How to Find UA Number in Google Analytics

Still looking for your old Universal Analytics tracking ID? You're not alone. While Google has fully transitioned to Google Analytics 4, many people still need their classic "UA number" to access historical data, manage old integrations, or simply conduct a website audit. This tutorial will show you exactly where to find your Universal Analytics tracking ID, step by step.

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What Exactly is a Universal Analytics (UA) Tracking ID?

Think of your Universal Analytics Tracking ID as a specific mailing address for your website's data. When a user visits your site, this unique ID tells the tracking code exactly which Google Analytics property to send that person's session information to. Without it, your data would get lost in the mail.

The ID is easy to spot because of its consistent format:

UA-XXXXXXXX-Y

Let’s quickly break down what each part means:

• UA: This stands for "Universal Analytics," the version of Google Analytics that preceded GA4.
• XXXXXXXX: This is your unique Google Analytics account number. All properties within the same account will share this number.
• Y: This is the property index number. Your first property under a given account would be ‘1’, the second would be ‘2’, and so on.

So, an ID like UA-12345678-1 tells us the data belongs to account 12345678 and is being sent to the first property within that account.

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Why You Might Still Need Your UA Number Today

Google Analytics 4 is the new standard, and all standard Universal Analytics properties have stopped processing data. So why would you even need this old number? There are several important reasons:

• Verifying Historical Data: If you're comparing performance or looking at trends from before the GA4 switch, you'll need the UA property to access that historical information.
• Third-Party Integrations: Some older plugins, themes, or third-party marketing tools were built around UA. While most have updated, you might encounter a tool that was never updated and still asks for a UA number for setup.
• Website Audits: During a site migration or audit, you might need to confirm which properties were connected to which domains to ensure tracking continuity and clean up old, unnecessary code.
• Connecting to a Data Warehouse: If you're using a tool to pull your historical UA data into a platform like BigQuery, knowing your specific UA ID is the first step in connecting the right data source.

How to Find Your UA Number: 4 Simple Methods

Here are four different ways to find your UA Tracking ID, depending on your situation. The first method is the most direct if you still have access to your UA property.

Method 1: Find the UA Number in the Google Analytics Admin Panel

If your Universal Analytics property still exists in your account, this is the easiest way to find your tracking code.

1. Log in to Google Analytics: Head to https://analytics.google.com/ and sign in.
2. Go to the Admin Section: Click the gear icon labeled "Admin" at the bottom-left corner of your screen.
3. Select Your UA Property: Look at the middle column titled "Property." You might see your new GA4 property selected by default. Click the dropdown menu at the top of this column. You will see a list of all properties. Your Universal Analytics properties will have "UA-" just before their ID numbers, distinguishing them from the ID-only GA4 properties. Select the UA property you need.
4. Open Tracking Info: Once the correct UA property is selected, look for the "Tracking Info" option in the Property column. Click on it.
5. Click on Tracking Code: A sub-menu will unfold. Click on "Tracking Code."
6. View Your Tracking ID: Your Tracking ID (your UA number) will be displayed clearly at the top of the next page, right under the header "Tracking ID."

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Method 2: Check Your Website's Source Code

If you aren't sure which Google Analytics account is connected to a site or don't have access credentials, you can often find the UA number directly in the website's HTML code.

1. Go to Your Website: Open the website in your browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari).
2. View Page Source: Right-click on any empty space on the page and choose "View Page Source" from the context menu. This will open a new tab showing all the HTML code for that page.
3. Search for the ID: In the source code tab, use your browser's find function (press Ctrl+F on Windows or Cmd+F on Mac).
4. Type "UA-" into the search box. Your browser will highlight any instances it finds. You'll likely find it inside a script snippet that looks something like this:

<!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-12345678-1"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [],
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments),}
  gtag('js', new Date()),

  gtag('config', 'UA-12345678-1'),
</script>

The string starting with "UA-" is your tracking ID.

Method 3: Check Inside Google Tag Manager

If you've implemented analytics using Google Tag Manager (GTM), the tracking ID is stored within a tag or variable there.

1. Log in to Google Tag Manager: Go to https://tagmanager.google.com/.
2. Select Your Workspace: Choose the container associated with your website.
3. Go to "Tags": In the left-hand navigation menu, click on "Tags." You will see a list of all tags currently implemented on your website.
4. Find Your Google Analytics Tag: Look for a tag named something like "Google Analytics Setting" or "UA Pageview." The type will be listed as "Google Analytics: Universal Analytics." Click on this tag.
5. Check Tag Configuration: Within the tag configuration screen, there will be a field for "Tracking ID." Usually, instead of a hard-coded UA number, this field contains a variable like {{GA Tracking ID}}. This is a best practice.
6. Find the Variable: To see the value of that variable, go to the "Variables" section in the left-hand navigation. Find the variable you saw in the previous step (e.g., "GA Tracking ID") and click on it. The "Value" field will contain your UA number.

Method 4: Finding the ID in WordPress Plugin Settings

If your website is on WordPress, there's a good chance you installed Google Analytics using a plugin. Many plugins, old and new, have a simple field where you paste your tracking code.

1. Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard: Navigate to your site's admin panel (e.g., yoursite.com/wp-admin).
2. Locate Your Analytics Plugin: Look for your analytics plugin in the left-hand sidebar. This could be MonsterInsights, GA Google Analytics, Rank Math, Yoast SEO, or even a theme's built-in settings panel.
3. Check the Plugin's Settings: In the plugin settings, look for an "Authentication" or "General Setting" tab. You will likely find a dedicated field where the UA number was previously pasted.

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The Difference Between UA and GA4 IDs

It's important not to confuse your old UA Tracking ID with the new GA4 Measurement ID.

• Universal Analytics uses a Tracking ID that starts with UA-.
• Google Analytics 4 uses a Measurement ID that starts with G-.

GA4 organizes data differently, focusing on events and data streams. Each stream has a Measurement ID which serves much the same purpose as a UA's Tracking ID. You can find it in the GA Admin > Data Stream section of your web stream.

Final Thoughts

Finding your old Universal Analytics tracking ID is not as daunting as it once might have seemed. Whether it's checking your Analytics admin, your website's source code, or Google Tag Manager, there are plenty of ways to help you track it down. Understanding the shift to GA4's Measurement ID is crucial for navigating analytics today. If you don't know where to start, consider using tools that can assist in connecting all your marketing and data sources, including Google Analytics, to a new platform where you can build dashboards and answer questions in real-time.