Migrating from Google Analytics: A Step-by-Step Guide

Migration is simpler than you think — it is a script swap, not a data migration. Here is the full process, including what data you keep and what you lose.

Why migrate now

GA4's complexity catches up with you eventually. The new interface requires more navigation, the data model changed from sessions to events, and custom reports that were simple in Universal Analytics now need a data analyst to build.

Beyond complexity: consent banners from GA's cookie requirements exclude visitors who decline, and privacy regulations are tightening in many markets.

If you mostly look at pageviews, referrers, and top pages in your GA dashboard, you are paying a complexity tax for features you are not using.

What you keep vs what you lose

What you keep:

Real-time visitor tracking from the moment you install the new tool
Top pages and content performance
Referrer data (where visitors come from)
Trend data over time
Conversion goal tracking (path-based)
Country, device, browser, and OS breakdowns

What you lose:

Historical GA data in the new tool's dashboard (your GA data stays in GA — you just stop collecting new data there)
Cross-session user journey tracking
Google Ads conversion import and remarketing audiences
BigQuery export (if you use it)
Audience segmentation based on individual user behaviour

For most content sites, blogs, SaaS landing pages, and portfolios, what you lose is not something you were actively using.

Step 1 — Install Antlytics (keep GA running)

Do not remove GA yet. Install Antlytics in parallel so you can verify data is flowing before you commit to the switch.

For Next.js:

npm install @antlytics/analytics

// app/layout.tsx
import { Analytics } from "@antlytics/analytics/next"
// ... existing GA import stays for now

export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
  return (
    <html>
      <body>
        {children}
        {/* Existing GA tag stays here */}
        <Analytics trackingId="your-antlytics-uuid" />
      </body>
    </html>
  )
}

For any other site:

Copy the tracking snippet from your Antlytics dashboard (Settings → Tracking Snippet) and add it to your <head>, alongside your existing GA tag.

Step 2 — Run both in parallel

Leave both tools running for 3–7 days. This gives you:

Confidence that Antlytics is correctly recording traffic
A comparison between the two tools' visitor counts (they will differ — that is normal and expected)
A baseline before you remove GA

Do not expect the numbers to match exactly. The tools use different visitor-counting methodologies. Antlytics's cookieless approach will often show more visitors than GA because it sees visitors who would have declined the consent banner. This is not inaccuracy — it is a different (and more complete) count.

Step 3 — Verify data is flowing

Open your Antlytics dashboard. Confirm:

Visitors are appearing in real time
Top pages match what you expect
Referrers are being recorded correctly

Check the browser network tab for a POST request to /api/ingest/pageview. If you do not see the request, consult the troubleshooting guide.

Step 4 — Remove GA4

Once you are confident Antlytics is working:

In Next.js: Remove the @next/third-parties/google import or the <GoogleAnalytics /> component from your layout.

In plain HTML: Remove the GA <script> tags from your <head>.

In Google Tag Manager: Pause or archive the GA4 tag in your container.

After removing GA, your site will still appear in your GA4 property for historical data. GA stops collecting new data, but old data stays accessible.

Step 5 — Verify Antlytics is working alone

After removing GA, do a final check:

Load your site in an incognito window (no ad-blocker extensions).
Check the network tab for the Antlytics ingest request.
Confirm a new visitor appears in your dashboard.

Step 6 — Update your privacy policy

If your privacy policy mentions Google Analytics, update it to reflect the change. Remove references to GA cookies and update the analytics section to describe Antlytics's cookieless approach.

A description for your privacy policy (adapt to your jurisdiction): "This site uses Antlytics for analytics. Antlytics collects aggregate pageview data — including page URL, referrer, and country — without using cookies or storing personal data. Visitor sessions are tracked using sessionStorage, which is cleared when the browser tab closes."

This is product-behaviour language, not legal advice. Confirm the appropriate language with your legal adviser.

FAQ

Will I lose my GA data? No. Your GA property retains all historical data. You simply stop sending new data to GA once you remove the tag.

Do I need to export GA data before switching? Only if you need GA historical data in your new tool. Most people do not. Your GA property stays accessible for historical reference.

Can I import my GA data into Antlytics? Not currently. Antlytics starts fresh from the day you install it.

Will the visitor numbers match? No, and they should not be expected to. The tools use different counting methodologies. Antlytics typically shows more visitors because it does not require cookie consent.

How long should I run both in parallel? Three to seven days is usually enough to verify Antlytics is working correctly.

What if I use GA for Google Ads? If you rely on GA4 for Google Ads conversion import or remarketing audiences, keep GA running for those purposes. You can use Antlytics for general traffic insights alongside GA for ad measurement.

What about Google Tag Manager? If you use GTM, pause the GA4 tag rather than removing it entirely. This gives you an easy rollback path if needed.