Question: A business manager sets up Google Analytics but doesn't apply a filter to exclude internal company traffic. After a month of data collection, they correct the setup by adding the filter. What's the status of the data collected during that first month?
- The data from the first month will be deleted, and data collection will restart.
- The internal traffic from the first month will be automatically moved to a separate report.
- The new setting will retroactively cleanse the data from the first month's reports.
- The data from the first month will permanently include the internal traffic.
Explanation
A data filter affects incoming data only after it is applied. Google Analytics does not reprocess historical data when a new filter is added. Filters used to exclude internal traffic are intended for data hygiene going forward. Once data has already been processed into reports, later filter changes do not cleanse that prior reporting period.
Why the other options are incorrect
Retroactive cleansing is incorrect because data filters do not apply to previously processed data.
Separate report is incorrect because Google Analytics does not automatically move past internal traffic into a separate report.
Data deletion and restart is incorrect because adding an internal traffic filter does not delete existing data or restart collection.
Source for verification
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12996377
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