how many days does it take for a property to be permanently deleted once you have deleted it from your google analytics account?

When it comes to managing your Google Analytics account, it's essential to understand the process of deleting a property and how long it takes for it to be permanently deleted. Google Analytics provides a clear guideline regarding the deletion timeline, ensuring that users are aware of the consequences and potential data loss.

Once you have made the decision to delete a property from your Google Analytics account, you must follow the correct steps to initiate the process. To begin, sign in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the Admin section. From there, select the specific property you wish to delete. In the PROPERTY column, click on "Property Settings," and then proceed to click "Move to Trash Can." Finally, confirm your action by clicking "Move property to Trash Can."

It's important to note that only users with the Editor role can move a property to the Trash Can. Additionally, moving a property to the Trash Can will also move all component views associated with it. This step is crucial as it allows you to review your decision before permanently deleting the property.

Once a property has been moved to the Trash Can, the countdown begins. Google Analytics states that the property, along with all its reporting views, will be permanently deleted 35 days after being moved to the Trash Can. After this period, the property will be gone, and there is no way to retrieve any historical data or reinstate any reports associated with it.

The 35-day deletion timeline serves as a grace period, providing users with an opportunity to reconsider their decision or rectify any accidental deletions. It also emphasizes the significance of ensuring that you have properly migrated your Universal Analytics property settings to Google Analytics 4, as Universal Analytics is being phased out. Failure to migrate could result in data loss starting from July 1, 2023 (or July 1, 2024, for Analytics 360 properties).

However, there are certain circumstances where you may encounter difficulties deleting a property. For instance, you cannot delete a Google Analytics 4 property if it is linked to a Universal Analytics property. In such cases, an error message will be displayed, indicating that the property is part of a link between a Universal Analytics property and a Google Analytics 4 property.

To address this issue, you need to access your Google Analytics account and follow a few additional steps. First, click on "Admin" at the bottom left of the page and select the Universal property that is linked to the Google Analytics 4 property. Next, click on the "GA4 Setup Assistant" and confirm the GA4 property ID that is linked. Then, click on "Disconnect," and a pop-up will appear. After clicking "Continue," go to "Property settings" and select "Move to Trash." Finally, click "Delete property," and you should now be able to delete the property successfully.

In summary, once you move a property to the Trash Can in your Google Analytics account, it will be permanently deleted 35 days later. This deletion timeline provides you with ample time to reconsider your decision and ensures that you have properly migrated your Universal Analytics property settings to Google Analytics 4. Understanding this process and following the correct steps will help you manage your properties effectively and avoid any unintended data loss.