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Google Universal Analytics (UA) was sunset by Google in 2023 and no longer processes new data. If you previously used the Universal Analytics integration, your metrics have stopped updating. By transitioning to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you can continue tracking website and app performance, maintain accurate reporting, and take advantage of GA4’s event-based data model.
This guide shows how to transition from UA to GA4 in Databox, including how to use the Databoard Transition Tool and how to manually replace metrics when needed.
Transition from Google Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4
1. Connect Google Analytics 4 (if not already connected)
- Go to Data Manager > Data Sources.
- Click + New Data Source.
- Select Google Analytics 4.
- Click Connect.
- Sign in with your Google account and approve access.
- Select the correct GA4 Property.
2. Use the Databoard Transition Tool (recommended)
Databox includes a Databoard Transition Tool that helps rebuild UA Databoards using GA4 data. Based on Databox testing, about 50% of UA metrics can be automatically transitioned when a direct GA4 match exists. After the transition completes, Databox sends an email log showing which metrics were transitioned and which were not.
Access the Transition Tool
- Go to Databoards.
- Find the Databoard that uses Google Universal Analytics. It will marked with Transition to GA4 text below the its name.
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Hover over the Databoard and click ... More > Transition to GA4.
Run the transition
- In the disclaimer prompt, click Start Transition.
- In Transition Helper, select the GA4 data sources(s) you want to use (or connect GA4 if needed).
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Under Transition settings, choose one option:
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Keep existing Databoard and create new one only with compatible GA4 metrics (recommended)
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Creates a duplicate Databoard with only metrics that can be matched to GA4, while keeping your original UA Databoard for reference/archiving.
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Replace metrics on the existing Databoard
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Updates the existing Databoard by swapping compatible metrics to GA4.
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(Optional) Enable Remove Universal Analytics metrics incompatible with GA4 from the Databoard.
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Caution: If you enable this, you remove the non-transitioned UA widgets, which can make it harder to track what still needs manual replacement.
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- Click Start Transition.
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Review the email summary you receive after the tool completes to see what still needs manual updates.
3. Manually replace metrics that don’t transition
Some UA metrics won’t transition because there is no direct GA4 equivalent. When that happens, replace them manually.
- Open the Databoard (original or duplicated) in the Designer.
- Click a Datablock to open its settings.
- Open the Metric dropdown.
- Select Google Analytics 4 as the data source.
- Choose the closest matching GA4 metric and save.
- Repeat for remaining UA Datablocks.
4. Update calculated metrics that reference UA
If you created calculated metrics that use UA inputs, they won’t update once the underlying UA data stops syncing.
- Go to Metric Library.
- Find metrics sourced from Google Universal Analytics
- Edit the metric and rebuild it using Google Analytics 4 equivalents where available.
- Save changes and validate the updated metric in a Datablock.
UA to GA4 metric mapping reference
Use this reference when manually replacing metrics or rebuilding metric builder logic.
Metrics
| Universal Analytics (UA) | Google Analytics 4 (GA4) |
|---|---|
| Sessions | Sessions |
| Avg. Session Duration | Average Session Duration |
| Users | Total Users |
| New Users | New Users |
| Bounce Rate | Bounce Rate |
| Pageviews | Views |
| Pages / Session | Views per Session |
| Events | Event Count |
| Total Events / Hits | Event Count |
| Unique Events | Events per Session |
| Transactions | Transactions |
| Transactions per User | Transactions per Purchaser |
| Revenue | Total Revenue |
| Goal Completion | Conversions |
| Goal Conversion Rate | Session Conversion Rate |
| Goal Value | Total Revenue |
| Unique Purchases | Ecommerce Purchases |
| Product Revenue | Item Revenue |
| Product Detail Views | Item View Events |
| Product Adds To Cart | Add to Carts |
| Product Checkouts | Checkouts |
| Cart-to-Detail Rate | Cart-to-View Rate |
| Session Duration / Time on Page | User Engagement |
| Screen Views / Screen View | Views |
Dimensions
| Universal Analytics (UA) | Google Analytics 4 (GA4) |
|---|---|
| Source | Session Source |
| Medium | Session Medium |
| Source / Medium | Source / Medium |
| Campaign | Session Campaign |
| Keyword | Session Google Ads Keyword Text |
| Ad Content | Session Manual Ad Content |
| Page | Page Path + Query String |
| Page Title | Page Title |
| Landing Page | Landing Page + Query String |
| Full Referrer | Page Referrer |
| Referral Path | Page Referrer |
| Device Category | Device Category |
| Mobile Device Model | Mobile Model |
| Country | Country |
| Region | Region |
| City | City |
| Date | Date |
| Year | Year |
| Month of the Year | Month |
| Week of the Year | Week |
| Day of Week | Day of Week |
Resources
Google:
Databox:
- Google Analytics 4 Metrics Tutorial: Everything You Need to Know Before You Transition to the New Platform
- Google Analytics 4 Migration: A Step By Step Guide
- Switching to Google Analytics 4 with Databox
- Transferring a Single Website from Universal Analytics to GA4
Still need help?
Visit our community, send us an email, or start a chat in Databox.