How to Add Google Analytics with an Existing Measurement ID to Your Website

Adding Google Analytics to your website with an existing Measurement ID is a straightforward process. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire procedure, ensuring that your website is set up for effective monitoring and data collection. By following these guidelines, you can easily integrate Google Analytics into your existing setup, enhancing your website's analytics capabilities.

Step-by-Step Guide

Before diving into the process, ensure you have a working understanding of your Google Analytics account structure and the importance of proper setup for accurate data collection. Here are the detailed steps to add Google Analytics with an existing Measurement ID to your website.

Access Your Google Analytics Account

Begin by logging into your Google Analytics account. Once logged in, navigate to the Admin section. You should see a gear icon in the bottom left corner. Click on it to open the Admin settings.

Choose the Correct Account and Property

In the Admin section, make sure you have selected the correct account and property. This is critical to ensure that the previously set up Measurement ID is associated with the correct website. Double-check the website to which you want to add the Measurement ID.

Select the Property Settings

Click on the Property Settings option. Here, you will find your existing Measurement ID. It appears as a long string of alphanumeric characters. This is the Measurement ID you will use to set up the tracking code for your website.

Add the Tracking Code to Your Website

Next, you need to add the tracking code to your website. If you haven't added the basic Google Analytics tracking code to your site, do it now. Place the tracking code just before the closing tag on every page you want to track. If you have already added the basic tracking code, locate the existing tracking code and replace the old Measurement ID with the new one. The tracking code typically looks like this:

!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -- script async src script    || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date());
// Replace YOUR_MEASUREMENT_ID with your actual Measurement ID
// gtag('config', 'YOUR_MEASUREMENT_ID');
// Example: gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX'); /script

Replace YOUR_MEASUREMENT_ID with your actual Measurement ID. Ensure the code is correctly placed to avoid any issues with data collection.

Verify the Setup

After updating your website's code, save the changes. Go back to Google Analytics and verify the setup from the Admin section. Click on Tracking Info Tracking Code. Google Analytics may take a few hours to start collecting data, so be patient.

Thats it! Your Google Analytics account is now set up with the existing Measurement ID on your website. Monitor the results to ensure the setup is working as expected.