Universal Analytics (UA-) Explained — and Why to Remove It

Universal Analytics (UA) was the previous generation of Google Analytics, identified by IDs like UA-XXXXXX-1.

It no longer collects data

Google stopped processing data in standard UA properties on 1 July 2023 (and UA 360 in 2024). Any UA tag still on your site is doing nothing useful — it was replaced by GA4.

Should you remove it?

Generally yes. A dead UA tag adds a needless request and clutters your container. If Tag Explorer shows a UA- tag, it’s a safe clean-up candidate — just confirm GA4 is in place first.

How to check yours is working

Run your site through our free Tag Explorer tool — it shows every tag on the page, nested under its GTM container, with the tracking IDs. To confirm a tag actually fires, use GTM’s Preview mode or your browser’s DevTools Network tab.

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Part of the Shipwreck Studio Tag Guide. Scan any page with Tag Explorer to see its full tag tree and spot duplicates.