What is GA4?
On July 1st, 2023, Google Universal Analytics (UA) properties will stop working as Google deprecates the system with the launch of Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
After this date, you can still access your previously processed data for six months. In the meantime, Google recommends exporting any historical reports from Universal Analytics to retain that data if you ever need it again.
What action do I need to take in Unbounce?
The UA Unbounce integration will stop working in Unbounce after July 1st (for all customers not signed up for a Google Analytics 360 plan).
Please set up a GA4 integration to ensure you're still capturing analytics for your landing pages: Integrating Unbounce with Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
What are the differences between Universal Analytics (UA) and GA4?
How GA4 conducts page reporting is different than Universal Analytics.
For example, UA has both the Pageview and Unique Pageview metrics, while GA4 reporting has the Views metric only, which tracks how page views are counted compared to UA.
After you switch over, it's best to familiarize yourself with how metrics from UA measure differently with GA4.
Google's documentation goes into thorough detail about these differences, and how to navigate the same settings that existed in UA to GA4:
[UA→GA4] Comparing metrics: Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics
[UA→GA4] Universal Analytics view-related features in Google Analytics 4 properties
How do I know if I've set up my pages with GA4 or Universal Analytics (UA)?
By the property ID.
In your Google Analytics account, navigate to the top-left corner near the Analytics logo, and click the drop-down menu to view your existing properties.
A Universal Analytics property ID starts with 'UA' and ends with '-1' (e.g., UA-123567-1), while a Google Analytics 4 property ID only consists of numbers (e.g., 246802987) only.
Can I install the GA4 tag manually in Classic Builder?
Yes, you can! If you want to install GA4 manually on specific pages in Classic Builder, you can set this up with the JavaScript widget.
For steps on installing GA4 on individual pages, see this article: Installing GA4 in the Classic Builder (manual installation).
Will Unbounce be depreciating the UA Analytics Integration?
Unbounce will not deprecate the UA integration on July 1st, but it will only work for customers using UA via the Google Analytics 360 plan.
This is a plan you can purchase from Google that offers its customers a one-year extension to use UA.
How do I set up GA4?
Unbounce has a GA4 built-in integration. To set it up, see this article, or follow the steps below:
- Log in to Unbounce, and from the left-hand side menu, click Settings.
- From the drop-down menu, select Script Manager.
- Click the blue Add a Script button on the top-right-hand corner.
- From the Add a Script window, select Google Analytics 4 from the drop-down menu.
- Paste your GA4 tracking ID in the empty field (also known as a Measurement ID):
- Click Add Script Details. A new page will appear to enter more Script Details:
- From the Script Usage tab, select the domain you want the GA4 tag to apply to (i.e., GA4 will collect analytics for these landing pages):
- Click Save and Publish.
You're all set! You've now set up the GA4 integration with Unbounce pages. Data and page metrics will appear in Google Analytics 24 hours later.
Does GA4 work with both Classic and Smart Builder?
Yes, GA4 works in both Classic Builder and Smart Builder.
What Information does Unbounce send to GA4?
If you've set up the built-in GA4 Integration
If you're using the built-in GA4 integration, Unbounce will send the following data to GA4 so long as Enhanced Measurements is enabled in the platform:
- page views,
- form submissions,
- button clicks, and
- variant tracking.
To enable Enhanced Measurements,
- Log into the Google Analytics platform.
- Navigate to Admin -> Property -> Data Streams.
- Click on the data stream corresponding to your landing page.
- Toggle the Enhanced measurement button:
- To adjust which events you want to measure, click the gear icon, and toggle the events from the Enhanced measurement window that appears:
To set up conversions tracking for your form submissions, see: How to Set up Conversion Tracking for Unbounce Forms in GA4.
If you've manually integrated GA4 into Classic Builder
If you want to manually install the GA4 tracking script in Classic Builder, we still recommend enabling Enhanced measurements. The main difference is that if you want to send form submission events to GA4 as well, you will need to add a custom script:
- Click the Add Script to this Variant to add a second script.
- Paste in the event tracking script, and set the placement to Before Body End Tag:
- Click the blue Done button to add the script.
Does the Unbounce team offer support for GA4?
Our teams are happy to help support you with GA4 setup and getting started. However, you may want further insight into understanding how GA4 works or how to use the GA4 portal to its full potential.
In that case, we recommend you reach out to Google's Support team, or someone from your organization who is well-versed in Google Analytics to support you.
What will happen to the Unbounce Google Analytics App?
Unbounce will not deprecate the Google Analytics Unbounce App on July 1st, but it will only work for customers using UA via a Google Analytics 360 plan. This is a plan you can purchase from Google that offers its customers a one-year extension to use UA.
If you're not subscribed to a Google Analytics 360 plan, we recommend migrating to the built-in GA4 integration.
Why does it take GA4 longer to show stats?
Sometimes, you may notice limited stats or fewer numbers in GA4 than in Unbounce or another tracking platform. This could be due to data thresholding. Data thresholds are put in place to ensure your visitor's privacy and to conceal information about individual users, such as demographics, location, etc.
This is a feature of GA4, so Unbounce has limited scope or impact in preventing or changing this. For more information on data thresholds, see Google's documentation: [GA4] Data thresholds.
How does the new integration interact with Unbounce's popups and sticky bars?
Yes, Unbounce will still support this integration. See this article to learn more: Integrating Popups & Sticky Bars with Event Tracking in Google Analytics (GA4).
How does the new integration interact with Google Tag Manager (GTM)?
In short, we do not recommend using Unbounce's built-in Google Tag Manager (GTM) integration to send events and page performance metrics back to GA4.
Suppose you set up the GTM integration in Unbounce and attempt to set up a GA4 tag/trigger in the GTM platform. In that case, this will cause duplicate events to fire because of the nature of our GTM integration and how it captures form submission events.
If you're still keen on using Google Tag Manager with GA4, it's best to use the GTM integration via
- The Smart Builder GTM App, or
- Manually installing the GTM tag in the Classic Builder or via Script Manager.
How do I track form submissions as conversions in GA4?
Since GA4 captures all page actions and instances as events, you'll need to create a custom event in GA4 to filter out form submission events, then set up the conversion.
This article explains how: How to Set up Conversion Tracking for Unbounce Forms in GA4.