Technical Definition
Data retention in GA4 determines how long user and event data is stored. Default: 2 months (free), extendable to 14 months. After retention period, data is deleted and unavailable for exploration reports. Aggregate reports remain available. Consider BigQuery export for long-term storage.
Simple Explanation (ELI13)
Data retention is how long Google Analytics keeps your detailed data. Free GA4 keeps it 2 months by default (you can extend to 14 months). After that, you lose access to detailed data in exploration reports. For longer history, export to BigQuery or use other storage solutions.
Related Terms
GA4, Analytics, BigQuery, Data Storage
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