GA4 data retention: change it to 14 months on day one
GA4 keeps detailed event data for two months by default. What retention affects, why to raise it to 14 months when you create a property, and where to set it.
A new GA4 property keeps detailed event data for two months. For most sites, that is shorter than the questions you will want to ask: how did this autumn compare with last autumn, what did buyers do before their first purchase. Raising it to 14 months costs nothing and cannot be done after the fact.
What it limits
| Affected | Not affected |
|---|---|
| Explorations (free-form, funnels, paths) | Standard reports (Acquisition, Engagement, and so on) |
| Segment and user-level analysis beyond the window | Aggregated totals already processed |
That is why many people do not notice until they try to build a funnel for last year and find nothing there.
Where to change it
- Admin, then under the property, Data collection and modification, then Data retention.
- Set Event data retention to 14 months.
- Save.
Google moves Admin menu items occasionally; if the path differs, search Admin for "Data retention".
Not retroactive
Data already older than two months is gone when you change the setting. The change protects data from today onwards, which is why it belongs on the list of things you do when creating the property, alongside linking Search Console. That list is in Search Console for a new site and linking Search Console to GA4.
Also reset on new activity
The same screen has an option to reset a user's data on new activity, which extends the window for returning users. Leave it on unless you have a reason not to.
GA4 + Search Console Setup sets 14-month retention as part of creating the property, in your own Chrome through Claude in Chrome, so it is never the step you remember a year too late.
Questions
What does GA4 data retention affect?
How long user-level and event-level data is kept for Explorations and other detailed analysis. Standard reports built from aggregated data are not limited by it.
Is changing retention retroactive?
No. Data older than the previous setting has already been deleted. Raising it only keeps data longer from now on, which is why it should be done when the property is created.
Can retention be longer than 14 months?
Not on standard GA4 properties, where the options are two and fourteen months. Google Analytics 360 properties can keep data longer.