How to Delete an Account in Google Analytics 4

Last Modified on June 26, 2024

Deleting a GA4 account is straightforward yet requires careful consideration due to its irreversible nature. Even experienced users should take precautionary steps to avoid unintended consequences.

To delete an account in Google Analytics 4, you must ensure you have the necessary permissions and consider three key areas: selecting the correct account, discussing with involved users, and stopping data collection.

This guide will detail the deletion steps and considerations and address common issues.

Here is an overview of what we’ll cover:

• How To Delete an Account in Google Analytics 4
• What Happens When You Delete a GA4 Account
• How to Restore an Account
• I Can’t Access My Trash Can

How To Delete an Account in Google Analytics 4

1. To delete an account, select any property tied to the account you wish to delete.

This step is to make sure you’re connected to the correct account. Separating the two (except when deleting properties) isn’t possible because an account always requires at least one property.

2. Click Admin.
3. Click Account details.

4. Click Move to Trash Can.

Before deleting your account, consider these three key areas highlighted by Analytics:

1. Did you mean to move individual properties or views to the Trash Can instead of the entire account?

It’s an important question because, after 35 days, your property won’t be recoverable. For example, if you track a subdomain with specific landing pages for paid campaigns, once deleted, this GA4 data is lost forever.

Unclear account structures and confusing naming conventions can also lead you to delete the wrong account.

💡 Top Tip: Check out our guide on the GA4 Account Hierarchy to better understand how to properly structure your GA4 accounts.

Watch out for duplicate names. If two accounts have identical names in your list, you might accidentally choose the wrong one for deletion. To illustrate:

You can argue that checking the account ID would fix the issue, which is true if you regularly review your tagging plan.

However, while we may be aware of our Measurement ID as we use it for implementing analytics, the same cannot be said for Account IDs.

2. Users with edit access to this account will be notified. We recommend confirming with all other users before moving this account to the Trash Can.

Discussing deletion beforehand and getting everyone’s confirmation is the best practice for accounts with multiple users.

This avoids surprises and likely awkwardness if someone in charge receives a Google deletion notification without prior discussion.

3. Remember to remove the Analytics tracking code from your web pages or app.

Even after deleting your Google Analytics account, removing the tracking code from your website can be necessary for the following reasons:

• Stops Data Collection: Removing the code ensures no further user information is sent to Google, even though the account itself is gone.

• Maintains Privacy Compliance: Some regulations require user consent for data collection. Removing the code demonstrates you’re not actively collecting data, avoiding unintentional privacy violations.

• Potential Speed Improvement: The code adds a small amount of weight to your website. While the impact on speed might be minimal, removing it, especially with resource-intensive GA4 setups, could offer a slight performance boost.

What Happens When You Delete a GA4 Account?

Deleting a Google Analytics 4 account permanently removes all associated analytics assets and revokes access to the following features:

1. Account settings

These include:

• Account details
• Account access management
• All filters
• Account change history*
• Trash

🚨 Note: Account change history will remain accessible.*

2. Property settings 

These include:

• Data collection and modification
• Data display
• Product link

🚨 Note: Property change history will remain accessible.*

You’ll receive an email informing you about the scheduled deletion.

After deletion, accounts and properties remain visible in the account list (accessible from the top-left corner menu). They’ll be marked with a strikethrough for easy identification.

How to Restore an Account

1. From your Trash Can, select the account you want to restore.
2. Click Restore.

Your account will be automatically restored. You will receive an email confirming the restoration.

I Can’t Access My Trash Can

After deleting a GA4 account, you may encounter these issues:

1. Deleted Accounts Not Showing Up in Trash Can

If you delete all your GA4 accounts, you must create a new account to access the GA4 interface. Without an account, you can’t have admin access to your deleted account or its Trash Can.

2. Page Not Found Error

In some cases, Google may not immediately recognize your deleted account, even if it has a strikethrough in the account list.

Following the deletion steps (selecting a property), you might be redirected to another account’s page (often a UA property, even if it’s not collecting data) with a page not found error.

Solution: If you still have access to the interface, wait 3-5 minutes for your deleted account to appear in the trash can. This works most of the time.  However, if you only have one account, you must create a new GA4 account to reassess the GA4 interface and wait a few minutes. Your deleted account should then appear in the Trash Can.

Another way to get to your Trash Can is to follow the link in Google’s deletion email.

Summary

Deleting a GA4 account is simple; however, organizations with a complex setup might want to take extra precautions. We covered the implications of deleting a Google Analytics account, safe deletion practices, and account restoration.

But what about the accounts you’re keeping? Are you confident your (or your client’s) GA4 account is set up correctly?

If you need more clarification, check out our free GA4 Audit: 16 Questions to ensure your account is set up correctly.

This valuable resource can help ensure your account is optimized for accurate data collection. It’s also a powerful tool when proposing analytics services to potential clients.

One last important note, always back up your important data or reports before deleting an account. If you restore your account within 35 days, configurations will be recovered, but without processed data during that period.

Have you ever deleted an account, and if so, how did you manage the lost data?