Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming Google Analytics 4 changes and how they might impact your NetSuite commerce web site.

What is Changing?

Data collection will end for the Google Universal Analytics (GUA) service on July 1, 2023. You will no longer be able to use the GUA service to collect new data, such as new visitor data to your NetSuite Commerce web store.

Note: You can still analyse existing data gathered through GUA until January 2024.

To continue to use Google’s analytics services to analyse new data on your site, you must implement Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

You do not need to take any action if:

  • You do not use Google Universal Analytics.
  • You do not intend to use any Google Analytics services.
  • You have already migrated your site to use Google Analytics 4.

Required Actions

Although data collection in GUA will not end until July 1, 2023, you should start now to implement Google Analytics 4 (GA4) on every site. Implementing data collection in GA4 now means you will be able to collect data in two separate systems for several months before the data collection in GUA ends. You can compare the data collected in GUA with the data collected in GA4. You will have months to tweak and optimise the data collected in GA4 before the GUA data collection you are familiar with ends.

Note: Per Google documentation, you will not be able to import the data collected in GUA into GA4.

Many NetSuite commerce setups use Google Tag Manager (GTM), a free service from Google. GTM allows site operators to quickly and easily implement code snippets required by third-party services, such as Google Analytics. If your site is already set up with GTM, then most of the steps you must take occur in your Google accounts (outside of NetSuite). You should be using the most current version of GTM: Google Tag Manager 1.4.1. Refer to documentation from Google: Make the switch to Google Analytics 4.

Whether you have a Site Builder, SuiteCommerce, SuiteCommerce Advanced or SuiteCommerce MyAccount site, you probably need to prepare for the end of GUA data collection on July 1, 2023.

For more information, see Transition from Google Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, SuiteAnswers ID 1012995. The article contains information on how to transition various types of commerce websites to GA4:

  • SuiteCommerce, SuiteCommerce MyAccount, and SuiteCommerce Advanced 2018.2+ Sites
  • SuiteCommerce Advanced Mont Blanc, Vinson, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, and Aconcagua Sites
  • SuiteCommerce ShopFlow and Site Builder Sites