No, you will not be able to use Universal Analytics (UA) in 2026. Google officially sunsetted UA on 1 July 2023, and while historical data remains accessible as of December 2025, UA properties stopped processing new hits at that time.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is now the standard analytics platform. GA4 operates on a fundamentally different data model than UA. UA relied heavily on sessions and pageviews, while GA4 uses an event-based model, tracking user interactions as ‘events’ without requiring a session definition. This means GA4 can track interactions across websites and apps within the same property. As of December 2025, GA4 now includes features like predictive metrics using machine learning, offering insights into churn probability and potential revenue. Australian businesses using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce integrate GA4 via plugins, allowing for e-commerce tracking. Data residency options are available within Google Cloud, relevant for Australian data compliance requirements. GA4’s reporting interface differs significantly from UA, focusing on customisable exploration reports rather than pre-defined reports.
GA4 is designed to provide a more flexible and privacy-focused approach to web analytics, and it’s the only Google Analytics platform that will continue to function in 2026 and beyond.
