Moving a Google Analytics Property from One Account to Another

Did you know that it is (FINALLY) possible to move a Google Analytics property to another account without losing any of your data? Despite the fact that Google did not formerly allow user to do that, you now can, and we’re going to teach you how. You may also be pleased to know this can be accomplished with relatively little difficulty.

In this guide, we will go over some considerations you should have in mind before moving your Google Analytics property, requirements for getting the job done, and how to move the property once the requirements have been met.

Why Move a Google Analytics Properties to a New Account?

There are a few situations in which you may want to consider transferring ownership of a Google Analytics property.

You Need Account-Level Permissions

Some Google Analytics features are only accessible if you have account-level permissions. If you have an outside agency managing your property under their account, it’s likely they will not want to grant account-level permissions since that means you would then be able to view every property they manage.

Transferring your property to your own account would give you access to all features within Google Analytics.

You Want to Group Related Properties

It’s also a good idea to transfer properties to another account if you have multiple related properties. Having related properties in the same account allows you to make changes across all properties, such as creating and updating account-wide filters.

You Want to Archive Old Properties

Moving properties to another account is a good way to archive old properties you don’t want to permanently delete. You can keep your old and active properties separated by creating an account specifically for old sites, and transferring Google Analytics properties to the separate account.

Considerations for Transferring a Google Analytics Property

Consider the following before transferring any Google Analytics property to a new account:

  • Accounts cannot be duplicated, they can only be moved.
  • Tracking codes will remain the same.
  • Views, historical data, settings and configurations, and assets in the views will be moved.
  • Filters, linked accounts, and billing information will be copied from the settings in the destination account to the properties being moved.

Transferring a Google Analytics Property: Requirements

Several requirements need to be met before you will be able to transfer a property from one account to another. First you will need “Manage Users and Edit” permissions for the account where the property is currently located* (a.k.a. “source account”), and for the account where the property is being transferred to (a.k.a. “destination account”).

(*If you only have these permissions on the destination account and not the source account, simply forward these instructions to the owner of the source account and grant them – temporarily – “Manage Users and Edit” permissions on your destination account so that they can perform these steps for you. Just remember to set your permissions back to remove the other party from your destination account when you’re done).

Google Analytics accounts can manage a maximum of 50 properties, so make sure you have enough space in the destination account to house the properties you’re transferring.

If DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) is linked to the property you wish to transfer, it’s important that you get in touch with your Analytics representative. DFP has to be unlinked from your account before it can be transferred. It can be linked up again once the transfer is complete.

If and when these requirements are met, you can then proceed to the next section.

How to Move Google Analytics Properties

Finally, we have reached the section of this guide where we teach you how to move Google Analytics properties. There is little difficulty involved, so we’re confident you can do this even if you’re not well-experienced with Google Analytics.

  1. Navigate to the Admin within the account that currently houses the property you want to move.
  2. Next to the property there will be a drop-down menu. Click it and select “Property settings.”
  3. Click on the “Move property” button.
  4. A drop-down menu will appear which reads “Select a destination account.” Click it and select your destination account.
  5. Choose whether you want to keep user permissions or replace them.
  6. Check the box below to confirm your changes.
  7. Click on the blue button that reads “Start move.”
    1. You may get an error message indicating “The current account and destination account have different Data Sharing Settings…” This is perfectly fine, so click the Confirm button.

That’s all there is to it – your transfer is now complete. If you have multiple properties you want to transfer, just repeat the same process.

If you need further help, consider our expert Google Analytics services! We also offer Google Analytics training as well.

Pam Aungst Cronin
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