You’ve finally installed GA4 on your Shopify store, but when it comes to analyzing the revenue data, something just doesn’t add up. Why is the data from Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Shopify Analytics different? This problem isn’t exclusive to Shopify store owners, but also merchants on other third-party platforms like Shopline and 91APP. Here, TenMax identifies four major reasons for the data discrepancy to help answer your questions!
CONTENTS
- Shopify and GA4 Calculation Differences
- Four Reasons Why Shopify and GA4 Data are Different
- How to resolve data discrepancies?
Shopify and GA4 Calculation Differences
There are three fundamental differences in the way Shopify and GA4 calculate data:
- Time Zone: GA4 doesn’t calculate new sessions after 12:00 a.m., while Shopify starts new sessions after midnight.
- Metrics: By default, GA4 considers active users. Active users are defined as users in a “time zone”, meaning that users who are online during this hour are considered active users. While for Shopify, it directly counts visitors as users.
- Blockers: Some users use browser extensions to avoid being tracked, potentially leading to inaccuracies in Shopify’s calculations, particularly if common plugins are in use.
Four Reasons Why Shopify and GA4 Data are Different
Aside from the inherent differences in how Shopify and GA4 calculate data, we should also consider the following scenarios that can lead to data disparities:
- User or Browser Declined Data Collection : Users who decline to give permission to use cookies may prevent the collection of user information when browsing in incognito mode or with tracking protection enabled.
- Incomplete Page Loading : Sometimes, consumers may not wait for the third-party payment page to load fully before closing it after completing a purchase, which can prevent GA4 events from triggering and result in data discrepancies.
- Currency and Timezone Mismatch : Different time zone and currency settings on Shopify and GA4 can lead to mismatched data on conversion-related metrics.
- Incorrect GA4 Implementation : It is possible that a merchant may have set up the GA4 event with the wrong triggers in the first place, resulting in inaccurate data collection between GA4 and Shopify.
While both Shopify and GA4 have their data discrepancies, they each have their strengths in data collection. For a more comprehensive understanding of Shopify and GA4, you can read more about Shopify and GA4 by clicking Extended Reading.
Read more | Why Does Your Shopify Need to Connect to GA4?
How to resolve data discrepancies?
Having said that, is there any way to solve the data discrepancy? The answer is that achieving perfect alignment between different platforms is unlikely. However, we can enhance accuracy by cross-referencing key events using individual data points. For instance, transaction IDs, which are unique to each transaction, can be used to detect duplicate or missing values, thereby improving precision.
If you haven’t set up GA4 on Shopify yet, you can refer to the extended reading to complete the setup in three steps. Feel free to contact TenMax’s professional integration team, which will not only help you to solve your problems in Shopify, but also provide you with a free GA4 health check service!
Read more | Shopify GA4 Setup in 3 Steps
