Google Analytics 4 migration guide for Indian websites
Universal Analytics is shutting down in 2023. If you have not set up GA4 yet, here is a step-by-step migration guide specifically for Indian website owners.
Google announced that Universal Analytics (UA) will stop processing data on July 1, 2023. For Indian websites still running only UA, this means your analytics will go dark in about six months. GA4 is not just an upgrade, it is a fundamentally different product with a different data model, interface, and approach to privacy.
The good news is that migration is not as painful as it sounds if you approach it methodically. The key is to set up GA4 now so it starts collecting data in parallel with UA, giving you a year of comparative data before the switchover.
What is different about GA4
Universal Analytics is built around sessions and pageviews. Every visit starts a session, and pages viewed within that session are counted. GA4 is built around events. Every interaction is an event: a page view is an event, a scroll is an event, a button click is an event, a form submission is an event.
This model is more flexible and captures more user behaviour, but it also means the metrics in GA4 look different from UA. "Bounce rate" in GA4 is replaced by "engagement rate." The definition of a "conversion" is set differently. If you are comparing GA4 numbers to UA numbers and expecting them to match, they will not.
Step one: Create a GA4 property
In Google Analytics, click Admin in the bottom left. Under Property, click "Create Property" and follow the setup assistant. You want to create a new GA4 property connected to the same account as your existing UA property.
Google offers a GA4 Setup Assistant that can create a basic GA4 property and automatically install a tracking tag if you already have your UA tag through Google Tag Manager. This is the fastest setup path.
Step two: Configure your data streams
GA4 uses "data streams" instead of "views." Your website is one data stream. If you have an iOS app and an Android app, those are additional streams. Create your website data stream and copy the Measurement ID (the G- prefix code).
Enhanced measurement is enabled by default in GA4 and automatically tracks scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement, and file downloads. Check the enhanced measurement settings to confirm these are enabled.
Step three: Set up key events (conversions)
GA4 does not automatically know what a conversion is for your business. You need to mark specific events as "key events" (which is what GA4 calls conversions). Navigate to Admin, then Events, then identify which events represent conversions for your business.
For an e-commerce store, "purchase" is the primary key event. For a lead generation site, "generate_lead" or "form_submit" should be marked as key events. For businesses tracking WhatsApp clicks as conversions, create a custom event for those and mark it as a key event.
Step four: Link GA4 to Google Ads
Link your GA4 property to Google Ads in the Admin settings under "Google Ads linking." This lets you import GA4 key events into Google Ads as conversion actions, which is essential for Smart Bidding to work correctly in 2023 and beyond.
Step five: Run both GA4 and UA in parallel
Do not disable UA yet. Keep both running simultaneously. Spend December and the first half of 2023 learning GA4's interface while UA remains your primary source of truth. By July 2023 when UA stops processing, you will have six months of GA4 data to reference and will be comfortable with the interface.
Frequently asked questions
Will my historical data from Universal Analytics transfer to GA4?
No. GA4 starts fresh from the date you set it up. Your historical UA data remains in your UA property (read-only after July 2023) but does not migrate to GA4. This is why setting up GA4 immediately is important: every month you delay is historical data you will not have.
My website developer set up GA4 for me. How do I check if it is working?
Install the Google Analytics Debugger Chrome extension. Browse your website with the extension enabled and open GA4's DebugView (Admin, then DebugView). You should see events populating in real time as you navigate the site. If events appear, tracking is working.
Do I need to rebuild all my UA goals in GA4?
Yes, but the GA4 approach is different. Instead of "goals," you mark specific events as key events. For standard events like form submissions and purchases, GA4's enhanced measurement captures many of these automatically. Custom events from your previous UA setup need to be recreated in GA4 through Google Tag Manager or direct implementation.