TRACKING PROBLEMS
Tracking problems on Shopify, and how to check them
Meta purchases
Problem
Meta shows fewer purchases than Shopify
Meta's Purchase count is lower than your Shopify paid orders. Three common causes and a step by step check you can do in Events Manager today.
Problem
Meta counts purchases twice
Meta shows more purchases than you had Shopify orders. Why browser and server events double up, and how to find every sender in your store.
Problem
Conversions API says events received, Events Manager shows nothing
Your server gets events_received from Meta but Events Manager is empty. Check the dataset ID, event time and date range before you debug anything else.
Problem
Low Event Match Quality for Purchase in Meta
Meta rates your Purchase event's Event Match Quality low. See why a Shopify store gets that score and how to check which customer data your purchases carry.
Problem
Which Shopify orders should count as purchases in Meta?
Your Shopify total includes orders that no ad could have led to. See which orders to leave out before you compare Shopify with Meta's Purchase count.
Problem
Two Meta pixels on one Shopify store
Two Meta pixels on a Shopify store can count purchases twice or split them. See where the second pixel comes from and how to check which one fires.
Problem
Meta Conversions API access token stopped working
Your Meta Conversions API access token expired or was revoked and purchases stopped. Why it happens, how to check it in Events Manager and how to make a new one.
Problem
The Facebook & Instagram app's data sharing levels explained: Standard, Enhanced, Maximum
What Standard, Enhanced and Maximum data sharing mean in Shopify's Facebook & Instagram app, where to change the level and what each one sends to Meta.
Problem
WooCommerce Meta pixel not tracking purchases
Your WooCommerce store has paid orders, but Meta shows few or no Purchase events. Payment redirects, caching and consent are the usual causes. Here is how to check.
Problem
Meta Conversions API on WooCommerce: why server purchases are missing
Events Manager shows your WooCommerce purchases from the browser only, or the Conversions API is on and still sends nothing. What a working setup needs and how to check it.
Problem
Meta purchases change when you change the attribution setting
Your Meta purchase count goes up or down when you pick another attribution setting. Why click, view and engaged-view windows change the number, and how to compare it with Shopify.
Problem
Meta's purchase value does not match your Shopify order total
Meta Ads Manager shows a different purchase value than your Shopify orders. How tax, shipping, discounts and refunds change the number, and how to check what Meta received.
Problem
Meta warns your Purchase event is missing value, currency or content IDs
Events Manager Diagnostics says your Shopify store's Purchase events are missing value, currency or content_ids. What each one breaks and how to find the sender.
Problem
Meta domain verification on Shopify: what it does and whether purchases need it
What Meta domain verification does for a Shopify store, how to verify with a DNS record or meta tag, and what it has to do with your Purchase events.
Problem
Meta's catalog match rate is low on your Shopify store
Commerce Manager shows a low match rate between your events and your Meta catalog. Why Shopify purchases do not match catalog items and how to find the wrong product ID.
Problem
Meta InitiateCheckout is not firing on your Shopify store
Events Manager shows AddToCart and Purchase from your Shopify store, but InitiateCheckout or AddPaymentInfo is missing or low. Why checkout events stop and how to check.
Problem
Meta Pixel Helper does not find the pixel on your Shopify store
Meta Pixel Helper, now Meta Ads Data Advisor, shows no pixel on your Shopify store, yet Events Manager may still get events. Why the extension misses it and which checks count.
Problem
Meta shows no purchases, but Shopify has orders
Facebook Ads Manager shows zero purchases while Shopify keeps taking orders. Where the purchase stops: the pixel, the dataset, the ad set or attribution, and how to find it in ten minutes.
Problem
Meta ROAS dropped, but Shopify sales did not
Your Facebook ads ROAS fell overnight while Shopify sales look the same. How to tell a real drop from a measurement change: purchases, value, duplicates, attribution and edits.
Problem
Meta ad set stuck in Learning limited
Your Meta ad set says Learning limited and never settles. What the status means, how purchases that never reach Meta keep it there, and what to check before you change budgets.
Problem
Meta pixel says "No activity yet" on Shopify
Meta Events Manager shows your pixel with no activity, while your Shopify store has visitors and orders. Why the pixel receives nothing, and how to find the cause in a few checks.
Problem
Meta says Core setup is on for your pixel
Events Manager says Core setup is on for your Meta pixel. What Meta removes, what still arrives with each purchase, how to check your dataset, and why no tracking tool lifts the restriction.
Problem
Facebook & Instagram app connected, but Meta gets few purchases
The Facebook & Instagram app is installed and connected on Shopify, but Events Manager shows few or no Purchase events. Five places where the purchase stops, and how to check each one.
Problem
Meta Events Manager Diagnostics on Shopify: what each Purchase warning means
A short map of the Purchase warnings a Shopify store sees in Meta Events Manager Diagnostics: match quality, missing value or currency, deduplication, domains, modified fbc. One line each, where to read more, and what to check when there is no warning.
Problem
Meta says your server sends a modified fbclid in the fbc parameter
Events Manager Diagnostics warns that your server is sending a modified fbclid value in the fbc parameter. What the fbc value must look like, which setups change it, and how to check yours.
Problem
How many Black Friday and Christmas sales did Meta miss?
Shopify shows more paid orders for Black Friday to New Year than Meta shows purchases. How to compare the two week by week for 27 November to 31 December, why the gap grows in peak weeks, and what to fix for the January sales.
Google Analytics 4
Problem
GA4 shows fewer purchases than Shopify
GA4 reports fewer purchases or less revenue than your Shopify admin. Why browser tracking loses orders and how to compare transaction IDs in Explore.
Problem
GA4 does not show refunds of Shopify orders
You refund an order in Shopify, but GA4 still shows the full revenue. Why refunds do not reach GA4 by themselves and how to check which ones arrived.
Problem
GA4 purchases with no transaction ID or "(not set)"
GA4 shows purchases with no transaction ID or (not set). Why it happens on Shopify and how to find the purchases in Explore and fix the sender.
Problem
GA4 shows your Shopify purchases as (direct) or Unassigned
GA4 records your Shopify purchases but puts them in Direct or Unassigned. Why the purchase loses its visit, and how to check it in Traffic acquisition and Explore.
Problem
Your checkout or payment provider shows up as a referral in GA4
GA4 credits sales to paypal.com, the Shopify checkout or your own domain. Why payment and checkout pages show up as referrals, and how to list unwanted referrals.
Problem
GA4 is not tracking add_to_cart on your Shopify store
Google Analytics 4 shows purchases but few or no add_to_cart events from your Shopify store. Why the event goes missing and how to find the sender that should send it.
Problem
GA4 DebugView shows no events from your Shopify store
You turned on debug mode, but GA4 DebugView stays empty for your Shopify store. Why DebugView misses events on Shopify and how to test your Google Analytics tag another way.
Problem
GA4 revenue is lower than Shopify sales
GA4 shows less revenue than Shopify, even when the number of purchases looks close. Why tax, shipping, refunds, currency and pending orders change the sum, and how to compare the two.
Meta and Google Analytics 4
Problem
Post-purchase upsell orders missing in Meta or GA4
Shoppers accept a post-purchase upsell in Shopify, but Meta or GA4 shows only the first order value. Why upsells go missing and how to check your numbers.
Problem
Multi-currency Shopify store: purchase value in the wrong currency
Shopify Markets shows buyers their own currency, and Meta or GA4 shows a different purchase value. Why the numbers differ and how to compare them fairly.
Problem
Test orders showing up in Meta or GA4
Test purchases from Shopify checkout testing can end up as real sales in Meta or GA4. Why they get through and how to find and exclude them.
Problem
Purchases show up days later in Meta Ads Manager or GA4
Why Meta Ads Manager or GA4 shows a purchase days after the order: attribution windows, processing time and late server events. How to compare fairly.
Problem
Shop Pay, Apple Pay and PayPal purchases missing in Meta or GA4
Orders paid with Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal express buttons are missing in Meta or Google Analytics 4. Why browser tags miss them and how to check.
Problem
Subscription orders are missing in Meta and GA4
Your Shopify store sells subscriptions through Recharge or Shopify Subscriptions, and Meta and GA4 show far fewer purchases than your order list. Why renewals never appear, and which orders should.
Google Ads
Problem
Google Ads purchase conversion inactive or not recording
Google Ads shows your purchase conversion as inactive or not recording. What the statuses mean and what to check in Goals before you change bidding.
Problem
Google Ads purchases don't match your Shopify orders
Google Ads shows a different purchase count or value than Shopify? See how Google dates and counts conversions, and how to compare the two fairly.
Problem
Google Ads conversion value does not match Shopify sales
Google Ads shows a conversion value that is higher or lower than your Shopify sales. The usual causes: tax and shipping, a fixed value, currency, click dates, duplicates and refunds.
Problem
Google Ads shows more purchases than Shopify
Google Ads reports more purchase conversions than your Shopify orders. Why one order can count twice, and how to check your conversion actions, transaction IDs and tags.
Problem
GA4 purchases in Google Ads are lower than Shopify orders
You import the GA4 purchase into Google Ads and it shows far fewer conversions than Shopify. Why imported key events come in low, and what to check in GA4, the link and the conversion action.
Problem
Google Ads shows your Shopify sales hours late
Shopify has the sales, but Google Ads shows few conversions for the last hours and the day's ROAS looks low. How conversion lag, click-date reporting and processing time work, and when a delay is a real fault.
Consent
Problem
Shopify consent settings and missing purchases
After a cookie banner, fewer purchases reach Meta and GA4. Part of that is expected, part may be a Shopify privacy setting. Here is how to tell.
Problem
Google Ads and GA4 conversions dropped after Consent Mode v2
Your Google Ads conversions or GA4 purchases fell on the day Consent Mode v2 went live on your Shopify store. What part of the drop is expected and what to check.
Safari and ad blockers
Problem
Safari and ad blockers hide your Shopify purchases
Shoppers on iPhones, Safari or with ad blockers buy, but their purchases often never reach Meta or GA4. See why and how to measure the gap on your store.
Purchase tracking
Problem
The purchase event fires again when the customer reopens the order page
A purchase counted again when a customer reloads or reopens the order confirmation page. Why it happens, how to find the tag and how deduplication helps.
Problem
TikTok shows fewer purchases than Shopify
TikTok Ads Manager reports fewer purchases than your Shopify paid orders. Why TikTok misses some, and how to check the pixel, Events API and data sharing level.
Problem
Pinterest conversions don't match your Shopify orders
Pinterest Ads Manager shows more or fewer checkouts than your Shopify paid orders. How Pinterest counts and dates conversions, and how to compare the two fairly.
Problem
Snapchat purchases not tracked on Shopify
Snapchat Ads Manager shows fewer purchases than your Shopify orders, or none. Why the Snap Pixel misses them and how to check it in Events Manager.
Problem
Purchases counted twice after you switched tracking apps
Meta or GA4 counts more purchases than Shopify since you changed tracking apps. Where the old app's pixel, server connection or theme code keeps sending, and how to find it.
Problem
What server-side tracking costs a Shopify store
The parts of the cost of server-side tracking for Shopify: hosting a server container, app fees, setup work and upkeep, and what Shopify's own channels give you free.
Problem
TikTok shows more purchases than Shopify
TikTok Ads Manager reports more purchases than your Shopify orders. Why one order arrives twice, how TikTok's event_id deduplication works, and how to find the second sender.
Problem
Klaviyo is missing Placed Order events from Shopify
Shopify took the order, but Klaviyo shows no Placed Order and the post-purchase flow never sent. Why orders go missing in Klaviyo, and how to check the integration, the metric and the flow.
Problem
Purchases dropped after a theme or app change on Shopify
Meta or GA4 purchases fell the week you changed your Shopify theme, a checkout app or the cookie banner, while orders did not. Where the pixel stopped and how to check it in ten minutes.
Problem
TikTok says your pixel is missing the value parameter
TikTok Events Manager or Pixel Helper warns that your Shopify store's events have no value, an invalid value or no currency, and TikTok cannot calculate ROAS. What each warning means and how to find the event that causes it.
Problem
Klaviyo is not tracking Started Checkout from Shopify
Shoppers reach your Shopify checkout, but Klaviyo records no Started Checkout and the abandoned checkout flow sends nothing. Why the event is missing, and how to test it in five minutes.
Problem
Shopify shows your app pixel as Disconnected
Settings > Customer events lists an app pixel, often Google & YouTube or a tracking app, as Disconnected. What the status means, when your platforms still get data, and how to check it.