GA4 Data Retention Settings: What to Choose
Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. Change from the default 2 months to 14 months (the maximum for free GA4). This setting affects Explorations and custom analyses only — standard reports retain data indefinitely regardless of this setting. Without 14-month retention, you cannot do year-ov
Quick Summary
Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. Change from the default 2 months to 14 months (the maximum for free GA4). This setting affects Explorations and custom analyses only — standard reports retain data indefinitely regardless of this setting. Without 14-month retention, you cannot do year-over-year comparisons in Explorations or access detailed historical data for segment analysis. Always set to 14 months unless you have a specific regulatory reason not to.
Overview
Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. Change from the default 2 months to 14 months (the maximum for free GA4). This setting affects Explorations and custom analyses only — standard reports retain data indefinitely regardless of this setting. Without 14-month retention, you cannot do year-over-year comparisons in Explorations or access detailed historical data for segment analysis. Always set to 14 months unless you have a specific regulatory reason not to.
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