Google officially announced that on July 1, 2024, access to the Universal Analytics user interface and API will be discontinued for all users, including those utilizing Google 360 properties. To address this, here’s a free and simple solution to back up your data, or easily export it to merge with data from GA4 or other sources.
How to Use Google Analytics Query Explorer for UA Data Export
When it comes to making the most of your Universal Analytics data, the Google Analytics Query Explorer is your go-to tool. This tool can be used for GA4 data as well, but this list focuses specifically on the UA Query Explorer. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to navigate this powerful resource:
- Open Google Analytics Query Explorer
- Select Your Account and Property: Begin by signing into your Google account and pinpoint the specific account, property, and view that you want to analyze. This sets the foundation for your query exploration
- Set Query Parameters: The “Set query parameters” section is where most selections happen
- Date range: This is where you select the date range for your query. You can use any of the following formats to select the dates
- Calendar date, such as 2021-01-31
- Relative date, such as today or yesterday
- NdaysAgo value, such as 30daysAgo or 7daysAgo
- Metrics: These are quantitative measurements that provide insights into different aspects of user interaction. You could run the query here to make sure that all of the metrics that you chose are compatible. (Examples- Pageviews, New Users, or Impressions)
- Dimensions: These are the qualitative attributes that provide some context to your metrics. they answer questions like “How did users arrive at my site?” and “Where are my users located?”. (Examples: Source/Medium, Country or Region, and Device Category)
- Filters (optional): Allow you to narrow down your data set to focus on specific subsets of information.
- Segments (optional): Enable you to isolate specific groups of users or sessions within your data for more targeted analysis.
- Date range: This is where you select the date range for your query. You can use any of the following formats to select the dates
- Run Query: With your parameters in place, hit the “Run Query” button. The Query Explorer will generate a report of your specific data and list it at the bottom of the page
- Export: Once you have your report, you can export it as a TSV file. This way your data is stored outside of Google Analytics and the Query Explorer, and free for you to use in any way you need. Alternatively, you can copy the API Request URL to integrate the data into other applications.
In a world where data reigns supreme, having the ability to extract and examine your Universal Analytics data before it fades away is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss. The Google Analytics Query Explorer empowers you to retrieve and explore the insights in a simple way. Keep an eye out for our upcoming article, where we will explore using Apps Script and Google Sheets to view, organize, and analyze UA historical data.