The truth is that Google Analytics and Shopify don’t always get along so well. Having correct and reliable data requires some extra effort and care, and even so, the end data set might differ depending on a few important factors.
Of course, not all inconsistencies between Shopify and Google Analytics can be resolved, but we can definitely identify the factors that led to this happening.
The most important aspect to have in mind when performing a comparison is that both Shopify and Google Analytics are using different tracking mechanisms.
You need to make sure that you analyze the right metrics in the first place to ensure accurate reporting on both platforms. By using the Littledata app for Google Analytics you will get accurate revenue tracking for your Shopify store.
In this help article, we will present the most common reasons for differences in tracking results.
Most Shopify store owners are comparing different metrics such as the number of users and sessions in Shopify vs Google Analytics, instead of the number of transactions or revenue. Sessions are defined differently and Google can only count visitors with JavaScript and cookies enabled. A better practice would be to compare the revenue and the number of transactions from Shopify with the numbers in Google Analytics - even so, there is an accepted limit for the discrepancy that would be around 5% between the number of transactions/revenue in Shopify vs GA. Everything that is above that limit could be problematic and would require further investigations.
You might have noticed that you compared the same date in both Shopify and GA, but some orders are missing, and the revenue seems to be off. The most common reasons for this inconsistency are timezone or currency differences. Google Analytics might process the order a few hours later, so it is recommended to add an extra day to the timeframe that you were checking. On the next point, we will add another reason for one transaction or more missing from your GA.
It is required that merchants ask users for their consent before the tracking starts. This has become the most common reason for seeing discrepancies between Shopify and GA, since the user journey cannot be tracked. Unfortunately, this is the case where the discrepancies cannot be fixed or prevented.
Littledata uses Shopify's Customer Privacy API to control tracking based on customer consent. Make sure you use consent apps that are compliant with SCPAPI.
A perfect integration with page builder apps such as Gempages, Shogun, etc, might seem easy to achieve, however, these page builders can be real disruptors if they're not configured properly. Make sure there's always a GA library loading on the pages, if you're unsure just contact us and we'll help out!
Having too many trackers on your website could be problematic too. Extra trackers might double data in Google Analytics, leading to discrepancies between the two platforms. This situation can be avoided by auditing your setup or just use Littledata's tracking solution which will ensure accurate tracking with no extra implementation neeeded.
Occasionally, your customers might exit your website by closing a tab/window right after completing a purchase, not staying long enough for an event to be fully loaded. As a result, this behaviour could prevent the reporting of their interaction in Google Analytics.
Incomplete migration may result in partial or complete loss of historical data. This can happen if the tracking setup is not correctly transitioned from Universal Analytics to GA4, leading to gaps in data continuity and making year-over-year comparisons difficult.
With the Littledata app you have have GA4 tracking enabled in a matter of minutes. Give it a try today!