What Version of Google Analytics Do I Have?

Wondering if you're using GA4 or the older Universal Analytics? It's a common question, especially with Google's big switch, and getting it right is crucial for your marketing efforts. Finding out which version is running on your site is simple, and this guide will walk you through four easy methods to check in just a few minutes.

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Why it Matters: GA4 vs. Universal Analytics (UA)

First, let's quickly cover why this distinction is so important. Google officially sunset Universal Analytics (its previous generation) on July 1, 2023. On that date, all standard UA properties stopped collecting new website data. If you haven't migrated to Google Analytics 4, it means you haven't been tracking website traffic, user behavior, conversions, or campaign performance for some time.

Essentially, your analytics have been dark. Furthermore, Google has begun the process of deleting all historical UA data, meaning that valuable information will be gone forever if not backed up.

The two platforms also operate on fundamentally different measurement models:

• Universal Analytics (UA) used a session-based model that grouped user interactions within a specific timeframe. Common metrics were things like sessions, bounce rate, and pageviews.
• Google Analytics 4 uses a more flexible, event-based model. Everything is considered an event - a page view is an event, a click is an event, a form submission is an event. This model provides a more cohesive view of the customer journey across both websites and apps.

Confirming you're on GA4 ensures you're collecting current data and using a tool designed for the modern web. If you're not, it's a critical issue you need to fix immediately.

Method 1: Check Directly in Your Google Analytics Account

The most straightforward and reliable way to identify your Google Analytics version is by looking directly inside your account. The property IDs for UA and GA4 are formatted differently, making it easy to tell them apart at a glance.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Log into your Google Analytics account.
2. Once you're in, look at the top-left corner of the screen. You will see a dropdown menu with the name of your Analytics account and property.
3. Click on this dropdown. You will see a list of all the accounts and properties you have access to.
4. Examine the ID number listed directly below the property name. This is the key identifier.

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Here's how to tell the difference:

• A Universal Analytics property ID always starts with the prefix “UA-” followed by a series of numbers (e.g., UA-12345678-1). If you see this format, you're looking at an old UA property.
• A Google Analytics 4 property ID is a string of numbers without any letter prefix (e.g., 987654321). If you see only numbers, you have a GA4 property.

Look for the GA4 property. If you have both a "UA-" and a number-only property for the same website, that's great! It likely means you created a GA4 property before the sunset. Your next step should be to confirm that the GA4 tracking code - not the old UA code - is the one currently installed on your website.

Method 2: Inspect Your Website’s Source Code

If you don't have access to the Google Analytics account but want to check a website, you can find the tracking code snippet directly within the site's HTML source code. This method sounds technical, but it’s surprisingly simple.

How to View Your Page Source:

Navigate to your website in a web browser (like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari). Right-click anywhere on the page and select "View Page Source" or "Inspect." This will open a new tab or panel showing the site's raw HTML code. From there, use the search function (Ctrl+F on Windows or Cmd+F on Mac) to look for clues.

What to Look For: The Tracking Code Snippet

The search term you use depends on how the analytics code was implemented. Try searching for these terms:

• UA-
• G-
• gtag.js
• analytics.js

Here’s what each snippet looks like and what it means:

Universal Analytics Code Snippets

If you find a code snippet that includes a Property ID starting with UA-, the site is using Universal Analytics. You may see one of two scripts running. The older analytics.js library is a dead giveaway, but many sites had already updated to gtag.js for UA deployments.

A typical gtag.js snippet configured for Universal Analytics looks 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>

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Google Analytics 4 Code Snippet

A GA4 tracking snippet also uses the gtag.js library but references a different kind of ID called a "Measurement ID." A Measurement ID always starts with "G-".

The code snippet looks very similar, but note the ID format in the src URL and the config line:

<!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-ABC123XYZ"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [],
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments),}
  gtag('js', new Date()),

  gtag('config', 'G-ABC123XYZ'),
</script>

If you see a G- ID, congratulations, the site is correctly tagged for GA4.

Method 3: Check Your Google Tag Manager Container

Many websites deploy their analytics tracking via Google Tag Manager (GTM), a powerful tool for managing marketing and analytics tags from one central hub. If your site uses GTM, it’s the best place to check which version of Google Analytics is being sent to Google.

Navigating to Your GA Tag in GTM:

1. Log in to your Google Tag Manager account.
2. Open the container associated with your website.
3. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on “Tags.”
4. Look through the list for any tags related to analytics. They are often named something clear like “GA4 Config Tag,” “Google Analytics - Pageview," or just “GA.”

Identifying the Tag Type:

Click on the relevant Analytics tag to open its details. The “Tag Type” will tell you everything you need to know.

• Universal Analytics Tag: The Tag Type will be explicitly named "Google Analytics: Universal Analytics." The configuration settings will reference a Tracking ID field, which is where the UA- ID is stored.
• Google Analytics 4 Tag: The Tag Type will be either "Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration" or "Google Analytics: GA4 Event." The GA4 Configuration tag settings will reference a Measurement ID, where you'll find the G- ID.

If you only see a UA tag published in your container, you need to create and deploy a GA4 Configuration tag to start tracking data again.

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Method 4: Use a Browser Extension

For a quick, high-level check without digging into code or logging into accounts, browser extensions are your best friend. They can identify the technologies running on any website, including analytics scripts.

Recommended Extensions:

Several free and reliable Chrome extensions can help you spot Google Analytics tags instantly.

• Google Tag Assistant Legacy: This is Google's own tool. After installing it, visit your website, click the extension icon, and hit "Enable." Once you refresh the page, it will present a report of all Google tags firing. It clearly identifies tags by their product type (e.g., "Google Analytics") and their corresponding UA- or G- ID.
• Wappalyzer: Wappalyzer is an incredibly popular technology profiler. Simply click its icon in your browser toolbar, and it will give you a clean list of all technologies detected on the page. Look for "Google Analytics." Often, it will show the UA- ID directly in its report if one is present. It also recognizes GA4, though it might not display the G-ID in the summary.
• Dataslayer: This extension is more developer-focused but invaluable for debugging. When active, it displays a summary of dataLayer pushes and tags in your browser's DevTools console, clearly showing which GA tags were fired and what data was sent with them.

Using one of these tools is often the fastest way to get an answer. Visit your site, click an icon, and see what's being reported.

“Oops, I'm Still Using Universal Analytics!” - Your Next Steps

If you've discovered that your site is only running a UA tag (or no tag at all), don't panic. The good news is that setting up a new GA4 property is relatively straightforward. The bad news is that your data collection has been offline since July 2023, so taking action now is critical.

1. Create a GA4 Property: Log in to Google Analytics. In the Admin section, Google's "GA4 Setup Assistant" will guide you. Click it and follow the prompts to create a new GA4 property.
2. Get Your Measurement ID: Once created, navigate to Admin > Data Streams, click your newly created stream, and find your Measurement ID, which will look like G-XXXXXXXXXX. This is your new tracking identifier.
3. Deploy the New Tag: You must now add this new GA4 tracking code to your website. You can do this by adding the GA4 gtag.js snippet to every page of your site, or (more ideally) by creating a "Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration" tag in Google Tag Manager.
4. Remove the Old UA Tag: It's best practice to remove your old Universal Analytics tracking code from your website or GTM container. This reduces code bloat and prevents any potential data conflicts or confusion.

Final Thoughts

Figuring out which version of Google Analytics you're using is a quick process, whether you’re checking your GA account, website code, or using a simple browser extension. Knowing you're on GA4 is essential for collecting accurate, up-to-date data about your website’s performance so you can make informed decisions to grow your business.

Once you're running on GA4, the real work of analysis begins. Manually building reports to understand visitor behavior, campaign performance, and conversion paths can be time-consuming. This is where we designed Graphed to help. We connect directly to your Google Analytics 4 data, allowing you to create real-time dashboards and get instant answers just by asking questions in plain English, turning hours of reporting into a 30-second conversation.