How to Set Up GA4 with Shopify & GemPages

A step-by-step guide to integrating Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with your Shopify store.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a web analytics tool developed by Google. It allows store owners to monitor website traffic and user behavior across their site. Key metrics include pageviews, sessions, bounce rate, traffic sources, device types, and more.

For Shopify users, connecting Google Analytics helps clarify how visitors interact with your store—where they come from, what pages they visit, and how they convert. This data is foundational for making informed decisions about marketing, layout, and content performance.

Why Google Analytics Matters for GemPages Users

When you install Google Analytics, a tracking tag is added to your website. This tag collects data each time someone visits your site or performs an action (such as clicking a button or purchasing a product). These interactions are recorded as “events” in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)—the latest version of the platform.

GA4 differs from the older Universal Analytics model by focusing on events rather than sessions, which gives more flexibility in tracking behavior across devices and platforms.

If you’re building your store with GemPages, you’re likely customizing layouts, running A/B tests, or optimizing your product pages. Google Analytics supports this process by providing measurable insights into how users interact with each version of your design.

How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for Your Shopify Store

Step 1: Create a Google account

To use Google Analytics, you need a Google account. If you already have one (e.g. Gmail, Google Ads, or YouTube), you can skip this step.

If not:

Go to accounts.google.com/signup
Fill in your information to create a new account
You don’t have to use this email for anything other than signing in to Google Analytics

Step 2: Create a Google Analytics account

Visit analytics.google.com
Click Get started today
In the account setup screen:

Enter an account name (e.g. “My Shopify Store Analytics”). You can leave the data-sharing settings as default or adjust based on your privacy policy.

Click Next to continue.

Step 3: Create a GA4 Property

In Google Analytics, a property represents a specific digital asset you want to track—this could be a website, mobile app, blog, or any digital product. Each property gets its own unique tracking ID.

You can create up to 2,000 properties per Google Analytics account, making it easy to manage multiple stores or websites separately within the same Google login.

Example:
Let’s say you run two websites:

GemPages Guide Shopify Store
GemPages Design Store

You would create a separate property for each to ensure data is collected independently. This way, you can track performance, user behavior, and conversions for each store without any overlap.

In the “Property setup” screen:

Enter your property name (e.g. “GemPages Shopify Store”)
Set your reporting time zone (important for daily analytics)
Choose your currency

Click Next, then:

Select:

Your industry category (e.g. Retail or Apparel)
Your business size

Click Next to proceed.

Step 4: Set Up a Data Stream

Choose Web as your platform
Enter your Shopify store’s URL (use your custom domain, e.g. https://yourstore.com)
Name your stream (e.g. “Main Store Stream”)
Ensure Enhanced measurement is toggled ON
This automatically tracks scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, and other basic user behavior
Click Create stream

You’ll now see a Measurement ID starting with G- (e.g., G-XXXXXXX). Keep this open—you’ll use it in the next steps.

Step 5: Install the Google & YouTube Sales Channel in Shopify

In your Shopify admin, go to the Sales channels section (left-hand sidebar)
Click + Add sales channel
Search for Google & YouTube
Click Install
Once installed, open the sales channel to begin setup

Step 6: Connect Your Google Account to Shopify

After installing the Google & YouTube channel:

Shopify will prompt you to connect your Google account
Use the same account you used to create your GA4 property
Follow the prompts to grant necessary permissions

This allows Shopify to read from and write to your Google Analytics account.

Step 7: Set Up GA4 in the App Setup Section

In the Google & YouTube sales channel settings, scroll to the App setup section
Look for the prompt:
“Looking only to set up Google Analytics 4?”
Click Get started

Step 8: Connect GA4 Property to Shopify

In the next screen, you should see your GA4 property automatically listed
If not, make sure you’re logged in with the correct Google account
Select the correct GA4 property
Click Connect

Once connected, your GA4 property is now live and tracking Shopify activity.

How to Verify Your Setup Is Working

To confirm data is being sent correctly:

Go to analytics.google.com
Open your GA4 property
Go to Reports > Realtime
Open your Shopify store in another tab or device and perform a few actions (e.g. navigate pages, click buttons)
You should see activity show up in the Realtime report within seconds

How This Works With GemPages

If you’re using GemPages to design and optimize your store:

Google Analytics tracks performance of pages built with GemPages the same way it tracks theme-based pages
You can combine GA4 event data with GemPages A/B Testing (like Template Testing or Multipage Testing) to evaluate which layout performs better

For advanced tracking (e.g., custom button clicks), consider using Google Tag Manager alongside your GemPages setup.

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