Amazon and ecommerce analytics
Analytics for Shopify stores: what to measure and how
The short answer
Use Shopify's own analytics as the record of sales, orders and conversion rate, and GA4 for traffic sources and on-site behaviour. Connect GA4 through Shopify's Google and YouTube app or a custom pixel in Settings, Customer events, so purchases are sent from Shopify's checkout events. Then watch a short list: conversion rate by channel, average order value, repeat purchase rate, and contribution margin after ad spend.
Key takeaways
- Shopify's own reports are the record of orders; GA4 explains sources and behaviour.
- Connect GA4 through the Google and YouTube app or a custom pixel in Customer events, and remove old theme snippets.
- Watch conversion by channel, order value, repeat rate and contribution margin after ad spend.
On this page 7 sections
Shopify analytics vs GA4
| Shopify analytics | GA4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Orders and revenue | The source of truth | Misses some orders (consent, blockers) |
| Traffic sources | Basic referrer and UTM reporting | Full channel and campaign reporting |
| Funnel behaviour | Sessions, add to cart, checkout reached | Custom funnels and paths in explorations |
| Ads integration | Via sales channel apps | Native for Google Ads audiences and conversions |
| Cost | Included; more reports on higher plans | Free |
Setting up GA4 on Shopify
- Install Shopify's Google and YouTube app and connect your GA4 property; it sends the standard ecommerce events (view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase) from Shopify's customer events.
- If you need custom tracking, add a custom pixel in Settings, then Customer events, subscribing to Shopify's standard events. Shopify runs pixels in a sandbox, so code that relies on reading the page directly will not work there.
- Remove old hard-coded GA snippets from the theme so purchases are not counted twice.
- Set your store's privacy banner (Shopify's customer privacy settings) so pixels respect consent in regions that need it.
- Compare a closed week of GA4 purchases with Shopify orders. Expect GA4 to be lower; if it records far fewer, check the purchase event first.
The metrics that matter
- Conversion rate by channel and device, not just sitewide.
- Average order value and units per order.
- Repeat purchase rate and time between orders: the base of lifetime value.
- Contribution margin after ad spend: revenue minus product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts and ads. A channel can have a fine ROAS and still lose money.
- Return and refund rate by product.
Work out the return on ad spend you need to break even with the break-even ROAS calculator, and how much you can spend to win a repeat customer with the LTV to CAC calculator.
What the numbers cannot tell you
Analytics shows where shoppers drop out; it does not say why. A one-question post-purchase survey ("How did you hear about us?") catches word of mouth, podcasts and creators that attribution misses. A product-finder quiz turns browsers into qualified shoppers and gives you zero-party data on what they want.
Selling on Amazon too
If you also sell on Amazon, its data stays inside Seller Central and does not reach GA4. See Amazon seller analytics.
Questions
- Why does GA4 show fewer purchases than Shopify?
- Visitors who decline consent or block scripts are not recorded by GA4, and some purchases fail to send if the purchase event is not wired to Shopify's checkout events. Shopify's order count is the record of sales; use GA4 for sources and behaviour.
- Can I add Google Analytics code to the Shopify checkout?
- Shopify has moved checkout tracking to customer events (pixels) in Settings, Customer events, rather than scripts pasted into checkout pages. Use the Google and YouTube app or a custom pixel.
Sources
Next step
Try the break-even roas calculator
Related guides
Why GA4 numbers don't match Google Ads, Shopify or your CRM
The usual reasons GA4 disagrees with Google Ads, Shopify, Search Console and your CRM: consent, ad blockers, attribution, dates, thresholds and definitions.
Amazon seller analytics: the numbers that decide profit
Which Amazon metrics matter (profit per SKU, TACoS, organic rank, buy box, stock cover), where Seller Central falls short, and when a platform helps.
How to set up event tracking in GA4
GA4 event tracking step by step: automatic, enhanced measurement, recommended and custom events, key events, custom dimensions, and how to test them.
Do calculators and quizzes generate leads?
How interactive content (calculators, quizzes, assessments) captures leads and first-party data, which formats suit which businesses, and how to measure it.