Using GA’s “Trash Can” to Recover Your Old Data

Lauren Owens - February 20, 2015

Have you ever had this problem? You have saved settings in Google Analytics and then… they’re gone. They didn’t disappear and Google (likely) hasn’t done anything nefarious with them, but they’re gone all the same. (Face it: It was probably a user-error.) Now, thanks to the Google Analytics “Trash Can” you can clear away unwanted or old data without deleting it forever.

Mac users will be familiar with the concept of the Trash Can. You drag something into it, it’s gone and forgotten, but still there, just in case you ever need it. Call it a pocket for unwanted things that disappear until you want them. Or, in the case of Trash Can, for 35 days from the time of deletion.

What kind of data does Trash Can save?

The GA Trash Can stores views, properties and accounts deleted from any GA account or login for up to 35 days.

Where’s the Trash Can?

Google tucked the Trash Can away in the Admin tab. To access it, navigate to the Admin tab, select the appropriate account and then select the Trash Can option on the left. (If it’s not there, don’t worry, this feature is rolling out as we speak and anything deleted today should be there once your Trash Can is accessible.)