TL;DR
Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. Change from the default 2 months to 14 months (the maximum for free GA4). This setting affects Explorations and custom analyses only — standard reports retain data indefinitely regardless of this setting. Without 14-month retention, you cannot do year-over-year comparisons in Explorations or access detailed historical data for segment analysis. Always set to 14 months unless you have a specific regulatory reason not to.
Overview
Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention. Change from the default 2 months to 14 months (the maximum for free GA4). This setting affects Explorations and custom analyses only — standard reports retain data indefinitely regardless of this setting. Without 14-month retention, you cannot do year-over-year comparisons in Explorations or access detailed historical data for segment analysis. Always set to 14 months unless you have a specific regulatory reason not to.
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Frequently asked
Questions & answers
How long does setup take?
Most configurations take 10-30 minutes. Full campaign setup and ongoing optimisation is a continuous process.
What budget should I start with?
Start with enough to generate at least 50 conversions per week for the platform's algorithm to learn effectively. This varies by industry and CPA.
When should I expect results?
Allow 2-4 weeks for the initial learning phase. Meaningful performance trends typically emerge after 30 days of consistent spending.
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