Shopify Email Campaign Outbound Link Tracking

[quiltingpanto]

When I send an email campaign, I am only able to see analytics for link clicks that are going to product pages and category pages that are located on my store's website. When I add links to outside partner websites, the analytics don't show click stats. Can anyone help?

[DaisyVo]

Hi @quiltingpanto 

I see what you're dealing with, and I totally get why this is frustrating. You’re running email campaigns in Shopify, and while you can track clicks to your own store’s product and category pages, any links going to external partner websites aren’t showing up in your analytics. That’s an important issue, especially if you’re working with affiliates, sponsors, or third-party services.

Why This Happens

Shopify’s built-in email analytics are designed to track interactions within your own Shopify domain. When someone clicks a link to an external site, Shopify doesn’t have control over those domains, so it can’t capture that data directly.

How to Fix It

You have a couple of workarounds to track those outbound link clicks:

1. Use UTM Parameters and Google Analytics

If you’re already using Google Analytics (GA), you can manually tag your outbound links with UTM parameters. This allows you to see exactly how many clicks are coming from your Shopify emails.

Here’s an example of a properly structured UTM link:

https://partnerwebsite.com/?utm_source=shopify&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=partner_promo

You can generate these URLs easily using Google’s Campaign URL Builder. Then, check your Google Analytics reports under Acquisition > Campaigns to see those clicks.

2. Use a Link Shortener with Tracking

If you want a simple solution without setting up GA, try a service like Bitly or Rebrandly. These tools let you shorten your links and track the number of clicks. Just replace your outbound links with shortened versions, and you’ll be able to see click data from your email campaigns.

3. Shopify + Third-Party Email Marketing Apps

Shopify Email is pretty basic when it comes to tracking. If tracking external links is a big part of your strategy, consider switching to an app like Klaviyo, Omnisend, or Mailchimp. These platforms have built-in link tracking, including external links.

Final Thoughts

Right now, Shopify Email doesn’t support external link tracking natively. But with UTM parameters, link shorteners, or a more advanced email platform, you can easily track outbound clicks and get the insights you need.

Hope that helps! If you need extra help, just let me know asap. Thanks!

Daisy.