Enhance your Segment setup: using Littledata’s direct connections
If you're currently using Littledata’s Shopify source for Segment to feed data into destinations like Klaviyo, Meta Ads, or Google Ads, you're already on the right track with a flexible and scalable data stack.
But for these key marketing tools, Littledata also offers direct, server-side integrations that go beyond what’s possible through Segment alone, offering improved event coverage, stronger identity resolution, and more reliable tracking.
These direct Littledata connections can replace your existing Segment setup for these destinations, specifically to enhance performance where it matters most: customer engagement and advertising.
Klaviyo
Littledata’s Klaviyo connection sends key Shopify events such as Viewed Product, Added to Cart, and Checkout Started directly to Klaviyo’s backend, triggered server-side based on Shopify store activity, and are fully compatible with Klaviyo’s custom event flows.
Compared to routing events through Segment, the direct integration reduces the chance of dropped or delayed events and supports better profile identification during multi-touch sessions. It’s designed specifically for Shopify and Klaviyo, which means less customization and a smoother flow for lifecycle marketing and abandonment automations.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the tracking differences:
| Feature | Littledata → Klaviyo | Segment → Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Event Coverage (OOTB) | Tracks Klaviyo-native events out of the box: Viewed Product, Added to Cart, Checkout Started, Placed Order | Requires defining each event manually in Segment with proper names and structure |
| Flow Compatibility | Events are backward-compatible with Klaviyo’s default triggers — works with existing flows without changes | May require remapping or duplicating flows to match Segment’s event structure |
| Schema Completeness | Includes detailed ecommerce schemas: cart contents, product metadata, variant IDs, tags, quantities, etc. | Requires manual schema setup and field definition per event; higher maintenance |
| Ease of Setup | Plug-and-play via Littledata dashboard; no developer configuration needed | Requires configuration of source, destination, and mapping within Segment |
| Identity Resolution | Supports identity stitching before signup or login — allowing earlier behavior to be linked to Klaviyo profiles | No built-in identity handling — depends on Segment identity setup and user ID usage |
Meta Conversions API (CAPI)
Littledata’s Shopify to Meta Conversions API connection uses a combination of client-side and server-side tracking to increase Event Match Quality Score and improve attribution of sales to Meta Ads. The Conversions API (CAPI) lets Littledata share customer actions from Shopify's servers directly to Meta. It works alongside the Meta Pixel to improve performance, measurement, and data collection for Facebook and Instagram campaigns.
Compared to sending events through Segment’s Meta destination, Littledata’s integration captures a broader set of ecommerce events, such as subscription orders and checkout steps, and includes synthetic events like New vs Returning customer purchases, or First vs Recurring subscription orders.
| Feature | Littledata → Meta CAPI | Segment → Meta CAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Ecommerce Events | Sends key Meta events (PageView, ViewContent, AddToCart, InitiateCheckout, Purchase) out of the box | Events must be manually mapped and maintained within Segment |
| Purchase Attribution Accuracy | Uses event ID, fbp/fbc, and order ID to support Meta’s deduplication best practices | Attribution may suffer if deduplication keys are missing or misaligned |
| User Match Keys Enrichment | Automatically includes hashed identifiers (email, phone, external_id, IP, user agent) as required by Meta | Requires manual enrichment and hashing logic within Segment transforms |
| Synthetic Events | Includes synthetic events like new vs returning customer purchases, recurring orders, etc. | Not available out of the box; would require custom logic in Segment |
| Pixel ↔ Server Alignment | Uses Meta-recommended deduplication and timestamp alignment between pixel and server events | Alignment must be manually ensured in Segment setup |
| Identity Resolution | Built-in cross-device resolution improves match rates and reduces attribution gaps | No native ID linking — depends on Segment’s identity setup and data consistency |
| Ease of Setup | Plug-and-play via Littledata dashboard; no developer configuration needed | Requires configuration of source, destination, and mapping within Segment |
Google Ads (Enhanced Conversions)
Littledata’s Google Ads connection provides reliable server-side purchase tracking and supports Enhanced Conversions. Events are automatically mapped to match Google’s schema, and include order-level revenue and customer identifiers for better attribution and ROAS tracking.
You’ll also get custom conversions for New or Returning customers out of the box, something not typically supported through a standard Segment-to-Google Ads flow.
| Feature | Littledata → Google Ads API | Segment → Google Ads API |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Conversions | Sends hashed email, phone, address, IP, and user agent as required by Google’s enhanced conversions spec | Requires custom implementation to hash and structure identity traits in Segment |
| Attribution Accuracy (GCLID, WBRAID, GBRAID) | Automatically captures click identifiers from Shopify landing pages and includes them in server calls | Needs custom logic to extract and persist these identifiers across the pipeline |
| Synthetic Events | Supports out-of-the-box tracking of new vs returning customer purchases, recurring orders, and other key segments | Not available by default; requires building and maintaining event logic in Segment |
| Identity Resolution | Integrated cross-device identity resolution improves conversion match rates and helps reclaim lost attribution | No built-in mechanism — depends on Segment’s identity framework and user consistency |
| Ease of Setup | Plug-and-play via Littledata dashboard; no developer configuration needed | Requires configuration of source, destination, and mapping within Segment |