Google Analytics

Your Drupal website managed by University Communications contains a Google Analytics tracking code. You can use Google Analytics to help you understand your users and better evaluate your website, email, and social media performance. Any Google Analytics access requires a Google account, created using an @uoregon.edu email.

Note: Google retired Universal Analytics (UA) on July 1, 2023 and Google has removed all past UA analytics data. If you did not back up your site's old UA data, a selected few sites were backed up. If your site is not among those few sites, we are unable to assist you in recovering any of that lost data. The current version of Google Analytics is Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Getting Access

If you would like Google Analytics access and don’t already have permissions to see that data, the site owner will need to Submit a request for support. The request will require the following:

• The specific website, or websites, for the requested analytics access
• The @uoregon.edu (UO) email account of the person, or persons, who will be granted the analytics access

An @uoregon.edu email Google account is required in order to be able to add any new users to analytics. 

If we attempt to add the requested @uoregon.edu email to a Google Analytics account and it is not recognized as a valid Google account, the user will need to make a new Google account using their @uoregon.edu email address.

Creating a new UO Google account

Step 1: Create a new Google account using this link 

Note: If you ever get a list of available email options, make sure you click the "Use your existing email" link instead.

Step 2: Enter your first and last name.

Step 3: Enter in your birthday and gender option. (Use a birthday and a gender that you can remember when needed.)

Step 4: Enter the confirmation code from your UO Email address used from step 1. 

Step 5: Create a strong password for your new Google account.
This password must be different than your UO password.

Step 6: Review your account information for your new account and click the Next button to go to your account settings page.

 Your new UO account is now ready to use anywhere you need a Google account.

Note: If you ever have an email address listed at the top in the account information that has @gmail.com, that means your account is not logged into a UO one.

If you find following a video to be easier, you can also watch a walkthrough of creating a new Google account on YouTube.

Alternate Email Accounts

If we attempt to add the @uoregon.edu email address and it is already associated with another account (such as an @Gmail.com address) the following steps will need to happen in this order:

1. Follow the instructions for how to "Remove alternate email addresses" on Google's alternate email addresses help page
2. Sign up for a new Google account using the @uoregon.edu on the Google Account creation page in the instructions listed above, making sure to use your UO email as the existing email
3. Update the Support request ticket to let us know that the new Google account has been created for the requested @uoregon.edu email
4. We will add the new @uoregon.edu email to the Google Analytics account

An @uoregon.edu email is required in order to be able to add any new users to analytics and a new UO Email Google Account sign-up should only take a couple minutes to set up.

Existing non-UO Accounts

Accounts with existing non-UO email accounts should start the process of transitioning any accounts over to use @uoregon.edu email accounts. This will help prevent future issues as we begin the process of streamlining the UO's analytics processes.

Google accounts using a UO email as the account email are required for any Google Analytics access and we cannot use any @gmail email accounts. This policy helps to ensure appropriate access permissions, easily identify who has logged in or made changes, as well as provide access clarity in the case of ambiguous user names. 

Logging In

Once you have permissions for your Google Analytics account, you can log in at analytics.google.com and/or download the apps from Android's Google Play or the iOS App Store to view your analytics data. If we manage your analytics accounts, all accounts should have your site's name or URL for the account name.

Using Google Analytics

Google Search Console

In addition to Google Analytics, our websites also use Google Search Console which can be helpful with looking at advanced search data and page or search performance for your website. Google Search Console access follows the same policy as Google Analytics, which means that all access will need an @uoregon.edu email in order for access to be granted.

GA4 Analytics

For additional information on using Google's GA4 Analytics, check out the Google Skillshop Platform and sign up for one of their online courses, or refer to one of the Google GA4 Analytics Help Pages. If you are already familiar with how the older Universal Analytics worked, you may find the Google UA to GA4 Comparison page to be helpful for interpreting your newer GA4 data.

Universal Analytics

Although it has now been sunset, if you are looking for additional information on using Google's Universal Analytics, check out the Google Analytics Academy and sign up for one of their online courses, or refer to the Google Analytics Help Center.