Shopify analytics reports: what your shop's own numbers can and cannot tell you
This page is one corner of a triangle: ad platform, GA4 and shop. For how the metrics built on these numbers compare, read ROAS vs MER vs POAS.
What does it do?
Shopify's help centre describes three layers1:
- Analytics dashboard. A customisable set of metric cards, such as net sales by channel or sessions by device type.
- Reports. A deeper view of one metric or a set of metrics, which you can customise as a data exploration.
- Live View. Current traffic for an online store.
Staff need Analytics permissions to see them1.
The key point is where the data comes from. The shop records an order when the order is placed. No ad platform, tag or consent banner stands between the customer and that record. That is why we call it the reference for revenue. It is not an attribution tool.
Why do e-commerce brands use it?
Because it answers the question every dashboard argues about: how many orders did we actually get, and for how much?
When Meta, Google and GA4 each claim a different number, the shop report is the figure everyone can check against the bank. Our view: compare every other source to it.
The shop is also the natural source for the top line of MER. Our convention: MER is shop revenue divided by total marketing cost (media, agency, creative and tools). ROAS is attributed revenue divided by ad spend, and each platform computes it its own way.
How do we implement it?
Define revenue
Decide whether revenue is gross or net, with or without VAT, before or after returns. Write it down and use it every month.
Check access
Open the report you need and confirm your plan includes it. Check that the right people have Analytics permissions.
Export and join
For questions beyond the reports, export the data and join it with spend. Define cohorts and the revenue basis first.
Reconcile monthly
Line up shop revenue with platform and GA4 numbers, so differences are understood. Credit a channel by attribution or a test, not by the shop.
When should you not use it?
Do not use it to credit a channel. That needs attribution or a test.
Do not quote a number without saying which definition of revenue it uses.
Do not assume your plan includes a report. Open it and check.
What does it cost in effort?
No figures. The effort is:
- Definitions. Decide whether revenue is gross or net, with or without VAT, before or after returns. Write it down.
- Exports. Reports are views. For anything beyond them, someone has to export data and join it with spend.
- Reconciling. Line up shop revenue with platform and GA4 numbers every month, so differences are understood rather than argued.
- Access and plan. Shopify says the main features are on every plan1. Check that the specific report you need is there, and that the right people have Analytics permissions, before you promise it to anyone.
Pitfalls
Reading the shop as attribution
The shop knows what was bought. It does not know which ad persuaded the buyer. Where a source is shown, it is a label, not proof.
Mixed revenue definitions
Gross, net, with VAT, without. The same month can give three answers.
Ignoring returns
Check the returns rate before you celebrate a revenue figure.
Using it for cohort analysis without care
The data can support purchase cohorts and LTV, but only if you define the cohorts and the revenue basis first.
Blended numbers hiding channels
A good blended figure can sit on top of a weak channel. Our view: look at the blended number and at the pieces.
Treating one platform as every platform
We use Shopify as the example. Other shop platforms have different reports.
Our take: Selective
In our view, shop platform reports are Selective. That is our rating, not a market fact.
Our reasoning: they are essential for revenue and orders. Our view: on their own they are thin for the questions a growth team asks next, such as acquisition cost per new customer, cohort-based LTV, and what marketing actually added. Use the reports for the first job. Do not rely on them alone for the second.
Our view: Use shop revenue as the top line for MER. Treat refunds and VAT the same way every month, and say which way. A comparison made with different rules is not a comparison.
FAQ
What are Shopify analytics reports?
Shopify's help centre describes them as built-in dashboards and reports on your store's activity, visitors and transactions, with the main features on any plan1.
Shopify reports vs GA4: which is right?
For orders and revenue, the shop. For how visitors behave on the site, GA4 adds detail. Our view: when the two disagree on revenue, the shop is the reference, and the gap is worth explaining.
Why does Shopify revenue not match Meta?
They count different things. The shop counts orders. Meta counts conversions it credits to its ads. See Meta ROAS vs Shopify revenue.
Which number should I use for MER?
Our convention: revenue from the shop, divided by total marketing cost. Keep the treatment of returns and VAT consistent.
Can Shopify tell me which ad drove a sale?
Not reliably. It records orders. Credit to channels needs attribution or a test.
Do I need a separate tool?
Maybe. Our view: if you need cohort LTV or acquisition cost per new customer on a regular basis, an export or a BI tool usually follows. Start from the question, not the tool.
Sources
- Shopify analytics (Shopify Help Center)Primary source
Let’s find what’s actually working.
Next step. Not sure which numbers to trust? You can start with our free measurement and tracking audit, or talk to us about your budget decision.