Data and analytics
July 18, 2023

Regaining Access to Your Google Analytics Accounts: A Step-by-Step Guide

Data and analytics
July 18, 2023

Regaining Access to Your Google Analytics Accounts: A Step-by-Step Guide

Regaining Access to Your Google Analytics Accounts: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you having trouble finding access to a Google Analytics account because it was created by an ex-colleague, past business owner or simply uses an email address no one has access to? You're not alone - this is a very common and frustrating experience that our clients deal with on a regular basis.

However, fear not! In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of regaining access to your accounts when you've forgotten your password or are unsure about the email associated with them.

By following these simple steps, you'll be back in control of your valuable data in no time.

To initiate the account recovery process, you'll need to prove ownership of the sites and/or apps linked to your Google Analytics accounts.

Before you get started

Before you get started on the process, you will need to prepare the following:

  • The UA-xxx code for the account you need access to
  • The email address you wish to add as a new administrator
  • Have the ability to upload a .txt file to the root of website server the Google Analytics was tracking

Proving ownership

  1. Open notepad and create a file called analytics.txt
  2. Inside this file, paste the content GooGhywoiu9839t543j0s7543uw1 - pls add {INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS} to GA account {INSERT UA-ID} with ‘Manage Users and Edit’ permissions - date {INSERT DATE}.
  3. Replace {INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS} with the email address you wish to grant access
  4. Replace {INSERT UA-ID} with the Google Analytics UA code that you would like to have accses to
  5. Upload the analytics.txt file to the top-level domain on your server - for example www.bangdigital.com.au/analytics.txt
  6. Visit the URL and confirm you can see the analytics.txt content
  7. Fill in this form

It may take some time for Google to process the query - however good news is that we have had a 100% hit rate of using this method to regain access!

Brad Farleigh
Article written by:
Brad Farleigh
Chief Technical Officer

As the CTO I lead innovation projects, oversee IT policies and systems, provide technical guidance and training support, and drive technical innovation. I also offer technical consultation and foster strategic partnerships for business development.