Shopify Google Analytics: A Beginner’s Guide to Set Up

Every Shopify owner wants more traffic and sales, but many don’t know how to track what’s working. That’s why Google Analytics on Shopify is so valuable. It helps you see what your customers do and where to improve. If you are here, it means that setting up Shopify Google Analytics is not as easy as it sounds.

But don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll explain to you what Google Analytics is and why it’s essential to connect it to your Shopify store. From here, you’ll learn how to add Google Analytics to Shopify from scratch.

Now let’s unleash the full potential of Shopify Google Analytics.

1. Shopify Google Analytics overview

1.1. What is Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free web analytics tool provided by Google that collects data from your websites and mobile applications. This data is then processed and converted into detailed reports, helping you gain a clearer understanding of the way users interact with your digital presence and how your business is performing online.

Here’s exactly what Google Analytics helps you do:

• Track website and app traffic: See how many users visit your site or app, where they come from, what pages they view, and how long they stay.
• Gain user insights: Understand your audience’s demographics, interests, and behavior patterns on your platform.
• Measure campaign effectiveness: Monitor which marketing activity generates the highest traffic and conversions.
• Analyze the customer journey: Identify how users navigate your site or app, spot where they drop off, and improve the overall user experience.
• Access multi-platform data: View analytics across websites and apps in one place, giving you a unified picture of user behavior.

‼️ Important note: Google Analytics is not automatically integrated into all platforms. It needs to be implemented manually. In case you manage a Shopify store and want to track performance using Google Analytics, then you’ll need to set up the integration yourself to start collecting meaningful data.

Currently, GA4 (Google Analytics 4) is the latest version of this tool, replacing the older Universal Analytics. Below are a few key differences between these two versions.

1.2. Why you should integrate Google Analytics with Shopify

Integrating Google Analytics with your Shopify store gives you access to insights that go far beyond basic sales data. Let’s go through some of the powerful benefits you can unlock by setting up Google Analytics for your Shopify store.

1.2.1. Track your sales and conversions

With Google Analytics, you are counting much more than just visits. The tool uncovers what actions lead to sales. It lets you know which product pages seal the deal and where customers are leaving before they hit the ‘Buy’ button.

By following users through the sales funnel, you can spot hidden friction points that cost you conversions. This gives you the clarity to fix what’s broken and double down on what’s driving revenue.

1.2.2. Optimize your marketing strategies

Instead of simply guessing where customers are coming from, Google Analytics connects the dots between your campaigns and actual results. Whether it be social media, email, or paid ads, you’ll know exactly which touchpoints are worth your money.

You can even track audience behavior by campaign and find out which messaging truly resonates. That means more relevant targeting, sharper content, and less wasted ad budget.

1.2.3. Elevate the customer experience

Google Analytics gives you a front-row seat to the full customer journey, from the first click to abandonment at checkout. You’ll see what captures attention, what gets ignored, and where users get stuck.

‼️Reminder: Shopify currently offers a great deal for store beginners called Shopify 1 dollar 3 months, so make sure to check it out!

With this level of detail, you can create a shopping experience that feels seamless, intuitive, and personalized. Happy users convert better, and GA gives you the insights to make that happen.

2. How to set up Shopify Google Analytics

In this section, we’ll walk you through the Google Analytics on Shopify setup process so you can start tracking the data that matters most.

Before we dive in, this guide assumes you already have your Shopify store fully set up and ready to go. If you haven’t launched your store yet, follow our tutorial on how to launch a Shopify store for step-by-step guidance.

In case you want an available store ready to use right away, you can purchase one from our pre built Shopify stores.

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics account

• The first step is to create a Google account for your brand, then sign up for a new Google Analytics account. If you have already got one, you can skip this step.
• Visit accounts.google.com/signup and fill in the information required to complete the signup process.

• Once you have a Google account, go to analytics.google.com and sign in using your new credentials > Click Start Measuring to begin setting up your Google Analytics account.

Step 2: Set up a new GA4 property

• After signing in to Google Analytics > click Admin at the bottom left.

• Click Create > select Account.
  • Account: This is the top-level container that holds your properties (usually one per business).
  • Property: This is where your website or app data will be collected and analyzed.

• Under Account Details > enter your Account Name > scroll down and click Next.

• Under Property Details > enter a Property Name (e.g., your website name), > click Next.

• Choose your business objective (e.g., “Generate leads” or “Drive sales”) > click Create.

• In the Start collecting data section > click Web.

• Under Set up data stream > enter your Website URL and give your stream a name > click Create & Continue.

• A Measurement ID will appear in the format G-XXXXXXXXXX. Copy this ID because you’ll need it to use for your Shopify store later.

Step 3: Add Google Analytics to Shopify

• Go to the Shopify App Store > install the Google & YouTube app.
• In your Shopify Admin, click Settings > Customer Events > choose Google & YouTube app.

• In the app > click Connect Google Account.

• Select the Google account you used to create your Google Analytics property.

• Under Looking to set up Google Analytics 4 > click Get Started.

• In the Connect Google Analytics property > click the box and select the correct Measurement ID (the one you copied in Step 2) > then click Connect.

You’re all done! Google Analytics 4 is now successfully connected to your Shopify store.

Step 4: Activate eCommerce tracking in Google Analytics

With Enhanced eCommerce, you can track more data about the store: how many times a product is viewed, how many times a purchase is made, and how customers make their way through the checkout process of their Shopify store. It gives you more information about your customers and their shopping methods.

• Return to Google Analytics: Head back to your Google Analytics dashboard and make sure Enhanced eCommerce tracking is turned on.
• Access Admin Settings: Click the Admin option located in the lower-left corner > under the View column, choose eCommerce Settings.
• Activate eCommerce Features: Enable both eCommerce and Enhanced eCommerce Reporting to allow Analytics to capture detailed shopping behavior and transaction data.
• Save Changes: Once these options are enabled, click Save to confirm and apply the settings.
• Confirm in Shopify: Go to your Shopify Admin panel > click Settings > open the Checkout section. Under Order Processing > check that Enhanced eCommerce in the Google Analytics settings is activated.

3. What you can track with Shopify Google Analytics

When you add Google Analytics to Shopify, you get a gold mine of information that you can utilize to make your store even better for customers.

Here’s a quick look at the key metrics you can track with Shopify Google Analytics to better understand your customers and boost results.

• Visitors: This metric shows how many specific users visit your site and differentiates new visitors from returning ones. It helps inform you whether your store is generating new interest or nurturing customer loyalty.
• Sessions: A session measures each time a person views or interacts with your shop. Keeping track of session counts gives you a sense of how frequently people engage with your content and products.
• Traffic sources: Traffic sources reveal where your visitors are coming from, such as search engines, paid ads, social media, or referral links. This information should help you evaluate which marketing channels are bringing valuable traffic.
• Conversions and sales: These metrics track purchases, revenue, and conversion rates. They show how well your store turns visitors into buyers and provide insight into modifications you can make to campaigns, pricing, or product offers.
• User behavior: User behavior includes page views, time spent on site, bounce rate, and click paths. It helps you identify what content users engage with, where they drop off, and what areas need improvement to increase retention and conversions.

4. Common mistakes with Shopify Google Analytics and how to avoid them 

With little knowledge of how to set up or use Shopify Google Analytics, many store owners make serious mistakes despite their best intentions. And I bet you do not want to be one of them.

Below are the most common mistakes with Shopify Google Analytics you can make and how to fix or prevent them.

4.1. Still use Universal Analytics instead of GA 4

Many Shopify users are still running Universal Analytics (UA), even though it was officially sunset by Google in 2023. Since UA does not process any new data, any reliance on it will result in missing reports and outdated insights.

👉🏻 How to avoid: Make sure you’ve migrated to GA4, which is the latest version. Log in to your Google Analytics account > create a GA4 property > follow Google’s setup assistant to configure data streams.

4.2. Double tracking with GA Code and GTM

One of the most common issues when working with Google Analytics Shopify setup is accidental double tracking. This usually happens when both the GA4 tag and Google Tag Manager are installed without coordination, causing inflated pageview counts and messy reports.

👉🏻 How to avoid: Decide whether you want to use native tracking by inserting the GA4 tag directly into Shopify or manage everything through GTM, not both. If you choose GTM, remove any hard-coded GA snippets from your Shopify theme. Then, ensure the GA4 configuration tag in GTM is correctly set up with your measurement ID and test it using Google Tag Assistant or DebugView.

4.3. Not set up goals or conversions

Simply installing Google Analytics on Shopify isn’t enough. Without defining what success looks like, such as purchases, newsletter signups, or add-to-cart actions, you won’t get the data needed to evaluate performance effectively.

👉🏻 How to avoid: In GA4, go to Events and mark key user actions like add to cart, start checkout, or complete purchase as conversions. If these actions aren’t tracked by default, create custom events via GTM or GA4’s event builder.

4.4. Ignore checkout events

Focusing only on completed orders gives you an incomplete view of the customer journey. Skipping the checkout step tracking makes it difficult to know where users abandon the process, which can lead to revenue loss.

👉🏻 How to avoid: Use Shopify and Google Analytics together to track each stage of the checkout process, such as ‘start checkout’, ‘add shipping information’, and ‘add payment method’. You can set these up through enhanced eCommerce or Google Tag Manager.

4.5. Track without a clear business goal

Most advertisers track all sorts of things, but do not have a clear strategy in mind, which only serves to make reports very complicated and harder to focus on what is really important.

👉🏻 How to avoid: Start by defining your main business objectives. Then, structure your tracking in Shopify Google Analytics to focus on actions that directly support those goals. Keep your event setup clean and intentional, so that your reports remain actionable and aligned with your strategy.

5. Conclusion

Shopify GA4 integration can be an effective tool for growing your eCommerce business. With the right tracking in place, Shopify Google Analytics becomes a powerful tool for improving conversions and making smarter marketing decisions.

We hope this guide will make it easy for you to set up your analytics and start gaining reliable insights into your store. In case you’re just starting or need expert help, our Shopify store setup service can ensure everything is set in place from the get-go.

If you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to share this post and follow eComStart for more tips to make better decisions, increase sales, and build real Shopify success.

6. FAQs