Observatory

Google will no longer invest in Universal Analytics (UA) features as they shift their focus to Google Analytics 4 (GA4).  

From 29 January 2024, Realtime reports and API, the Lifetime Value report, the Model Explorer and various other features will no longer be available. 

Beginning from early March 2024, Realtime BigQuery and Universal Analytics 360 advertising features will no longer be supported.

From March 2024, Google recommends that all historical data is exported no later than March 2024 to allow three months to validate data and settings. By March, you should:

• Export historical data using one or more of the following solutions.
• Migrate your Universal Analytics property's Google Ads links to your Google Analytics 4 property.

Starting the week of 1 July, 2024, you won't be able to access any UA properties or the API (not even with read-only access), and all data will be deleted. While the standard sunset took weeks to complete, the full UA shutdown will happen within a week. 

We know your data is important to you, and we recommend that you export your previously processed data before this date.

To stay up to date with the latest changes, favourite these links:

• Google Analytics 4 has replaced Universal Analytics - Analytics Help
• What's new in Google Analytics - Analytics Help

What’s new in GA4

Google has introduced a new feature in Google Analytics 4 called trend change detection. This feature uses machine learning to automatically detect and surface significant changes in your data. It helps you quickly identify and understand changes in user behaviour, such as an increase in traffic from a particular source or a decrease in conversion rate for a specific goal. This feature is available in the Analysis module and can be accessed by creating an Exploration report. It is a valuable tool for Australian Government agencies to stay on top of data changes and to support informed decisions.

Upcoming Training

The 2024 Eventbrite training collection can be accessed at 2024 Observatory Training. 

If you have any requests for upcoming trainings, please send these through to observatory@dta.gov.au.

Jellyfish sunrise sessions

During the transition period, Jellyfish are also offering a series of sunrise sessions and have extended the invitation to Observatory members.

• How to start building queries to analyse your GA4 data in BigQuery
• Reports vs Explorations - Which should I use?

As always, if you have any questions or if we can assist in anyway, please contact us via email at observatory@dta.gov.au.