GA4 data retention: what it is and what to set
GA4's data retention setting keeps detailed data for 2 or 14 months. What it affects (explorations), what it doesn't (standard reports), and why to choose 14.
GA4's data retention setting decides how long Google keeps detailed, user-level data: 2 months by default, or 14 months on standard properties. It affects explorations, not the standard reports, which keep their totals. Set it to 14 months: there's no downside for most sites.
Change it to 14 months
In GA4, open Admin → Data collection and modification → Data retention.
Set Event data retention to 14 months.
Choose Save.
What it affects
| Affected | Not affected | |
|---|---|---|
| Explorations (funnels, path analysis, free-form) | Yes: older than the setting can't be explored | |
| Standard reports (Acquisition, Engagement, Realtime) | No: their totals are kept | |
| The GA4 Data API's standard reports | No |
So the setting doesn't delete your visitor totals. It limits how far back you can dig into detailed data in explorations.
Reset on new activity
The Reset user data on new activity switch restarts the retention clock for a user each time they come back. Leaving it on is fine for most sites.
Sources
- Google: Data retention
Last updated
Exclude your own visits
Stop GA4 counting you and your team: define internal traffic by IP address, then turn the internal traffic filter from Testing to Active. With checks.
Cross-domain
When your site and your app or shop are on different domains, set up GA4 cross-domain measurement so one visit isn't counted as two. Subdomains need nothing.