Transitioning _setDomainName from legacy to Google Analytics 4: Need guidance

Google Analytics 4

Transitioning _setDomainName from legacy to Google Analytics 4: Need guidance

Posted by Mason on 2 December 2022 at 2:10 am
Hey! I’m moving to Google Analytic 4 and this is the old code I’ve got.
```
 var _gaq = _gaq || [];
 _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-XXX']);
 _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', ''])
```
I need to substitute _gaq.push([‘_setDomainName’, ”]) but when I try the code below, it’s giving me an error. I’ve googled everywhere, but I’m stuck. Any idea?
```
function gtag(){
dataLayer.push(arguments);
}
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'G-XXXX');
  gtag('_setDomainName', '');
  
```
Logan replied 1 year ago 3 Members · 2 Replies
2 Replies

Michael

Member
3 June 2023 at 2:33 pm

In Google Analytics 4, you can’t directly substitute _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', '']) as this belongs to the old Universal Analytics tag method. The domain setting is managed by “cookie_domain” which auto-configures itself in the gtag setup. When you migrate to GA4, you are shifting to an event-based model and much of the configuration that was done in code in Universal Analytics is now handled in the GA user interface. Also, domain configuration is generally handled automatically in gtag.js, the library used in GA4. If you see an error from gtag('_setDomainName', ''); it’s because this command is not valid in GA4. You should remove it from your GA4 scripts because it is not necessary. The error occurs because GA4 does not support the ‘_setDomainName’ command.
Logan

Member
27 June 2023 at 5:48 am

Moving to Google Analytic 4 (GA4), there is no direct equivalent setDomainName as in Universal Google Analytics. The new GA4 has a unique data model and configuration settings. Also, the gtag() function does not have a _setDomainName method that’s why you’re getting an error.

In GA4, you can configure your domain at a property level through the data streams. You need to visit the GA4 property settings essentially. Within settings, select ‘Data Streams’ (either Web, Android App, or iOS app) and you can set up your domains. This makes it unnecessary to manually set the domain in your tracking code.

For more advanced domain configuration needs, you might need to consider Google Tag Manager or custom tracking parameters. It’s better to refer to the GA4 official documentation to understand how to properly configure your properties for multiple or specific domains.

Transitioning _setDomainName from legacy to Google Analytics 4: Need guidance

Michael

Logan