[Drupal] Procedure behind Upgrading to Google Universal Analytics

Universal Analytics is a set of technological innovations that is aimed at improving the way data is collected and processed in Google Analytics.The Universal Analytics Upgrade is a process which is used to upgrade all your classic Google Analytics properties into Universal Analytics properties without losing any data or changing your account settings.All Google Analytics properties will soon be required to use Universal Analytics. Any properties that don’t follow the upgrade process will be auto-transferred to Universal Analytics in the future.

The Universal Analytics Upgrade is a two step process. Review this section to get an overview of each step before you begin, so that you get an idea on what to expect throughout the process.

Step 1: Transfer Property

• Transfer your properties to Universal Analytics from the Google Analytics Admin page. You may also customize session and campaign timeout periods.
• Only users with Edit permissions may initiate the property transfer from the Google Analytics Admin page.
• The transfer takes minutes to initiate, but you should allow 24 - 48 hours for it to complete.
• When the transfer is completed, the property is ready to receive data from Universal Analytics tracking code.
• Move on to Step 2 after the transfer is complete.

Step 2: Update Tracking Code (optional)

• Replace existing tracking code with new Universal Analytics tracking code.
• The time taken to update your tracking code will vary depending on your current implementation and tracking needs.
• When this step is completed, you will have access to the full benefits of Universal Analytics, including new reports and features.
• your full upgrade to Universal Analytics is now complete.

Step 1: Transfer a Property to Universal Analytics

Transferring a property to Universal Analytics is done in the Google Analytics Admin page and must be initiated by a user with Edit permission.

To transfer an existing property to Universal Analytics:

• Sign in to Google Analytics. From the Admin page, select the account and property you want to upgrade.
• In the property column, click Universal Analytics Upgrade.
• In the section called Transfer to Universal Analytics, click Upgrade.
• Read the information in the pop-up. If you can confirm that you are ready to transfer your property to Universal Analytics, click Upgrade. If you are not ready, click Cancel.
• (Optional) Click Show timeout settings and configure your session and campaign timeout handling. If you don’t configure these settings, the default values will be used. Learn more about configuring the timeout settings.
• Allow 24 - 48 hours for the transfer to finish. When a note that says Property transfer complete appears in your account, the transfer to Universal Analytics is done.

When the transfer is complete, your data will be handled by the Universal Analytics processing technology.

Configure Timeout Settings (optional).

Universal Analytics lets you configure settings from your Admin page that were previously managed in your code. You can configure two of these settings during the Universal Analytics Upgrade process: Session timeout and campaign timeout.

These settings let you control how long sessions and campaigns can last before they timeout.

By default, sessions end after 30 minutes and campaigns end after 6 months. If you don’t customize these settings while your property is transferring, the default values will be used.

Step 2: Update your Tracking Code (optional)

After your property has been transferred to Universal Analytics, you can start using the new tracking libraries and protocols, like analytics.js. Although this step is optional, you only get the full benefits of Universal Analytics after you implement the new tracking code.

As soon as you've created your new property, you’ll be taken to the tracking code that you'll need to install on your own site. Make sure to place it right before your head tag.
Every line of Google Analytics code on your site needs to be updated.