Google Analytics provides a comprehensive view of customer behavior, sessions, and other key metrics on your Shopify store. As of July 1, 2023, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the default tracking solution, replacing Universal Analytics. Here's a guide to setting up and using GA4 on your Shopify store.

Setting up Google Analytics 4

To use Google Analytics 4, you need to create a Google Analytics account, set up a GA4 property, add GA4 tags to your Shopify store, and link your Google Ads account to your GA4 property.

Step 1: Create a Google Account and Google Analytics Account

To get started, create a Google Analytics account using an existing Google account or create a new one. This account will be used to access Google Analytics and other Google services like Gmail or Ads.

Step 2: Create or Move a Google Analytics 4 Property

Create a new Google Analytics 4 property or migrate an existing Universal Analytics property to GA4. Ensure you create a web data stream to capture analytics data. Note the Tag ID from the web data stream for later use.

Step 3: Add Google Analytics 4 Tags

To add GA4 tags to your Shopify store, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Shopify admin and select Online Store > Preferences.
2. In the Google Analytics section, click Manage pixel here.
3. Click Connect your Google account.
4. In the Your Google Analytics property section, select the GA4 property you created.
5. Click Connect.

This setup process may prompt you to install the Google & YouTube channel if you don't have it installed already. After the setup, ensure your store isn't password-protected, as Google Analytics can't track events on password-protected pages.

Step 4: Link Your Google Analytics Account to Your Google Ads Account

Linking Google Analytics to Google Ads helps analyze customer behavior and create audiences for targeted marketing. To link your Google Analytics account to Google Ads, refer to Google's documentation on linking Google Ads and Analytics.

Tracking Additional Google Analytics Events

Google Analytics 4 automatically tracks certain e-commerce events, providing insights into customer actions on your Shopify store. Here are some of the automatically tracked events:

• page_view: When a customer visits a page on your online store.
• search: When a customer searches for a product.
• view_item: When a customer views a product.
• add_to_cart: When a customer adds a product to their cart.
• begin_checkout: When a customer starts the checkout process.
• add_payment_info: When a customer enters payment information successfully.
• purchase: When a customer completes their checkout.

By using Google Analytics 4, you gain valuable insights into customer behavior and interactions, allowing you to make informed decisions to improve your Shopify store's performance.