How to opt-out of Google’s automatic GA4 migration

If you’re like me, you’re getting notices from Google Analytics about converting your UA property into GA4. The most recent one asks if Google can automatically create a GA4 property for you. Should you let Google help?

No.

I’m not fond of Google doing that for me. I want to have control of the creation process. But what scares me is what might happen if Google creates a GA4 property, and I already have one started.

This fear comes from the rush to adopt GA4 when it wasn’t ready for public consumption. In their haste, they made all sorts of confusing errors. The worst of them was the Goal to Conversion wizard. I followed the directions and let Google transition my UA goals into GA4 conversions, but they didn’t work. I ended up having to do it myself. If that’s how they handled that automation, I worry about this automation!

So I’m recommending to all my clients, all Curious Ants, and anyone who will listen to opt-out of the automatically created GA4 property that Google is offering. Here’s how you can do it:

What will happen if we allow Google to automatically migrate our property?

Hopefully everything will be okay. However, as I said before, I don’t have confidence everything will go well. However, I will be allowing a test property to be automatically created by Google so I can see what happens. Will it break my existing GA4 property? WIll it just create a new property? I have no idea. Stay tuned and I’ll know more later.

When should we move into GA4?

Now hear me clearly: you should move into GA4 as soon as possible. At first, I was a doubter, but I’m now convinced that GA4 is superior in several ways. Besides, even if it sucks, your days are numbered in UA. Start collecting that historical data ASAP! You’ll thank me later.