[GA4 Migration] How automatically migrated audiences impact your campaigns

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has replaced Universal Analytics (UA). Starting on July 1, 2024, you will lose access to Universal Analytics data in your account, the API, and in Google Ads. If you haven't completed the migration, go to the Setup Assistant to get started with Google Analytics 4. 

Starting on July 1, 2023, the audience segments that were previously set up with a Universal Analytics (UA) standard property stopped adding users. UA properties continued to process new hits until July 1, 2023. It’s important to make the switch to GA4 now to ensure that GA4 audiences have time to collect users as UA property stopped processing new hits. Learn How automatically created GA4 properties impact your Google Ads account.

The deadline to migrate to Google Analytics 4 has passed. Learn how to Make the switch to Google Analytics 4.

What’s changing

  • You won’t be able to set up new audiences in Google Ads via a UA property. You need to create a new GA4 property.
  • You can migrate your UA audience to a GA4 audience segment. Learn more in the audience migration guide.
  • To facilitate and make the transition easier, we’ll automatically migrate your Google Ads campaigns that are targeting a UA audience to target a GA4 audience segment equivalent. You may be able to opt out of this behavior.

Benefits

  • The future of analytics: Google Analytics 4’s AI is designed for an evolving ecosystem. Learn more about Predictive audiences and Predictive metrics.
  • New innovations: You’ll have access to new and exclusive features that will only be available in Google Analytics 4.
  • Cookieless insights: Google Analytics 4 will provide privacy-safe customer insights with or without cookies. Learn more about Updates to Google audiences.

How will we attach your GA4 based segments to campaigns using UA Analytics?

To facilitate the changes, we’ve attached equivalent Google Analytics 4 audience segments to campaigns and ad groups that are currently using UA audiences.

  • As of May 2023, the GA4 Setup Assistant set up a basic GA4 property for anyone who still depends on Universal Analytics audiences, and has not opted-out.
  • The new Google Analytics 4 property is linked to the same Google Ads account as the equivalent UA property. New audiences will automatically be exported from GA4 to Google Ads.
  • The equivalent GA4 based segments have been added to respective campaigns/ad groups that are using UA audiences. You may be able to opt out of this behavior.
  • To opt out, you will have to add individual Google Ads account IDs in the form. If you add a Google Ads manager account ID, this won’t opt out linked individual Google Ads accounts
  • Note that not all audience types will be automatically configured. We still recommend manual migration as the best path to move your campaigns from UA to GA4 audiences. Learn more about [UA -> GA4] Audiences migration guide.

How do I know if I use Universal Analytics or Google Analytics 4 currently?

If you currently use Universal Analytics, a blue notification at the top of your Google Analytics account that says "Universal Analytics will no longer process new data in standard properties beginning July 1, 2023" will be shown. Note that if you dismissed that notification earlier, it might no longer be displayed.

Another step is to look at your property ID:

  • Universal Analytics property IDs start with UA and end with a number (UA-XXXXXXXXX-1).

  • Google Analytics 4 property IDs have only numbers (XXXXXXXXX).

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