This is your go-to guide for Shopify Google Analytics 4 integration – crafted by industry experts and updated regularly(latest: May 2023). Our comprehensive guidebook offers Shopify merchants a clear roadmap with 10+ detailed tutorials, insightful reports, and instructional videos.
Universal Analytics (UA) will be discontinued on July 1, 2023. This makes it essential to get started with Google Analytics 4, perform necessary migration steps, and understand how to use GA4 e-commerce reports.
Shopify’s Google Analytics 4 setup might be complex, but we’ve simplified it in this guide. Shopify GA4 Guidebook will cover everything you need to know. It might sound daunting, but we are here to help. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover:
- Shopify GA4 Integration Options: Learn the different ways to integrate GA4 with your Shopify store, including the native Google Sales Channel app and professional solutions like Analyzify.
- Setting Up GA4 on Shopify: Find out how to set up GA4, create an account, and configure essential settings for your Shopify store.
- The Basics of GA4 for Shopify: Understand what GA4 is, how it differs from UA, and why you need it for your Shopify store.
- GA4 Reports for Shopify: Discover the key GA4 reports and how to use them to gain valuable insights into your Shopify business.
- Comparison of Shopify GA4 Integration Methods: Get a comparison of the native integration method with professional solutions, which help you opt for the best option for your Shopify store.
- FAQs for Shopify GA4 Integration: See the FAQ section to address common queries and concerns about GA4 and Shopify integration.
Switching from UA to GA4 is a massive change, but with the correct information & guidance, you can navigate it seamlessly.
Let’s dive in and explore the world of Shopify & GA4 integration to ensure you are collecting accurate data.
Shopify GA4 Integration Methods
Google Analytics 4 is a great tool, but you need a solid Shopify GA4 integration to take full advantage & get all the reports and accurate results based on your data.
To integrate Shopify & GA4, you have a couple of options:
- The Google Sales Channel app, a native solution to provide you with basic ecommerce events on your Shopify store.
- Analyzify, a Shopify app distinguished by having the most reviews in its category, has been providing a comprehensive GA4 integration for Shopify for the past two years, culminating in a community of more than 2000 satisfied customers.
- Other Shopify GA4 Apps, a collection of various solutions that offer different features and levels of GA4 integration for Shopify, broadening the spectrum of choice based on individual needs and preferences.
You should note that not all integration methods function the same way.
While Shopify’s native integration via the Google Sales Channel provides a baseline for tracking, it does fall short in capturing some important e-commerce events such as “view item list,” “select item,” “refund,” and “promotions.” If your needs are minimal and basic tracking is sufficient, the native integration may be suitable.
The Analyzify app provides a comprehensive GA4 e-commerce tracking solution for Shopify, capturing all essential events and parameters. With Analyzify, you also gain access to exceptional professional support, helping you with the integration and reporting.
You can track some primary ecommerce events on your Shopify store using the Google Sales app. However, this method has limitations and does not include all the important events and parameters for a comprehensive analysis. Here’s a detailed comparison of the events included in each method:
| Google Sales Channel |  Analyzify App  |
|
|---|---|---|
| GA4 Ecommerce Integration | Limited | Complete |
| Ecommerce Events | Basic Events (view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, add_payment_info, purchase) |
All Events (Includes view_item_list, view_cart, remove_from_cart, add_shipping_info) |
| Purchase Parameters | Limited (Coupon code, Customer ID, Variant ID not included) |
Complete |
| Data Layers & Google Tag Manager | No | Yes |
| Onboarding & Setup Support | No | Yes |
| Customizations & Expert Support | No | Yes |
| Additional Integrations | No | Yes (10+ Integrations) |
| Cost | Free | $749 / one-time-purchase |
As you can see, Shopify’s native solution doesn’t include important e-commerce events such as
- ‘view item list’ – (Category/Collection view)
- ‘view cart’
- ‘remove from cart’
- ‘add shipping info’
- ‘add payment info’
- Add to Wishlist
- User Login/Register
This means that if you use the Google Sales Channel app to integrate your Shopify store with GA4, you won’t be able to see these reports and the related data. Moreover, the Shopify Google Sales Channel’s GA4 integration doesn’t provide some crucial parameters, including the
- coupon code,
- customer ID,
- variant ID, and many others.
This lack of data can limit your understanding of your customers’ behavior and hinder your decision-making.
That said, Shopify’s native Google Sales Channel app integration could do well if you only need basic reporting. But if you want to unlock the full potential of GA4 ecommerce reporting and many other benefits, you should opt for a professional solution like Analyzify.
Furthermore, support is a vital aspect to consider. Shopify does not offer personalized support or service-level agreements for this GA4 integration, potentially leaving you to navigate certain store-level complexities, such as multi-currency, multi-language, or inaccurate tracking issues, on your own. If you require assistance setting up or adjusting settings, you’re essentially left to your capabilities. However, professional solutions often compensate for this by providing dedicated support to assist with any concerns or inquiries you may encounter during the setup process and beyond.
Set up GA4 on Shopify w/ Google App
Before proceeding with the setup of GA4 on Shopify using the Google Sales Channel (also known as Native Shopify GA4 Integration), it’s important to consider the potential downsides (missing reports, missing values, missing events, lack of support) that we’ve previously outlined. If the Google app is already installed and in use on your Shopify, you can start from step 3.
If you don’t have a GA4 account set up yet or haven’t adjusted the necessary settings, please jump to the section where we provide a step-by-step guide for this process. Now, let’s begin:
If Google & YouTube (previously known as Google Sales Channel) is already installed on your Shopify app store, you may proceed directly to step 3. If not, please install this app from the Shopify app store first.
During the setup process, you’ll be presented with the question, “Looking only to set up Google Analytics 4?” Select this option if you do not wish to use Google Sales Channel for other purposes.
Proceed to authenticate your Google account. Following this, select your desired GA4 property and click ‘Connect’.
Once completed, your data should begin flowing seamlessly to the chosen GA4 property. This concludes the setup process.
Analyzify’s Shopify GA4 Integration
Analyzify provides a comprehensive GA4 integration for Shopify, encapsulating all ecommerce reports, events, and parameters. With a dedicated setup assistance, our expert team stands by you throughout the setup, validation, and resolution of any store-level issues that may arise. Additionally, we offer built-in GA4 reports to deliver a straightforward experience for those who prefer to avoid the complexity of navigating GA4.
Install Analyzify from the Shopify app store. Being the highest-rated Shopify GA4 app, Analyzify holds an impressive record of 207 reviews and an impeccable 5.0 average rating, and this count is only growing.
Simply head to the app store and click “Add App” to get started.
Known for its robust and comprehensive GA4 integration, backed by an expert support team, Analyzify ensures seamless compatibility. Select Google Analytics 4 as part of the onboarding process. We also highly recommend employing Google Ads Enhanced Conversions and the additional 10+ integrations Analyzify provides for maximum efficiency.
Choose between our expert-guided setup, completed within two business days, or go for a DIY approach with our detailed tutorials. Regardless of your choice, our dedicated team is ready to assist whenever you need.
We value the accuracy of your data and want to ensure it’s flowing properly. Request our team to validate your setup or do it yourself to ensure everything is operating perfectly.
With Analyzify, you gain access to a full suite of ecommerce reports in GA4. You can even view key GA4 reports directly on Analyzify’s user-friendly dashboard. Enjoy the richness of data insights Analyzify brings to your fingertips.
In the Shopify app store, you’ll find several GA4 apps and solutions to choose from. However, when deciding on the best solution for your business, we recommend taking the following criteria into account:
- Industry Experience: It’s crucial that your chosen solution provider possesses extensive industry knowledge, especially in both Shopify and Google Analytics landscapes. This ensures they understand the specific challenges and opportunities inherent to these platforms.
- Reviews: Pay attention to user reviews and ratings. They can provide valuable insights into the product’s performance and the quality of customer service.
- Support Scope & Setup Options: Opt for a solution that offers comprehensive support and flexible setup options. Whether you prefer a DIY approach or expert-guided setup, the provider should be able to cater to your needs.
- Additional Integrations: A solution with a range of integrations, like Google Ads or Google Tag Manager, can significantly enhance your data tracking and reporting capabilities.
- Comprehensive Documentation: A strong solution provider maintains a robust knowledge base. This demonstrates the provider’s expertise and commitment to helping their customers succeed.
When you weigh these factors, Analyzify emerges as a strong contender, offering comprehensive GA4 integration, expert setup assistance, a slew of additional integrations, and a stellar track record demonstrated by our reviews. Choose Analyzify to elevate your ecommerce analytics and performance.
Setting up and Optimizing GA4
As you set out to integrate GA4 with your Shopify store, it’s not just about the setup, but also optimizing the settings to get the most out of your analytics. In this section, we guide you through the process of creating a new GA4 property, suggest some recommended settings specifically tailored for Shopify merchants, and provide detailed instructions on adjusting these settings. Whether you’re dealing with referral exclusions, integrating Google Search Console, or setting up UTM parameters, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Let’s delve into it.
Creating a Google Analytics Account from Scratch
Follow these steps if you want to create a new GA4 property. We DO NOT recommend using Google’s official Google Analytics migration tool.
Navigate to Google Analytics and click “Start measuring”
Type up your “Account Name” and click NEXT.
Type a “Property Name”, and choose “Country” and “Currency”. Click NEXT.
Choose your Industry and Business Size and click NEXT.
Choose “Drive Online Sales”. This is the best choice for Shopify merchants. Click CREATE.
Click the “I also accept the Data Processing Terms as required by GDPR.” field and click “I ACCEPT”.
Now you have to create a “GA4 Data Stream”. Click “WEB”.
Type your website URL and Stream Name. You can use your Shopify store’s URL and name in these fields. Click “Create stream”.
Your “Google Analytics Account”, “GA4 Property,” and “GA4 Data Stream” have been created. Now click COPY icon to get your measurement ID. Save this somewhere as you will need to use this information in the setup phase.
Create a New GA4 Property on Your Existing Google Analytics Account
The following steps will help you create a GA4 property on your existing Google Analytics account. Follow these steps if you already have a Google Analytics account and actively using it.
Navigate to Google Analytics and click “ADMIN” from the bottom left corner.
Click “Create Property”.
Type up a “Property Name”, and choose “Country” and “Currency”. Click NEXT.
Choose your Industry and Business Size and click NEXT.
Choose “Drive Online Sales”. This is the best choice for Shopify merchants. Click CREATE.
Click the “I also accept the Data Processing Terms as required by GDPR.” field and click “I ACCEPT”.
Now you have to create a “GA4 Data Stream”. Click “WEB”.
Type your website URL and Stream Name. You can use your Shopify store’s URL and name in these fields. Click “Create stream”.
Your “Google Analytics Account”, “GA4 Property,” and “GA4 Data Stream” have been created. Now click COPY icon to get your measurement ID. Save this somewhere as you will need to use this information in the setup phase.
8 Important GA4 Settings for Shopify Merchants
Here is a set of GA4 settings that can help you collect data more accurately and benefit from its advanced features more effectively.
Set Referral Exclusions (Shop.app, PayPal, Stripe)
You can use referral exclusions to filter out unwanted traffic from your website.
For example, if you have a payment gateway like PayPal or Stripe on your website, you wouldn’t want to see PayPal as a referral source in your GA4 reports because it is not a source of new visitors or conversions.
We recommend excluding the following URLs as they are the most popular payment providers in Shopify environment. Feel free to add your own payment providers if you have different ones.
“shop.app”, “paypal.com”, “klarna”, “clearpay”, “stripe.com”, “shopify.com”, “pay.google.com”, “afterpay”, “apay-us.amazon.com”, “payments-eu.amazon.com”, “checkout.sezzle.com”, “checkout.shopifycs.com”, “quickpay.net”, “payments.amazon.de”, “mobilepay.dk”, “payments.amazon.co.uk”, “sfy-payments.molops.net”.
By setting referral exclusions, you can keep your analytics data accurate & relevant. Follow these steps to set them up on Google Analytics 4:
Click “Admin” at the bottom-left corner, then click on “Data Streams” on the second column.
Click on the data stream you wish to choose.
Choose “Configure Tagging Settings” under the “Google tag” section. Then, click on “List unwanted referrals”.
Select “Referral domain exactly matches” as the match type, type in the domain, and click “Add condition”. Repeat this for all the referral domains you want to exclude. After you are done, click “Save”.
Enable Google Signals
Google Signals is a new type of cross-device report for Google Analytics.
Once you enable Google Signals, you can gather data across different devices from users who are logged in to their Google accounts and have enabled Ads Personalization.
This allows you to have more accurate reporting on cross-devices and more data about your visitors.
Here is a quick look at how you can activate Google Signals on GA4:
Navigate to Google Analytics 4 Admin.
Go to Data Settings (under the “Property” column) > Data Collection.
Switch the toggle on next to “Google signals data collection”.
Integrate with Google Search Console & Ads
Linking GA4 with Google Ads & Search Console can help you analyze and optimize your online marketing performance.
Once you link integrate GA4 with Google Search Console and Google Ads, you can learn more about how users behave on your website after they click on an ad, and how your website ranks in search results.
Follow these steps to link Google Search Console and Google Ads to GA4:
Go to Google Analytics 4 Admin.
Click on “Search Console links” under “Product Links”, placed in the “Property” column. Then, do the same for “Google Ads links”.
Here is a more detailed guide to connecting Google Search Console & Google Ads.
UTM Settings (External)
Make sure to have UTM parameters on your external ads.
UTM parameters, codes added at the end of a URL to define where a specific traffic comes from, help you see where a specific traffic comes from.
With the right UTM settings, you can easily track the effectiveness of your online marketing campaigns across traffic sources.
For example, Facebook allows you to add dynamic fields to the UTMs. That means you don’t have to type the campaign and/or ad set names for each. So the ideal format here includes the dynamic parameters:
utm_source={{placement}}&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_id {{campaign.id}}&utm_term={{ad.id}}&utm_content={{adset.name}}
You can discover more about the topic with a detailed breakdown of ideal UTM setup for Shopify stores.
Disable GA4’s Built-in Form Interaction
Google Analytics 4 has a nice built-in function to track form interactions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work well on Shopify stores. It tracks other interactions such as add-to-cart as form interactions. This doesn’t directly harm your data but is an unnecessary load for your tracking setup. It increases your total event count – which might cause inaccuracy & malfunction.
This is activated by default so we recommend turning it off. You can follow the steps below to turn off form interactions:
Go to Google Analytics 4 Admin.
Find “Data Streams” and then click on the data stream you wish to choose.
Click the settings icon in the “Enhanced measurement” section, and then switch the toggle off next to “Form interactions”.
Re-adjust Session Timeout
A session ends after 30 minutes of no activity.
Yet, users can come back to your website several times in a few hours on the same day. So, all these user actions should belong to the same session, which means GA4 should record only one session.
To ensure that, you can set the session timeout to 7 hours and 55 minutes by following these steps:
Go to Google Analytics 4 Admin.
Find “Data Streams” and then click on the data stream you wish to choose.
Click “Configure tag settings”, and then “Show all”.
Select “Adjust session timeout”, and set it to 7 hours and 55 minutes. Then, save your changes.
Re-adjust Timer for Engaged Sessions
An engaged session is a type of session that shows a high level of user interaction with your website.
Therefore, a more reasonable criterion for measuring engaged sessions is to require a minimum duration of one minute on your website instead of only 10 seconds.
To change this setting:
Go to Google Analytics 4 Admin.
Find “Data Streams” and then click on the data stream you wish to choose.
Click “Configure tag settings”, and then “Show all”.
Select “Adjust session time out”, and set timer for engaged sessions to 60 seconds. Then, save your change.
Filter Out Internal Traffic
Not all the traffic to your website or app is from your external customers or users.
Some might be from your internal staff, such as developers, testers, marketers, or managers. This is called internal traffic. Internal traffic can affect your data quality and accuracy because it might not reflect how your real customers or users behave.
To exclude internal traffic:
Go to Google Analytics 4 Admin.
Find “Data Streams” and then click on the data stream you wish to choose.
Click “Configure tag settings”, and then “Show all”.
Select “Define internal traffic” and then “Create.”
Create a “Rule name”, change the IP address match type to “IP address equals”.
Find out your IP address by clicking “What’s my IP address?”, and add it to the ”Value”. You can add more IP addresses by clicking “Add condition”.
GA4 Ecommerce Reports
Here you’ll find the most important Google Analytics 4 reports that you should check out regularly for your Shopify store. This will help you have a deeper understanding so that you don’t get lost in numbers anymore! You don’t need to be an expert in Google Analytics, but having a good command of the essential reports can be game-changing to have a strategic plan.
Let’s break down the most crucial Shopify GA4 reports and ensure you have a clear vision for success.
Before we start, let’s make sure that you have Google Analytics 4 set up on your Shopify store. Check out the Shopify GA4 integration section above.
If you don’t have a Shopify store or GA4 property and still want to check these reports, it is not a problem. Google provides a GA4 demo property for those who want to learn. Use the following link to access GA4’s demo account.
Traffic & Attribution Reports
In Google Analytics 4, navigate to Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels.
This is the first report you should check out daily or weekly based on the traffic to your Shopify store. The “Traffic Source” and the other metrics by “Traffic Source,” total revenue, and more can be observed via this table.
💡 Tip: This data can help you identify the channels through which your customers are coming, place your advertisements on channels that generate more revenue, optimize your Shopify product pages if visitors are not engaging with them, and improve the overall user experience.
Product & Category & Brand Performance Reports
Now, go to Monetization > Ecommerce purchases in Google Analytics 4.
1. Product
Here you can see some details about the product name, item view, add-to-carts, cart-to-view rate, item purchases, and more.
It’s important to note that the “cart-to-view” metric is important to understand the ratio of view/add-to-cart. Additionally, the item revenue and purchase-to-view rate metrics are helpful to have an idea about product-level performance.
💡 Tip: This report lets you quickly see the most popular product that you sell in your Shopify store.
2. Category
Now, let’s select the item category after clicking on the item name. It provides insight into the questions of:
- Which categories are not performing well?
- Which categories do I earn more income from?
- Which categories are my users more interested in?
- In which category would it make sense to increase the number and variety of products?
💡 Tip: The item category can bring your entire Shopify product catalog into Analytics and let you measure the user behavior, traffic, and revenue thanks to the category-specific data.
3. Brand
Let’s head to the item brand from the item name now. We see a page similar to the one we examined in item-name and item-product, at this point.
💡 Tip: With this report, we can identify which brands are selling better or which brands are not performing well here. Accordingly, we can increase the product range of the brand in our Shopify store which provides us with more income.
Monetization Reports
Now, let’s navigate to Monetization > Overview.
Here you will see the total revenue, e-commerce revenue, and total ad revenue tabs. You can see the change in the graph by clicking on these tabs. When you hover over it through any point, you can get more detailed information about your data.
When you scroll down, you’ll see more graphs about total purchases, first-time purchases, average purchase revenue by user, and more. You can customize the graphs according to the data you want to see.
💡 Tip: As we know, many Shopify store owners use coupons to promote their products or increase sales. If you do the same, you can use this section to see your performance at the coupon level and get information about how the coupon affects your Shopify sales.
Retention & Lifetime Value
Without a doubt, lifetime value is one of the most important metrics for Shopify stores. In Google Analytics 4, navigate to Life cycle > Retention.
When you hover over it through any point, you can get more in-depth information for any specific time, and you can add a comparison to see the difference in case you need it.
💡 Tip: This report helps you realize how frequently and for how long users engage with your Shopify store. It analyzes user behavior in general and its value as a lifetime customer. This helps a company determine profitability and manage goals for growth.
Healthcheck Reports by Tech Overview
These reports can help you detect the technical or responsiveness issues your Shopify store might have on different devices, operating systems or browsers. To answer these questions, navigate to User > Tech > Tech Overview in Google Analytics 4.
💡 Tip: Tech details are significant to identifying a good user experience. Relying on the tech report, you can spot the issues with your website.
For example, if the number of users using mobile is higher than the number of people using tablets, but the income you get from the tablet users is twice as much as the one you get from the mobile, you can conclude that there may be a problem concerning the mobile system. It might be about the payment part, or the pop-ups could be large enough to disturb. On the other hand, there could also be a problem depending on the operating system used on the mobile.
Furthermore, if there is a low engagement rate on a particular browser, you can infer that it could be all about a compatibility issue. Likewise, if engaged sessions are too low, there could be an issue with functioning. Besides, with screen resolution, you can check things like your font size, etc., to make sure that your website is well-optimized for everyone.
Migration from Universal Analytics to GA4
Unfortunately there isn’t any one-click or automatic Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 migration options. It requires manual effort and attention to detail. However, some assets can be migrated directly. In this section, we’ll guide you through these steps.
Importing Audiences from UA
If you’ve been using Audiences in Universal Analytics(UA), you can migrate them to GA4 using Google’s official migration tool. However, it’s important to note that not all audiences can be migrated, depending on their specific rules. For a detailed guide on how to migrate your audiences, you can refer to our in-depth tutorial.
Visit Google’s relevant support article to install the official Google Sheet Add-on. Click “GA4 Migrator for Google Analytics”
Click “Install” on the GA4 Migrator Google App page, and then select “Continue” to provide permission.
Authenticate with your Google Account. Please note that this account needs to have access to both Universal Analytics and GA4 properties.
Click “Allow” after you authenticate with your account, then click “DONE” once it’s installed.
Now you need to create a new Google Sheet. You can use this link, or Click “Create a new Google Sheet” on the help document.
You will find the tool under “Extensions”. It might take some time to appear here. Reload the page if you don’t see it. Later on, find and click “Migrate audience definitions to GA4”.
A sidebar will open automatically. You need to choose your Google Analytics account and Universal Analytics Property. Click “Import Audiences from Universal Analytics” button.
The button might seem disabled in the beginning. You can wait some time and try re-choosing your property if it doesn’t work.
Not all audiences are migratable. You will see the details in the sheet. Click “Select all migratable audiences” and click Continue.
Make sure that migratable audiences are selected. Later on, choose your GA4 property and then click “Migrate”.
You will get a notification once this is completed successfully. Click “Ok” and visit Google Analytics 4 to double check.
Find your GA4 property and click.
Click Admin from the bottom left corner, then find “Audiences” under the “Property” column.
You must be seeing your newly migrated audiences here.
Importing Goals from UA
Goals from Universal Analytics(UA) can be directly imported into Google Analytics 4 as Conversions. Unlike the migration of audiences, this process doesn’t require an external tool or sheet add-on. You can import Goals directly using the GA4 Setup Assistant in the Google Analytics Admin section. For a step-by-step guide on how to import your Goals, follow our tutorial.
Visit your GA4 Property and click “Admin” at the bottom left.
Choose “Setup Assistant” in the middle column under the “Property” section.
Find “Set up conversions” and click on the arrow.
Click “Import from Universal Analytics”.
Your “Goals” will be listed here. Click “Import selected conversions” to import them into GA4. Most Shopify merchants will see “Purchase” and other manually created Goals here.
Reload the page and Double-check if your conversions are correctly imported.
Using GA4 Conversions in Google Ads
Google Ads allows you to import Goals from Universal Analytics as Google Ads Conversions. However, once Universal Analytics stops processing data, this functionality will cease. To prepare for this change, make sure you’re not using Universal Analytics Goals as your primary conversion. Instead, import conversions from GA4 and use them as secondary conversions.
For primary conversions, use the Google Ads Tag and ideally Enhanced conversions. Analyzify offers robust conversion tracking for Shopify merchants, ensuring you have the most accurate data for your ad campaigns.
