Google Analytics 4 (GA4) gives you more insight than Universal Analytics ever did, but there’s a catch: by default, GA4 only retains your detailed, user-level data for two months. That means if you want to look back at traffic patterns, event paths, or build an exploration that compares this year’s campaign to last year’s, you’ll hit a wall.
The good news? You can extend that window to 14 months with a quick settings change.
The fine print? The clock only starts when you make the switch. GA4 doesn’t give you retroactive history—at best, you’ll see two months back from the date you update the setting.
Why Extend GA4 Data Retention to 14 Months
Whether you’re running a school or a small business, most strategies play out over longer cycles. A two-month lookback might show you the last promotion or newsletter push, but it won’t help you:
- Compare year-over-year campaigns.
- See how spring events impact fall conversions or registrations.
- Spot patterns that only emerge across seasons or fiscal years.
Setting GA4’s data retention to 14 months gives you the breathing room to analyze performance across the natural rhythms of your organization. It’s the difference between analyzing snapshots and telling the full story.
What Changes at 14 Months (and What Doesn’t)
GA4 Explorations and Funnels Depend on Data Retention
Here’s where it gets tricky: the retention setting doesn’t affect your standard dashboards (like traffic acquisition or audience overview). Those aggregated reports still show long-term trends.
But if you want to use Explorations or Funnels—the customizable reports that make GA4 powerful—your retention setting is everything. With the default two-month window, you’re stuck. With 14 months, you can actually dig into meaningful patterns.
Just remember: the extra history only starts from the day you flip the switch. Waiting six months means losing six months of detail you’ll never get back.
Connect Google Search Console to GA4 for Better Insights
While you’re in GA4, take the extra step of connecting Google Search Console. It’s a free integration that shows:
- The searches that bring people to your site
- Which pages get the most visibility
- How your site performs in Google results
- Pages that need indexing or have indexing errors
Pairing Search Console with GA4 gives you a clearer picture: not just who came to your site, but how they found you.
Data Retention Settings: Quick Steps to Prevent Data Loss
1. In GA4, go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention.
2. Change event data retention from 2 months to 14 months.
3. While you’re in settings, connect Search Console to your property.
It’s a five-minute fix that pays off for years to come. Just don’t wait, or you’ll be stuck with fragments of your story when you need the full view.
Next year, you’ll thank yourself when you can confidently answer, “How did this year compare to last?”
