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Universal Analytics Data: Should You Backup or Let Go?After Universal Analytics ceased processing data, Google announced a complete shutdown. The Universal Analytics user interface and API will disappear on July 1, 2024. You might have already transitioned to Google Analytics 4 to collect data from your website. But what will happen to your historical UA data? Should you back it up or let it go? The decision you make could have profound implications for your business. This post aims to help you make an informed decision on this matter. Download Your UA Reports Backup UA Reports The Value of Historical DataWeb analytics helps you understand how people interact with your website, what they like, and what they do. This information isn't just a bunch of numbers; it's like a guide to what your audience cares about. It helps you connect with them and grow your business. Keeping old data from Universal Analytics (UA) can be very important for making plans and staying competitive. It's a big decision that can affect your online business in a world where using data wisely is increasingly important.Why Backup UA Data?Universal Analytics' historical data can offer insights that drive decision-making and future growth. Recognizing trends, learning from past successes or failures, and using this information for future actions is an invaluable tool.Key Considerations for Backing Up UA DataSeveral factors play a role in the decision-making process when determining whether or not to back up your Universal Analytics (UA) data. Here are some points you should consider.Volume and Age of DataThe longer you've used UA, the more historical data you accumulate. This data may span multiple years or cover significant events such as marketing campaigns, product launches, or website redesigns.Review the duration and events covered by your UA data. Consider how these historical snapshots could inform future planning or provide valuable insights.If the data encompasses substantial volume or critical timeframes, backing it up becomes more valuable as it may be leveraged for trend analysis, seasonal planning, and long-term strategy.Usage of DataHow often you reference older data indicates its importance to your ongoing operations. Regular or even occasional use emphasizes the significance of this historical data.Analyze how frequently you reference past data in current decision-making or performance evaluations.If your operations rely on constant or sporadic access to historical data, retaining it post-UA shutdown becomes critical for continuity.Data-Specific FactorsIf you have used UA's advanced features, like custom dimensions, goals, and internal search tracking, your collected data may provide specialized insights unique to your business.Identify which specific data elements or configurations within UA have been instrumental in shaping your business insights.If your UA setup includes custom metrics and other unique data points, these should be carefully preserved to avoid losing tailored insights.Future PlanningUnderstanding how historical data might contribute to future strategies is vital. This includes marketing campaign planning, website design changes, product development, and more.Evaluate your strategic planning processes and ascertain how historical data may fit into future roadmap development.If past performance data is projected to shape future actions, ensuring its availability post-UA becomes a strategic imperative.Options Available For Backup Historical Data From Universal AnalyticsYou have several options when backing up historical data from Universal Analytics (UA). These choices range from manual methods to Free and Open Source solutions like Matomo, depending on your needs, technical skills, and the specific nature of the data you wish to preserve. Many connectors are also available to tools like PowerBI or BigQuery.Manual Methods for Backup  The easiest is using the export option available in Universal Analytics Reports. All you need to do is go to the Universal Analytics Report you want to download and use the standard export option available. It allows you to export your reports to different formats, including PDF and CSV.  The Google Analytics Query Explorer allows you to manually input all the required dimensions and metrics and execute the query to get the necessary data. Google Analytics Sheets Add-On offers flexibility by creating report configurations and options to generate the reports within Google Sheets.Backup UA Data ProgrammaticallyWe have released a Python script that can be used to download UA data if your needs are complex and you want to download reports that include specific dimensions and metrics.Matomo as an Alternative  .rounded-iframe { border-radius: 10px; /* Adjust the value to control the roundness of the corners */ }  If you're looking for a more streamlined approach and looking for a UA-like interface to navigate through the data downloads, Matomo might be the answer. Matomo is a web analytics solution that comes with a plugin to export UA data. Once set up, Matomo takes care of the backup, and you can generate reports whenever needed through its user-friendly interface.Though there might be some limitations due to the aggregated nature of the data downloaded from the Google Analytics API, Matomo captures around 90% of the essential data you may want to keep. This includes preserving custom dimensions, eCommerce data, goal data, and more for future reference.We have helped many of our customers download UA data to Matomo successfully. If you decide to keep your Universal Analytics Data, let's try Matomo. We offer UA historical data migration using Matomo as a service. If you are interested, you can book a demo here. ConclusionThe decision to backup UA data isn't uniform for every business. It requires a thoughtful evaluation of various factors, considering both the inherent worth and possible constraints of the historical data. By carefully assessing these essential aspects, you can make a decision that aligns seamlessly with your business objectives and strategic planning.  Book a Consultation with our Google Analytics Expert Full Name Work Email Phone Number Any detail to get us started? CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Resources Preserving Universal Analytics Data: 10 Essential Reports to Back Up from Universal Analytics (UA) GA4 E-commerce Tracking: Dimensions and Metrics 5 GA4 Features Every Marketer Should Utilize Internal Site Search Analytics: Transforming Data into Actionable Decisions

Universal Analytics Data BackupDon't lose your valuable website analytics data!  Universal Analytics (UA) is shutting down on July 1st, 2024.Secure your historical insights now with a comprehensive backup in easy-to-use CSV files for future analysis and decision-making. Backup UA Reports Now Universal Analytics Data Set to Be Phased Out  After Universal Analytics ceased processing data, Google announced a complete shutdown. The Universal Analytics user interface and API will cease functioning after July 1, 2024 and all your data stored in UA will go away.To keep the historical data and ensure its availability for future use,it is important to extract the data from UA using the Google Analytics API for UA Data backup.Despite the limited timeframe remaining, there is still an opportunity to take action. Our solution provides a convenient means to securely transfer your Universal Analytics data into an environment that you have full control over for backing Universal Analytics data.  See What's In Our Package! 15+ Years of Engineering Expertise 220+ Projects Delivered 45,000 Websites 100+ Clients globally Universal Analytics Historical Data Backup Historical UA data enables the analysis of long-term trends and patterns, providing valuable insights for future strategies, including UA Data backup. If there have been significant events like marketing campaigns or product launches, the data may offer specialized insights for better planning and understanding user behavior. For those using custom dimensions, metrics, or other advanced features, the historical data may contain unique information specific to the business. Even if not actively used now, historical data may become valuable later for new types of analysis or unforeseen business needs. What Comes With It?Get Your UA Data in CSV Format - Simple & Easy!Just provide us with a list of the reports you want to download (or choose from our list), and give us read-only access to your UA property. We'll handle the rest, delivering your valuable data in easy-to-use CSV files for seamless analysis in any tool you prefer - spreadsheets, Power BI, Tableau, or even a database.Don't wait until it's too late! Preserve your data and insights today. Pricing StructureTransparent and Affordable Pricing for Your UA Data BackupOne-time Setup Cost: FREEMonthly Recurring: FREEYou pay only for the reports you need:Base Price:USD 100 per report, including up to 100,000 recordsAdditional Records: USD 50 per additional 100,000 records.Dimensions/Metrics: Up to 10 dimensions/metrics per report.Minimum Order: 5 reports or a total price of USD 500Duration: 5 days.Get Your UA Reports Backup Now Demo   Here is a Looker Studio Dashboard created with the CSV data downloaded from one of our UA properties. Features and Benefits You own your UA data Permanent backup of historical data No License Fees or Hidden Costs Get Your Universal Analytics Reports BackupPost your details and we will help you get the reports in UA for permanent storage.  Full Name Work Email Phone Number Any detail to get us started? CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.