Delete Google Analytics Properties

Keeping Your Google Analytics in Check

Keeping your Google Analytics properties tidy makes sure your data stays useful and easy to find. Knowing how to handle these properties, especially using the Trash feature, is a must for SEOs and digital marketers.

What’s the Deal with the Trash Feature?

Think of the Trash in Google Analytics like a safety net. It’s where accounts and properties go before they’re gone for good. This is super handy if you accidentally toss something you still need. When you move an account or property to the Trash, it hangs out there for 35 days before it’s permanently deleted ().

Only folks with the Editor role can move properties to the Trash. And when you move a property, all its views go with it ().

How to Move Properties to the Trash

Here’s how you can move a property to the Trash in Google Analytics:

1. Log in to Google Analytics: Make sure you have the Editor role.
2. Go to Admin: In the Admin panel, pick the account and property you want to delete.
3. Move to Trash: Under Property settings, click “Move to Trash Can.” Confirm when asked.

Remember, moving a property to the Trash also moves all its views. You can still get everything back within the 35-day window. After that, it’s gone for good and logged in Change History ().

For more tips on setting up properties, check out our guide on how to set up Google Analytics 4. Want to know more about data deletion? Read our article on .

Deleting Google Analytics Properties

Keeping your Google Analytics properties in check is key for accurate data and smooth operations. Here’s how you can delete a property and what to keep in mind for Google Analytics 4 (GA4) properties.

Steps to Delete a Property

Deleting a property in Google Analytics isn’t rocket science. Just follow these steps:

1. Log in to Google Analytics: Head over to the Google Analytics dashboard and sign in.

2. Go to Admin: Click on the gear icon in the lower-left corner.

3. Pick the Property: Use the dropdown in the Property column to select the one you want to delete.

4. Trash It: Click on “Property Settings,” then hit “Move to Trash Can” at the top right.

5. Confirm: Click “Move property to Trash Can” to finalize.

Before you hit delete, make sure to back up any important data. Once a property is gone, it’s gone for good, and this can mess with your data analysis and reports.

Considerations for Google Analytics 4 Properties

When dealing with GA4 properties, there are a few extra things to think about:

1. Linked Properties: If your GA4 property is linked to a Universal Analytics property, you can’t delete it right away. You’ll get an error message saying: “This property is part of a link between a Universal Analytics property and a Google Analytics 4 property.” To fix this, unlink the properties first.

2. Rebranding and Migration: You might need to delete a GA4 property if you’re rebranding, streamlining, or moving from Universal Analytics to GA4. This helps keep everything aligned with your new brand and gets rid of outdated properties.

3. Data Retention: Deleting a property wipes out all its data and settings, which can affect your reports and analysis. Make sure you understand what this means for your data retention.

For a step-by-step guide on setting up Google Analytics 4, check out our article on how to set up Google Analytics 4.

By following these steps and keeping these points in mind, SEOs and digital marketers can manage their Google Analytics properties effectively, ensuring data accuracy and alignment with business goals. For more info on managing data retention and deletion, see our section on data retention in Google Analytics.

Bringing Back Deleted Properties

Ever had that sinking feeling when you accidentally delete something important? Well, in the world of Google Analytics, there’s a way to undo that mistake. If you’ve ever deleted a property and need it back, here’s how you can restore it from the Trash. This is a lifesaver for SEOs and digital marketers who need to recover lost data for analysis.

How to Restore from the Trash

Getting a property back from the Trash in Google Analytics is pretty simple. When you restore an account or property, all the data streams linked to it come back too, except for those that were individually trashed. This means you get all your previous data and settings back in one go.

Steps to Restore a Property:

1. Log in to your Google Analytics account.
2. Go to the Admin section.
3. Find the “Trash Can” under the account or property you want to restore.
4. Pick the property or account you need back.
5. Hit “Restore” to bring it back to life.

Once you hit restore, your core reports will start processing data again within an hour, and real-time data will start flowing in seconds. This keeps your analytics running smoothly with minimal downtime.

Keeping Your Settings Intact

When you restore a property from the Trash, all your settings and configurations come back too. This includes filters, user permissions, and links to other Google products. So, you won’t have to redo any of your previous work.

What Gets Restored:

• Filters
• User Permissions
• Links to Other Google Products

This feature is a big help for SEOs and digital marketers who rely on these settings for accurate performance measurement. If you need more detailed steps on setting up and configuring properties, check out our guide on how to set up Google Analytics 4.

Restoring properties while keeping all your settings intact is crucial for maintaining seamless data continuity in Google Analytics. For more on data retention and management, explore our sections on and .

So, next time you accidentally delete a property, don’t sweat it. Just follow these steps to get everything back on track.

Keeping Your Data Fresh in Google Analytics

Knowing how long Google Analytics keeps your data is a big deal for anyone in SEO or digital marketing. Let’s break down how long your data sticks around and what happens when it’s time to say goodbye.

How Long Does Google Keep Your Data?

Google Analytics has different rules for how long it keeps various types of data. Here’s the scoop:

• Universal Analytics Property: If you’re using this, your data gets the boot after six months of no activity.
• Google Analytics 4 Property: This one’s a bit stricter, with data getting deleted after just two months of inactivity.

And then there’s Google-signals data, which tracks users across devices. It has its own set of rules.

Source:

You can tweak these settings in your Analytics Data Retention settings, but the longest Google-signals data can stick around is 26 months.

What Happens When Data Gets Deleted?

Google Analytics doesn’t mess around when it comes to cleaning house. Here’s what you need to know:

• Automatic Deletion: Once your data hits its expiration date, it’s gone. This happens every month.
• Changing Retention Settings: If you change how long you want to keep data, it only affects new data. Old data keeps its original expiration date.

For a step-by-step guide on setting this up, check out our Google Analytics 4 setup guide.

Why Should You Care?

Keeping up with these rules helps you stay on the right side of the law and makes sure your data is always up-to-date. Want to know more? Dive into our articles on what data Google Analytics collects and Google Analytics and GDPR compliance.

By understanding these policies, you can keep your data fresh and your analytics game strong.