If you don’t back up your Universal Analytics data before the 1st of July 2024, you will lose your precious data forever. Luckily, you Export your data can export your data and reports directly in Google Analytics. It’s free, it’s easy. So, what’s the catch? Let’s find out.
Key Takeaways
- You can back up Universal Analytics until the end of June 2024.
- One easy way to do so is by exporting UA data in GA.
- You can choose between 3 different file types: PDF, spreadsheet, and CSV. Each type has pros and cons.
- This is a tedious and risky backup method.
- There are smarter, faster, and more architect data reliable ways to make a backup of Universal Analytics data.
How to backup Universal Analytics in GA?
You can export data of the reports in your UA Views as three different file types: PDF, CSV or spreadsheets. The way to make these backups is always the same.
Step 1: Select the UA view you want to back up
Choose the Google Analytics Export your data account, the UA Property, and then the View.
Step 2: Open a report
Step 3: Choose the date range
That’s it.
Or is it?
The file type you choose for the export will highly affect how you feel at the moment you need to find data in your UA backup.
What’s even the difference between CSV, PDF and spreadsheet exports of UA data?
Each UA data export file type contains (some of your) data. They all have disadvantages and benefits.
The cool and sucky things of Universal Analytics PDF exports
A PDF export of Universal Analytics looks nice. It presents your data as a graph, a chart, a neat table, as in this example of a PDF of the UA Landing Page report.
But here is the thing.
When you click on filters and buttons, like “Conversions, nothing happens.
Oh yeah, you can change the filters in UA china data and export the data as a new PDF.
That is exactly what I did.
And what Jeff Sauer demonstrated in a webinar about “How to backup Universal Analytics“?
I gave up after backing up 3 reports with the data for different conversions.
Why?
Look at the filenames of UA PDF exports.
There is zero chance I will remember which of these backup files had the data of, for example, “Newsletter signups”.
- What if your UA property contains 10 conversions?
- What if you want to back up reports with data of different segments?
- What if you want to store historical data with different session metrics?