Extracting GA4 Data to Azure SQL: A Seamless Transition from GA3
Universal Analytics, also known as Google Analytics 3 (GA3), has been a cornerstone for numerous websites, providing essential insights into website performance and marketing campaign effectiveness. However, as of July 1st, 2024, this version has been upgraded to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), with all existing GA3 properties migrated to the new platform.
Over the past decade, GA3 served as a backbone for many websites by offering critical data and APIs that allowed users to derive valuable statistics for business decisions. These APIs provided flexibility, enabling users to access their data with some limitations. Free users were allowed 10,000 API calls per day, while GA3 360 users enjoyed unlimited API calls and the ability to export complete, unsampled data. This unsampled data was crucial for higher granularity and actionable insights, whereas sampled data often posed challenges.
Google Analytics 4 brings significant improvements, including enhanced data collection, segmentation, transparency, and control through integrations with other Google services. One of the key advancements is the direct link to Google BigQuery, which allows for comprehensive data collection previously unattainable with GA3. This direct connection eliminates the need for APIs to extract GA4 data. Users can now opt for a daily export of up to 1 million events or choose incoming streaming data, which, while not limited by volume, does not include traffic source information.
Despite these advancements, many users require a tailored solutions to meet their specific data needs and organizational goals. Electrik.AI offers a seamless way to extract your unnested raw events GA4 data to your Azure SQL database through two zero-code ETL data pipelines readily usable:
1) GA4 (Direct): Electrik.AI provides a staging BigQuery for collecting data, which can then be extracted to your Azure SQL. This is the default option for users without an existing BigQuery link.
2) GA4 BigQuery: For users already collecting their GA4 data in BigQuery, this pipeline allows for data extraction and backup into Azure SQL.
Electrik.AI offers a free 30-day trial for our GA4 data pipeline, providing an excellent opportunity to experience the benefits of streamlined data management and analysis.
With the transition to GA4, businesses can leverage more robust analytics capabilities, driving better decision-making and achieving their organizational goals with greater precision.
