Event tracking allows you to capture detailed customer actions on your Shopify store. These events are sent to Google Analytics 4 and power your eCommerce reports, conversion tracking, and audience building.
Overview
Analyzely supports comprehensive eCommerce event tracking:
- Browse Events: Collection and product views, searches
- Cart Events: Add to cart actions
- Checkout Events: Checkout progression stages
- Purchase Events: Completed transactions
- Post-Purchase Events: Refunds
Accessing Event Settings
- Open the Analyzely app from your Shopify Admin
- Go to Analytics Setup
- Scroll to the Data Layer / eCommerce Events section
Plan Availability
| Feature | Free Plan | Pro Plan |
|---|---|---|
| All eCommerce events | Yes | Yes |
| Tax/Shipping in Purchase | Yes | Yes |
| Refund event | No (requires server-side) | Yes |
| Server-side accuracy | No | Yes |
Available Events
View Category (view_item_list)
What it tracks: When a customer views a collection page
Data captured:
- Collection name
- Products displayed
- Position in list
When it fires:
- Customer visits any collection page
- Customer browses category listings
Use cases:
- Track which categories are most browsed
- Measure collection page performance
- Understand navigation patterns
View Product (view_item)
What it tracks: When a customer views a product detail page
Data captured:
- Product ID
- Product name
- Price
- Category
- Brand (if available)
- Variant information
When it fires:
- Customer visits a product page
- Product quick-view opens (if applicable)
Use cases:
- Identify popular products
- Track product page visits vs purchases
- Build remarketing audiences
Search Content (search)
What it tracks: When a customer searches within your store
Data captured:
- Search term used
- Number of results (if available)
When it fires:
- Customer submits a search query
- Search results page loads
Use cases:
- Understand what customers are looking for
- Identify product naming gaps
- Improve search functionality
- Find merchandising opportunities
Add to Cart (add_to_cart)
What it tracks: When a customer adds a product to their cart
Data captured:
- Product ID
- Product name
- Price
- Quantity added
- Variant selected
When it fires:
- Customer clicks “Add to Cart” button
- Product is added via quick-add (if applicable)
Use cases:
- Track cart activity
- Measure add-to-cart rate
- Identify high-intent products
- Build cart abandonment audiences
Initiate Checkout (begin_checkout)
What it tracks: When a customer starts the checkout process
Data captured:
- Cart contents
- Cart value
- Number of items
When it fires:
- Customer clicks “Checkout” button
- Customer enters checkout flow
Use cases:
- Track checkout initiation rate
- Measure checkout abandonment
- Identify friction points
- Build high-intent audiences
Add Shipping Info (add_shipping_info)
What it tracks: When a customer enters shipping information
Data captured:
- Shipping tier selected (if available)
- Shipping cost
When it fires:
- Customer completes shipping step in checkout
Use cases:
- Track checkout progression
- Identify shipping step drop-off
- Analyze shipping preference patterns
Add Payment Info (add_payment_info)
What it tracks: When a customer enters payment information
Data captured:
- Payment method selected
When it fires:
- Customer completes payment step in checkout
Use cases:
- Track checkout progression
- Identify payment step drop-off
- Analyze payment method preferences
Purchase (purchase)
What it tracks: When a customer completes a purchase
Data captured:
- Transaction ID (order number)
- Revenue
- Tax amount (optional)
- Shipping amount (optional)
- Products purchased
- Coupon codes used
When it fires:
- Customer completes payment
- Thank you page loads
Additional Options:
Include Tax Amount
- Check this to include tax in the purchase value
- Useful for revenue accuracy
- GA4 will show tax-inclusive totals
Include Shipping Amount
- Check this to include shipping in the purchase value
- Affects total revenue calculations
- GA4 will show shipping-inclusive totals
Use cases:
- Track conversions
- Measure revenue
- Calculate ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
- Build purchaser audiences
Refund (refund)
What it tracks: When an order is refunded
Data captured:
- Transaction ID
- Refund amount
- Products refunded
When it fires:
- Refund is processed in Shopify
Requirements:
- Pro plan
- Server-side events enabled
- Measurement Protocol API secret configured
Use cases:
- Track net revenue accurately
- Identify frequently refunded products
- Measure customer satisfaction issues
Enabling Events
Step-by-Step
- Go to Analytics Setup in Analyzely
- Scroll to Data Layer / eCommerce Events
- Check the box next to each event you want to track
- Configure Purchase options if using that event
- Click Save in the save bar
Recommended Configuration
For most stores, enable all events:
| Event | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| View Category | Enable |
| View Product | Enable |
| Search Content | Enable |
| Add to Cart | Enable |
| Initiate Checkout | Enable |
| Add Shipping Info | Enable |
| Add Payment Info | Enable |
| Purchase | Enable (with tax/shipping as needed) |
| Refund | Enable (if Pro and server-side active) |
Understanding Event Data in GA4
Viewing Events
To see your events in Google Analytics:
- Go to Google Analytics
- Navigate to Reports > Engagement > Events
- Look for your eCommerce events
Key Event Names
| Analyzely Event | GA4 Event Name |
|---|---|
| View Category | view_item_list |
| View Product | view_item |
| Search Content | search |
| Add to Cart | add_to_cart |
| Initiate Checkout | begin_checkout |
| Add Shipping Info | add_shipping_info |
| Add Payment Info | add_payment_info |
| Purchase | purchase |
| Refund | refund |
Event Parameters
Each event includes parameters with additional data:
purchase event example:
- transaction_id: "1001"
- value: 99.99
- currency: "USD"
- items: [array of products]Testing Your Events
Using Realtime Reports
- Go to Realtime Reports in Analyzely (Pro)
- Open your store in a new browser window
- Perform actions (view product, add to cart, etc.)
- Watch events appear in Realtime
Using Google Analytics Realtime
- Go to Google Analytics
- Navigate to Reports > Realtime
- Perform actions on your store
- Watch events appear in the stream
Using Google Tag Assistant
- Install Google Tag Assistant
- Connect to your store
- Browse your store and perform actions
- Review event firing and data
Common Event Tracking Issues
Events Not Firing
- Check app activation: Ensure app is enabled in theme
- Verify event enabled: Confirm checkbox is checked
- Check for conflicts: Other apps may interfere
- Test in incognito: Avoid cached scripts
- Wait for page load: Events fire after full load
Missing Event Data
- Check product data: Ensure products have required info
- Verify configuration: Save settings after changes
- Test the specific action: Manually trigger the event
- Check console errors: Look for JavaScript errors
Duplicate Events
- Check for multiple tracking: Avoid duplicate GA4 implementations
- Verify only one Measurement ID: Remove other GA scripts
- Check theme code: Remove any manual GA code
Best Practices
Data Quality
- Enable all relevant events: More data is better
- Keep events consistent: Do not frequently toggle events
- Include tax/shipping consistently: Pick one approach and stick with it
- Use server-side for accuracy: Reduces data loss from blockers
Analysis Tips
- Funnel analysis: Use events to build conversion funnels
- Audience building: Create audiences from event triggers
- Attribution: Use purchase events for conversion tracking
- Remarketing: Build audiences from view and cart events
Performance Considerations
- Events have minimal performance impact
- Data layer is lightweight
- Server-side events reduce client-side load
Event Timing and Delays
When Events Appear
| Report Type | Delay |
|---|---|
| Realtime | Seconds |
| Standard Reports | 24-48 hours |
| eCommerce Reports | 24-48 hours |
| Explorations | 24-48 hours |
Why Delays Occur
- GA4 processes data in batches
- Data validation takes time
- Attribution windows affect timing