You might not believe this, but it seems cookies finally have an expiration date.
Google is planning to seal the cookie jar once and for all by Q3 2024, based on a document provided to the UK Competition and Market Authority.
How it’s crumbling
At first, Google planned to scrap third-party cookies by the end of 2022… then by 2023… and most recently, in the first half of 2024.
Now Google is promising that “in Q3 2024, Chrome will phase out support for third-party cookies over a two month period.”
That sounds like a definite decision… but let’s see what happens. Google has been happy to maintain the status quo so far.
Smash that search bar
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) added three updates to the search bar to help you find information about your property or account more easily.
These updates should help you do things like:
- Find data stream details by typing your keyword “Tracking,” web stream measurement, or an app stream ID.
- Find the current property and account settings with the keyword “Property” and the keyword “Account,” as well as their IDs or names.
- Navigate to other GA4 properties by typing their name, ID, web stream measurement, or app stream ID.
You can see the full list and examples here.
Same, but different
Also, Google reorganized its Ad Destination Requirements policy to be clearer and easier to read.
So if you don’t find things quite where you expected to, well, now you know why.
Why we care
The end of cookies might be the advertising equivalent of Godot, but maybe Google is planning to put things into motion for real. Guess we’ll find out eventually.
Also, the new GA4 data should help you get better insight into your properties, accounts, and streams.
Which is good, because when cookies are officially gone, we’ll need any data we can get.