How to Reset Google Analytics

Looking to hit the reset button on your Google Analytics data and start fresh? It's a common desire, especially after a bad setup or a major site overhaul, but Google Analytics doesn’t offer a simple "Clear Data History" button. This guide will walk you through the correct ways to effectively reset your analytics, explaining why you might want to and how to set yourself up for success with clean, reliable data moving forward.

Why "Reset" Google Analytics? (And Why You Can't Really Erase Everything)

First, it's essential to understand that you can't permanently delete all historical data from a Google Analytics property and just start over from zero. This is by design, as GA is meant to be a historical record of your website's performance. When people talk about "resetting" their analytics, they're typically trying to solve one of a few common problems:

• A flawed initial setup: An implementation riddled with errors - like incorrect filters, self-referrals, missing event tracking, or poorly configured conversions - can make your existing data misleading and untrustworthy.

• Acquiring a new website: If you've just purchased a website, its past analytics data is tied to the previous owner's strategy and performance, which is likely irrelevant to your future plans.

• A major business pivot: A complete website redesign, a change in business model, or shifting to a new target audience can make historical data so different from your new direction that it becomes more confusing than helpful.

• Excessive test data: Sometimes staging environments or extensive internal testing can pollute your live reports, and you want to start measuring only real customer interactions.

In all these cases, the goal is to get a clean slate where all new incoming data is accurate and a reliable foundation for decision-making. The best way to achieve this isn't by trying to delete old data but by starting a new collection process.

The Right Way to Get a Fresh Start: Create a New Property

The cleanest, most effective, and Google-recommended method for a 'reset' is to create a brand-new Google Analytics 4 Property. This sounds scarier than it is. You don't lose access to your old data, you simply archive it in the old Property and start sending new data to a completely separate, clean one.

This approach gives you a definitive cut-off date. All data before that date lives in your old property, and all data after it lives in the new one. It's the digital equivalent of moving into a new house instead of trying to remodel a crumbling foundation.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a New GA4 Property

Follow these steps to create your new, clean property within your existing Google Analytics account.

1. Navigate to the Admin Section

Log in to your Google Analytics account. In the bottom-left corner of the page, click on the Admin gear icon.

2. Create a New Property

You are now in the Admin panel, which has two main columns: Account and Property. In the Property column, ensure your desired property is selected, and then click the blue + Create Property button.

3. Enter Property Details

Now, you'll enter the basic setup information for your new property.

• Property Name: Give it a clear name. It's a good practice to include " (New)" or the start date, like "My Website - 2024," to easily distinguish it from the old one.

• Reporting time zone: Select your primary time zone.

• Currency: Choose the currency you use for your business.

Click Next. Answer the optional questions about your business category and size. This information helps Google provide benchmark reporting, but it isn't mandatory.

4. Set Up Your Data Stream

A data stream is the source of the data flowing into your property. You need to create one for your website.

• Choose a platform by clicking Web.

• Enter your website URL (e.g., www.mywebsite.com).

• Give the stream a name (e.g., "My Website - Web Stream").

• Ensure Enhanced measurement is enabled. This automatically tracks important interactions like scrolls, outbound clicks, and video engagement.

• Click Create stream.

5. Get Your New Measurement ID

Once you create the stream, a "Web stream details" page will appear. In the top-right corner, you'll see your Measurement ID, which starts with "G-" followed by a string of characters (e.g., G-XYZ123ABC).This ID is the key to your new setup. It tells your website where to send its data. Copy this Measurement ID, you'll need it in the next step.

6. Update the Tracking Code on Your Website

This is the most critical part of the process. You need to tell your website to stop sending data to the old property and start sending it to the new one. The method depends on how you originally installed Google Analytics.

• If you use a WordPress Plugin (e.g., Site Kit by Google, MonsterInsights):

Go to the plugin's settings in your WordPress dashboard. Find the field for the Google Analytics Measurement ID and replace the old "G-" ID with your shiny new one. Save the changes.

• If you use Google Tag Manager (GTM):

This is the most flexible approach. In your GTM container, find your main "Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration" tag. Open it, and in the "Measurement ID" field, replace the old ID with the new one you just copied. Save the tag and, most importantly, click Submit to publish your changes.

• If you hardcoded the script in your website's header:

You (or your developer) will need to edit your website's theme files. Find the global site tag (gtag.js) script, which will look something like this:

Replace the old measurement ID (G-OLD123ABC) in both places with your new ID (G-XYZ123ABC).

7. Verify That It's Working

Once you've updated the tracking code, go to your new GA4 property. Navigate to Reports > Realtime. Open your website in a separate browser tab and start clicking around. Within a minute or two, you should see your own visit show up in the Realtime report. If you do, congratulations! You've successfully "reset" your analytics.

Best Practices After Your 'Reset'

Starting with a new property means you also need to set up your configurations from scratch. Don't skip these steps!

• Configure Conversions:

Go to Admin > Conversions and set up your most important goals, like form submissions or key page views. Your old conversions won't carry over.

• Set Up Internal Traffic Filters:

To keep your data clean, be sure to exclude traffic from your own team. Go to Admin > Data Streams > Configure tag settings > Show more > Define internal traffic. Enter the IP addresses of your office and remote team members.

• Link Google Ads and Search Console:

If you use other Google services, you must link them to your new property. Find these settings in Admin under Product Links.

• Document the Change:

Make a note for your team about the date you switched to the new property. This will be crucial when you look back at historical performance so you know exactly where to find pre-reset and post-reset data.

A Quick Workaround: Using Comparisons for a "Soft Reset"

What if you absolutely cannot change your website’s tracking code? While creating a new property is strongly preferred, you can achieve a "soft reset" within your reports using Comparisons.

This method doesn't fix a broken setup or remove historical data, it just filters it out of view for your current analysis.

1. In any standard GA4 report, click + Add comparison at the top of the screen.

2. A configuration panel will open on the right. Build a condition like this:

   • Select Dimension: First user default channel grouping (or another user-scoped dimension that applies to everyone)

   • Match Type: is not one of

   • Value: select an impossible value that no user will have -- example "junk value"

3. Click Add new condition to apply an additional filter:

   • Select Dimension: Date

   • Match Type: is after (not-inclusive)

   • Value: choose your reset date -- example "June 1, 2024"

4. Click Apply.

The report will now only show you data from after your specified "reset" date. The downside is that you have to apply this comparison manually every time, and it doesn't solve any underlying data collection issues.

Final Thoughts

Resetting Google Analytics isn't about erasing the past, but about creating an accurate and reliable foundation for the future. By creating a new property and data stream, you archive your old records and start fresh with a clean slate you can trust to guide your business decisions.

Once your cleansed Analytics data starts flowing, the task of turning it into actionable insights begins. This often involves cross-referencing it with data from your other tools like Google Ads, Shopify, or your CRM. We built Graphed to remove this friction. After a simple, one-time connection to your data sources, including Google Analytics, you can skip the intimidating reporting interface and just ask questions in plain English. Instead of learning a new tool or manually exporting CSVs, you get real-time dashboards and clear answers in seconds, empowering your entire team to make smarter decisions, faster.