Question from Gregor:
Hi, I have a queation regarding Shopify and Google analytics.
We connected GA with Shopify but there are still missing data in GA. If I check sessions in Shopify for last month and sessions in GA there is a difference of almost 50%. How can I check connection and how to find a problem?
Thanks, Gregor
Answer from Nabil:
That kind of session discrepancy between Shopify’s internal metrics and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is unfortunately common and can be really frustrating.
A 50% drop is significant, but there are a few usual culprits and a robust solution that can help.
The first step in checking the connection is ensuring that your GA4 configuration within Shopify’s settings is correct and that the data stream is active.
You should also check for any ad blockers or browser privacy settings that might be preventing the GA4 tracking code from firing consistently for all users, which is a frequent source of missing data.
Another major factor could be the timing of the events – Shopify might count a user in a different way or at a different point in the journey than when the GA4 tracking code executes on the page.
A more advanced and reliable solution to combat this gap involves a server-side approach using the Shopify API, the Google Analytics Data API, Google Tag Manager (GTM), and a server-side tagging environment like Stape or Google Cloud Platform.
This setup is often called server-side tracking and is a good solution because it moves the data collection logic from the user’s browser, which can be blocked or interrupted, to a server environment you control.
Here is how the components work together – the Shopify API provides a reliable stream of high-quality, unadulterated data about crucial events, such as when an order is actually placed.
You can use this API to get back-end data on transactions and customer actions, which is much more resilient than browser-based tracking.
This data can then be sent to a server-side GTM container running on a service like Stape or Google Cloud Platform.
From this server, you can reliably send the data directly to GA4 using the Google Analytics Data API or the Measurement Protocol.
This bypasses many client-side blockers and ensures that key events, particularly your purchase event, are recorded accurately.
This method is much better at capturing events like add_to_cart, begin_checkout, and purchase, as you are basing the data transmission on what definitively happened in Shopify’s back-end systems, rather than solely relying on a pixel firing in a customer’s browser.
This server-side methodology drastically improves data completeness and accuracy, getting you much closer to that 1:1 match with Shopify’s internal numbers.
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