Google Analytics Introduces “Trash Can” to Help Users Recover Lost Data

Everybody’s done it at one time or another—that accidental slip of the finger followed by the feeling of dismay once you realize crucial information has been accidentally deleted. That feeling of dismay might even be greater if it involves data in Google Analytics. But don’t worry; as most computers allow users to restore deleted data through the Recycle Bin, Google Analytics is now letting users do the same thing on its platform via the new Trash Can feature.

On January 27, 2015, Google Analytics announced that it will be rolling out the “Trash Can”—a new feature that can retrieve any views, properties, or accounts that users have accidentally deleted from within the platform. It’s a very powerful feature, given that many users before have tried communicating their need for such a tool to help them manage their data more efficiently.

The Trash Can feature can be found under the Administration tab. To recover any deleted data, users must select the account they want to restore (or the account containing the data they want to restore), and then click the Trash Can feature found on the left-hand panel. Afterwards, they must check the data they want to recover, select “Restore”, and their account goes back to normal. [See Figure 1]

Figure 1 (Source: Google Analytics Blog)

Users, however, must keep in mind that they only have a maximum of 35 days to reclaim their lost data inside the Trash Can. Once that time period has passed, their data will be permanently deleted.

“Many people rely on Google Analytics to collect, analyze, and report on data in order to make good business decisions,” stated Chris Cahill, Michael Masukawa, and Dan Morenus in the Google Analytics blog post. “We hope that the Trash Can is just one more way to ensure that you have all the information you need when you need it.”

For more information about the Trash Can feature, view this Help Center article.

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