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As a digital marketing agency with years of experience working with Shopify and Google Analytics, we understand that it may be difficult to track key metrics between the two accurately.

Because of this, we wanted to compile a list of some of the main reasons data discrepancies can occur, as well as some tactics to overcome these issues, which you can review below.

Is Your Data Not Matching Up? Consider These 4+ Factors

Below are some common issues we’ve noticed for Shopify sites:

1. Incorrect GA4 Configuration

Though it doesn’t take a Google Analytics expert to set up GA4 on your Shopify store, implementing this software incorrectly is common, and improper setup can lead to more inconsistent data in the long run. This can include common mistakes such as ignoring data retention settings or not installing the tracking code correctly on your Shopify site.

As your trusted digital marketing agency, we want to ensure that not only is your GA4 set up correctly, but any ongoing issues can be easily resolved. So, to gain a better understanding of the new Google Analytics interface, check out some of our GA4 blog posts:

2. Latency, Timezone, and Currency Differences

If your GA4 is configured correctly, just one of the discrepancies that you may be experiencing can come from data latency between the two platforms. It might take Google Analytics a couple of hours to process your order and attribute the purchase to your performance metrics, so it’s best to wait at least 24 hours before considering the data as not accounted for.

Along with latency, timezone and currency differences can lead to inaccurate reporting. If a customer is purchasing a product in a different timezone than your business, it can cause a delay in GA4. And if your customer is purchasing in anything besides U.S. dollars, this will cause currency recalculations using the previous day’s exchange rate, causing you to see an inconsistency in gross revenue.

3. iOS and Safari Limitations

Since the rollout of iOS 14.5, the use of Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) has made it so online stores need an owner’s permission to track their data. Because of this, Littledata, Shopify’s app to track missing revenue in GA4, won’t be able to completely track any customer actions from the client’s point of view.

When using Safari for your browsing and purchasing purposes, it can also shorten the life of your cookie, ultimately making tracking more difficult if not handled accordingly. To help prevent some of these issues from occurring long-term, check out this post about how to use server-side tracking on ecommerce sites.

4. Pages Aren’t Fully Loaded

In some cases, it’s common for visitors to leave your website immediately after finalizing a purchase. If this happens, transactions and data may not be reported accurately, if at all, in Google Analytics.

In other instances, your website may not seamlessly direct customers to your Thank You page after completing a purchase, which can also lead to inconsistencies between Shopify and GA4.

Though companies cannot advise customers to stay on the page after completing a purchase, utilizing Google Tag Manager on Shopify can help render scripts faster, helping reduce data differences in the future.

Additional Reasons for Data Discrepancies

On top of the factors previously listed, other reasons that you may be seeing inconsistencies between your GA4 and Shopify data include the following:

  • Extra trackers on your site can cause an unintentional doubling in data
  • Free versions of GA4 max at 10 million events per query, meaning all your data past that cannot be tracked
  • Google will count every page reload but does not count the reloads of cached pages
  • GDPR and CCPA require user consent before tracking can begin
  • WiFi connections interrupted a user’s session on site
  • Checkout apps can work against Shopify’s native flow, disrupting tracking
  • Custom page builders sometimes do not include special Google Analytics integration to keep track of actions

Additionally, if your business uses bookings as its main conversion as opposed to purchases, it could skew your purchases and revenue in GA4. This can include companies in the dental, education, and contracting industries, to name a few.

If you have any additional questions regarding your ecommerce discrepancies when viewing GA4, know that our team can assist you, so contact us for more information!

Enlist the Help of Our Shopify Experts

Beyond our Shopify and GA4 assistance, we’d love to be your destination for help with shopping ads, organic search, custom Shopify designs, and more. Contact our ecommerce agency today.

About the Author

Sixth City Marketing

This post was written and edited by current and previous employees at Sixth City Marketing.