This guide answers the question, “how often does Google Analytics update?”
Below, you’ll find out the average processing time for each Google Analytics delay according to the property type (Google Analytics 4 or Analytics 360) and the number of sessions the website or app gets per day and month.
You’ll also learn about realtime tracking and non-standard data processing features of the Google Analytics platform that can affect the frequency of your digital marketing reports and API queries.
Table of Contents
How Often Does Google Analytics Update?
Google Analytics takes 24-48 hours to update most reports and API queries for Standard accounts that send less than 200,000 sessions per day. Google Analytics 360 accounts have a processing latency of 4 to 24 hours for properties that send less than 2 billion hits per month.
Google Analytics Data Delay
Google Analytics delivers different intervals of data delay that impact how often a property is updated for reports and API queries. The table below shows how data freshness compares for Google Analytics 4 Standard (GA4) and Analytics 360 accounts.
| Interval | Processing Time | Property Type | Data Limits Per Property | Query Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Realtime | < 1 minute | 360, Standard | None | Limited to a few dimensions and metrics |
| Enhanced Data Freshness | 10 minutes – 1 hour | 360 | < 2B hits per month | Most reports and API queries |
| 360 Intraday | < 4 hours | 360 | < 2B hits per month | All reports and API queries, except for non-standard features |
| 360 Daily | < 24 hours | 360 | N/A | All reports and API queries |
| Standard Intraday | < 24 hours | Standard | < 200k sessions per day | All reports and API queries, except for non-standard features |
| Standard Daily | 24-48 hours | Standard | < 10M hits per month | All reports and API queries |
Note: Enhanced data freshness for Google Analytics 360 accounts works on a best-effort basis. If the freshest analytics data is not available for the property, then Google Analytics returns the next most-recent data update. As you can see in the table above, both Standard and 360 accounts can receive intraday updates for most reports and API queries if the number of user sessions doesn’t go over a specific traffic limit.
Features With Non-Standard Data Processing
The following Google Analytics 4 (GA4) features are considered non-standard and are not covered by the Analytics 360 data processing service level agreement:
| Feature | Estimated Processing Time |
|---|---|
| Realtime | < 1 minute |
| Data Import | 4 hours |
| Unsampled Exploration | 1 hour |
| User-Lifetime Technique | 24 hours |
| Insights | 24 hours |
| BigQuery Daily Export | 24 hours after midnight in the property timezone |
Google Analytics Realtime Tracking
Realtime tracking in Google Analytics allows you to monitor activity as it happens on your website property or app. The reports are updated continuously and each hit is reported within seconds, or up to one minute, after it occurs.
As mentioned in this other guide on how long does it take Google Analytics to show data, there are six reports available in the Google Analytics realtime tracking dashboard:
- Overview
- Locations
- Traffic Sources
- Content (or Screens, for Mobile App properties)
- Events
- Conversions
Reports display the following update information:
- Number of active users.
- Number of hits during each of the most recent 30 minutes.
- Number of hits during each of the most recent 60 seconds.
More Resources On Google Analytics
Now that you know about the frequency Google Analytics takes to update, you may be interested in learning more about the Analytics platform. The following resources can help you understand how it works, the pricing levels, and using Google Analytics for search engine optimization (SEO).
- How Does Google Analytics Work?
- Google Analytics Pricing
- How to See Keywords In Google Analytics
- How to Check Website Traffic On Google Analytics
Google Analytics Update & Data Delay Summary
I hope you enjoyed this guide on how often does Google Analytics update.
As you discovered, Google Analytics takes 24-48 hours to update most reports and API queries for Standard accounts that send less than 200,000 sessions per day. And the frequency of Google Analytics 360 account updates has a processing latency of 4 to 24 hours for properties that send less than 2 billion hits per month. Some data and reports are accessible in realtime and intraday intervals for updates can occur for websites and apps that don’t exceed certain traffic limits.
