2023. Use this time calmly to export annual and monthly summaries to Excel or connect data to Looker Studio visual dashboards for comparison with 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could my website stop working on July 1 if it still contains the UA code?
No, your website will continue to function seamlessly. The legacy code will simply send data to a server that will no longer register it. However, the legacy code should be removed later to avoid slowing down the site.
Why does GA4 not show yesterday's data in standard reports?
GA4 data processing latency is longer than in legacy UA. Data is fully processed and appears in standard reports within 24 to 48 hours.
Can GA4 be used without GTM and how do server-side tracking solutions help?
Yes, the GA4 code can be embedded directly into the website header, but GTM provides significantly greater flexibility and allows you to fix events without developer intervention.
Does the free version of GA4 have any data volume limits?
The free version of GA4 supports up to 10 million events per month without any additional subscription fees, which is more than enough for 99% of businesses in Latvia.
Want to organize your company's GA4 events, funnels, and data tracking?
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