Are you running a Shopify store or leveraging the Shopify checkout flow for your e-commerce site, but feeling like you’re navigating in the dark? Understanding your customers, knowing where your traffic comes from, and seeing what products are truly driving sales is crucial for growth. Not only does it inform advertising efforts, but it also enables organizations to identify potential improvements that can be implemented across the user journey. This is where Google Analytics tracking for Shopify comes in. It provides the vital data you need to make informed decisions, optimize your store/checkout flow, and ultimately drive more revenue.
Not only does it give your organization the ability to report on site performance and revenue driven, but checkout and purchase-related data is also vital for ensuring advertising efforts are being optimized.
What is the Google & YouTube App?
To properly install Google Analytics, it is recommended that organizations leverage The Google & YouTube app. This app is a free-to-install and currently available in the Shopify App Store. It acts as a central hub within your Shopify admin to connect your store with various Google services, including Google Merchant Center, Google Ads, Google Analytics, and YouTube Shopping.
The app simplifies the process of syncing products and promotions, managing ad campaigns, and, importantly for our discussion, setting up accurate analytics collection. Using the app ensures that your Google tags are implemented in a way that is compatible with Shopify’s evolving platform, particularly the new checkout experience.
Step-by-Step Implementation
Implementing Google Analytics using the Google & YouTube app is the recommended and easiest method for Shopify store owners to ensure accurate measurement. The process generally involves installing the app and connecting your Google Analytics account.
- Navigate to the Shopify App Store: The app store is accessible from within your Shopify store’s side panel. Identify the store where you need to set up Google Analytics and navigate to the app store.
- Install the Google & YouTube App: If it has not already been installed, search for and locate the “Google & YouTube” app in the Shopify App Store and install it on your store.
- Connect Your Google Account: Once installed, navigate to the Google & YouTube app within your Shopify admin. You will typically be prompted to connect a Google account. This account should preferably have administrator access to your Google Analytics property.
- Connect Google Analytics: Within the app’s settings or during the onboarding process, select the option to connect Google Analytics.
- Select Your Google Analytics Property: Choose the specific Google Analytics property you want to link to your Shopify store.
- Allow App to Load Tags: When you connect your Google Analytics account, the Google & YouTube app will automatically load the corresponding Google tags necessary for tracking on your website. The app is designed to measure Shopify-specific ecommerce events and parameters.
Note: Shopify is updating its platform, especially the checkout experience. If you were previously using legacy methods like checkout.liquid, additional scripts on the order status page, or older Shopify Analytics integrations, you must migrate your tags to the Google & YouTube app to avoid losing conversion data. Shopify has deadlines for these migrations, after which legacy methods will break.
Google Analytics Data Collection
Once the app has been integrated with your Shopify app, Google Analytics events will automatically start flowing into the property that was linked in the process above. If its ecommerce site is leveraging the app for their checkout flow only, the Google & YouTube app makes the deployment, collection, and management of event tracking substantially easier. Below is a list of the automatically collected events that will be passed to the connected GA property:
| Event Name | Event Description |
|---|---|
| page_view | A customer visited a page on the site. |
| search | A customer completed a search on the site. |
| view_item | A customer viewed an item on your on the site. |
| add_to_cart | A customer added a product to cart. |
| begin_checkout | A customer started the checkout process. |
| add_payment_info | A customer successfully entered the necessary payment info. |
| purchase | A customer fully completed the checkout process. |
Verifying Your Setup
Once you’ve connected your Google Analytics account through the app, it’s crucial to verify that data is being collected correctly. The app is designed to start measuring Shopify-specific ecommerce events automatically.
You can use tools like Tag Explorer or check your network requests to confirm that the Google tags are firing on the conversion (Thank You) page and other relevant pages. Within your Google Analytics property, you should start seeing data populate, reflecting activity on your Shopify store.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
While the Google & YouTube app simplifies tracking, older methods of tracking your Shopify pages may result in organizations running into a few potential issues:
- Data Discrepancies or Loss: This is often related to not migrating from older, deprecated Shopify tagging methods (like checkout.liquid, additional scripts, or the old Analytics integration) to the Google & YouTube app before Shopify’s deadlines for updating the “Thank you” and “Order” status pages. Migrating your tags to the app is essential to prevent tag breakage and ensure accurate data.
- Custom Pixels Causing Problems: Running Google tags inside Shopify’s custom pixel feature is not a supported implementation and can lead to data collection issues and features not working correctly. It’s recommended to use the Google & YouTube app for sitewide measurement.
- Google Tag Manager Limitations: Due to platform limitations, you cannot set up Google Tag Manager through the Google & YouTube app and is not recommended to be deployed through Shopify’s custom pixel. Google recommends configuring measurement for products directly in the Google & YouTube app, instead of relying on GTM containers running on the Shopify site for key pages like checkout.
- Account Access/Permissions: Ensure the Google account connected to the app has direct administrator access to the Google Analytics account. If access is an issue, you can manually add tags without connecting the account, although connecting is recommended. The app only supports connecting one account of each product type; manual tags might be needed for multiple accounts.
Consent Management and Additional Platform Tracking
While this article focuses on setting up Google Analytics tracking through the Google & YouTube app, there are still additional apps that are necessary to ensure proper data collection across other platforms and compliant data collection. Failing to properly adhere to consent requirements or provide adequate user consent options can lead to substantial compliance and privacy risks. It is highly recommended that organizations ensure their data collection and advertising efforts are consistently monitored for compliance and privacy violations as a way to be proactive.
Next Steps
With accurate Google Analytics data flowing from your Shopify store, you can start leveraging this new data collection to accelerate your organizations’ growth through insights.
- Analyze traffic sources to see where your top customers are coming from.
- Understand customer behavior on your site, including popular products and conversion paths.
- Use ecommerce reports to track sales performance, average order value, and product revenue.
- Integrate Google Ads, CM360, DV360, and SA360 with Google Analytics to improve campaign optimization and bidding strategies, potentially leveraging Google AI solutions like Smart Bidding and Performance Max.
- Set up Enhanced Conversions via the app to improve conversion measurement accuracy and unlock more powerful bidding.
- Migrate or build audiences in Google Analytics and share them with Google Ads for targeted campaigns.
Top 5 Recommendations for Tracking Shopify pages with Google Analytics
- Leverage The Google & YouTube App: This is the recommended and easiest method for Shopify store owners to ensure accurate measurement. The app acts as a central hub to connect your Shopify store with various Google services, including Google Analytics, and simplifies the process of setting up accurate analytics collection in a way that is compatible with Shopify’s evolving platform.
- Migrate from Legacy Tracking Methods: If you were previously using older methods like checkout.liquid, additional scripts on the order status page, or older Shopify Analytics integrations, it is crucial to migrate your tags to The Google & YouTube app. This will prevent losing conversion data as Shopify updates its platform, especially the checkout experience.
- Verify Your Setup: After connecting your Google Analytics account through the app, verify that data is being collected correctly. Use tools like Tag Explorer or check network requests to confirm that Google tags are firing on key pages, including the conversion (Thank You) page. Ensure you see data populating in your Google Analytics property.
- Prioritize Consent Management and Compliance: Beyond the technical setup, ensure you are addressing user consent for data collection. The article stresses the importance of proper consent options to avoid substantial compliance and privacy risks, recommending consistent monitoring of data collection and advertising efforts.
- Integrate Google Ads and GMP Suite with Google Analytics for Enhanced Advertising: Leverage the collected data by integrating Google Ads & GMP products with your Google Analytics property. This allows for improved campaign optimization, better bidding strategies (including Google AI solutions like Smart Bidding and Performance Max), and a clearer view of your advertising ROI.
Talk with the Experienced Retail and e-Commerce Team at InfoTrust
Implementing Google Analytics on your Shopify store is a fundamental step towards data-driven growth. The Google & YouTube app provides a streamlined, reliable method to connect your store and ensure accurate tracking, particularly with Shopify’s platform updates. Getting data collection right is crucial for understanding your customers and driving sales.
Feeling stressed out about all the industry and technology changes happening around you? At InfoTrust, we can guide you through the process of installation and connection, ensuring you don’t miss any vital data. Contact us today to get started and avoid the pitfalls of inaccurate tracking.
