When it comes to tracking ecommerce events on your Shopify store, most store owners turn to the Google & YouTube app.
But is it delivering the comprehensive e-commerce data you need to make confident decisions?
You can track some primary ecommerce events on your Shopify store using the Google & YouTube app.
However, this method has limitations and does not include all the important events and parameters for a comprehensive analysis.
Analyzify offers a complete GA4 & Shopify integration and GA4 server-side tracking with up to 98% purchase tracking accuracy.
Let’s explore more here.
What Are the Limitations of Shopify’s Native GA4 Integration?
- Client-Side Tracking Limitations: Reliance on browser-based tracking means some of your conversion data can be lost to ad blockers, browser restrictions, etc.
- Incomplete Ecommerce Funnels: You can’t track key e-commerce events like view_item_list, select_item, view_cart, remove_from_cart, and add_shipping_info.
- Missing Metrics/Dimensions: Information such as collection name, coupon code, Item SKU, payment method, shipping method, and variant ID are absent.
- Data Inaccuracy: There’s potential for mismatches due to customizations, and lack of store-level support.
- Limited Engagement Tracking: You’ll miss out on tracking micro-conversions like login, signup, form submissions, Klaviyo engagements, and wishlists.
Here’s where Analyzify steps in to provide you with reliable data for better e-commerce funnels.
Why Choose Analyzify?
- Server-Side Tracking: Achieve up to 98% purchase tracking accuracy with advanced GA4 server-side tracking in just a few minutes.
- Complete Data Collection: Capture every customer interaction from first click to purchase with both client-side and server-side tracking working together.
- Comprehensive Data: Enable complete ecommerce data (metrics, dimensions, funnels) on your GA4 property.
- Personalized Expert Support: Get store-level implementation & customization support at no extra cost. We’ll make sure your tracking works as expected.
- Built-in GA4 Reports: Access the Marketing Analytics Dashboard to see the most important e-commerce metrics without ever leaving your Shopify.
- Custom GA4 Dashboards: Get a fine-tuned GA4 setup, along with expert help for custom GA4 reports, dashboards.
- Diverse Integration: The integration works through the Shopify Checkout Extensibility, Online Store 2.0 App Embeds, Shopify Pixels API or customer data layers & Google Tag Manager depending on your needs.
Let’s deep dive into Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with Analyzify.
What Analyzify Offers with GA4
Analyzify is crafted with in-depth analysis know-how.
This means more GA4 reports and metrics to help you get the most out of your ecommerce data.
Here is a brief overview of what Analyzify’s Shopify - GA4 integration brings to your data analytics:
Funnels - Checkout Journey Report
Analyzify tracks all your checkout steps using the Shopify checkout extensibility (also works for non-Shopify Plus clients).
This way, you can view GA4’s default checkout journey report - with accurate data for a thorough funnel analysis.
Coupon Codes
Analyzify sends all order-level data including coupon codes, shipping methods, discount amounts, user-level information and many others.
This lets you get a more granular view of your data.
Product ID & SKU
Analyzify allows you to customize the Product ID format.
You can send SKUs or variant IDs depending on your tracking needs.
As you can see, the native integration does not provide any SKU. It’s not adjustable, and it’s just fixed to Shopify default ID format.
On the other hand, Analyzify offers an adjustable format, in addition to SKU, Product ID, and Variant ID.
GA4 Dashboard & Reports Customizations
Our goal is to make GA4 user-friendly for you.
So, not only do you get additional reports, but you also get a customized GA4 dashboard according to your tracking needs.
This makes sure that all the critical metrics are only a couple of clicks away.
Additional Events - Micro Conversions
By default, you get various micro-conversions, from form submissions and newsletter sign-ups to user logins and wishlist additions and so on.
Moreover, you have the flexibility to set up custom events for your specific requirements such as: menu clicks, banner engagements, product page engagements and many more.
New & Returning Accuracy
Thanks to seamless integration, GA4 can recognize the new/returning users with a higher ratio with Analyzify.
Audiences
GA4 is a powerful tool when used right.
We help you create custom audiences so that you can analyze better and retarget through Google Ads.
Some example audiences:
- Blog Content vs. Product Engagements: Determine the direct impact of your blog posts on sales. Identify which articles drive the most conversions.
- Sign-Up & Login Analysis: Evaluate the effectiveness of login functions in boosting your sales metrics. Decide if there’s room for improvement in the process.
- Engaged Cart & Checkout - Not Purchase: Find the potential customers who were on the brink of purchase but decided against it. Delve into their behavior for insights and consider tailored retargeting strategies.
IMPORTANT: These are just a few examples - we can help you create audiences depending on your use case.
Many Others
In addition to all that’s mentioned above, you get to view many other reports such as:
- Collection/category performance (conversions)
- Search result performance
- Blog post purchase performance
- Navigation (Menu) engagement
- Google Ads landing pages performance
- Google Ads product level performance.
Analyzify’s Server-Side Tracking for GA4
While the native Shopify integration relies solely on client-side tracking (browser-based), Analyzify offers powerful server-side tracking that processes data on secure servers instead of the visitor’s browser.
This fundamental difference is why we can deliver up to 98% tracking accuracy for your GA4 purchase event tracking.
Our advanced server-side tracking solution is included in the Analyzify yearly plan and provides:
- Up to 98% tracking accuracy
- Ad blocker resistant tracking
- First-party data storage directly in Shopify
- Accurate attribution data for all your marketing channels
- Fast 10-15-minute setup with no technical expertise required
- No additional Google Cloud infrastructure costs
This server-side implementation ensures your tracking remains consistent and reliable, providing better data quality than client-side tracking alone can provide.
How It Works: Simple Setup with a Few Clicks
Setting up Analyzify with server-side tracking is remarkably simple.
Having helped 3000+ merchants with their data analytics setup, we’ve streamlined the process into a few easy steps:
- Installation & Purchase: Simply download and install Analyzify.
- Onboarding: Get started by yourself in just 10 minutes, or let our team handle your setup/migration.
- Server-Side Activation: Activate server-side tracking with a single click in your Analyzify dashboard.
- Integration & Validation: Whether you’re a DIY person or prefer expert hands-on help, our team validates your setup and confirms your tracking is accurate.
- Expert Support: Get expert support and implementation assistance at no extra cost.
Want to see Analyzify in action? Book a demo now!
Have questions? Contact us!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Analyzify app compare to Shopify’s native GA4 integration?
The Analyzify app offers a more comprehensive GA4 integration than Shopify’s native integration. It includes tracking more events and parameters, provides data layers, and offers hands-on support for setup and customization. Analyzify also integrates with other platforms and provides in-depth data for better insights. However, unlike Shopify’s free native integration, Analyzify is a paid solution.
What are the pros and cons of using Shopify’s native GA4 integration through the Google & YouTube?
The pros of using Shopify’s native GA4 integration include its ease of integration and no additional cost. However, it has several cons. It does not include all the events and parameters a comprehensive GA4 e-commerce integration should have. Important e-commerce events such as view item list, view cart, remove from cart, and add shipping info are not included. Additionally, it does not provide data layers or hands-on support for setup or tweaking settings.
What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and how is it different from Universal Analytics (UA)?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, designed to provide more insightful and relevant data to help businesses understand customer behavior across platforms. Unlike Universal Analytics (UA), GA4 uses an event-based tracking system, making it more flexible and comprehensive in capturing and analyzing user interactions. GA4 is also more privacy-centric, with features that handle data restrictions and gaps.
What is server-side tracking and why is it important?
Server-side tracking processes data on secure servers instead of in the visitor’s browser. Unlike client-side tracking (like Shopify’s native integration), server-side tracking is immune to ad blockers, browser restrictions, and iOS privacy changes. For Shopify merchants, server-side tracking for GA4 means 98% tracking accuracy. This leads to more accurate attribution for marketing campaigns, better optimization of ad spend, and the ability to make truly data-driven decisions. With increasing privacy restrictions and tracking prevention technologies, server-side tracking has become essential for any serious ecommerce business.
Why is GA4 server-side tracking limited to the purchase event in Analyzify?
The Purchase event is the only event that can be reliably tracked server-side because all the necessary data is fully available in Shopify’s backend (under the Orders tab). Unlike platforms such as Meta or TikTok, GA4 API doesn’t function as an alternative to client-side tracking or a parallel tracking system. This allows us to send the Purchase event to GA4 with complete accuracy and without relying on the browser. On the other hand, events like view_item, add_to_cart, or begin_checkout happen on the storefront and depend on user interactions in the browser. To track these via server-side, we would need to use Shopify Webhooks (which don’t capture every interaction in real time) or inject custom browser code—both of which still rely on client-side behavior to some extent. Since these events are directly or indirectly tied to client-side tracking, sending them server-side wouldn’t significantly improve data accuracy. In fact, if the client-side tracking fails (e.g., due to ad blockers or browser restrictions), it usually prevents the entire session from being tracked including the page_view event that’s essential for GA4 attribution—making even server-side data for these events unreliable. That’s why Analyzify focuses on GA4 server-side tracking for the Purchase event only—where we can guarantee high accuracy and a clean data flow.
My Shopify Google Analytics is not working. What should I do?
There can be multiple reasons behind that. Make sure to check our complete guide on the Shopify & Google Analytics 4 integration to learn about common mistakes and best practices for a seamlessly working Google Analytics.
Why don’t I see some of the sales in my Google Analytics?
There can be many reasons for this, so we advise you to check our in-depth guide for better understanding and solutions: Discrepancy Between Google Analytics & Shopify.
Do I have to use a Shopify app to have a proper Google Analytics setup?
Ideally, yes. Shopify Analytics apps (like Analyzify) increases the accuracy, enriches the data, and solve known problems with the Shopify - Google Analytics connection.
