Conversion summary

Technical Q&A
1

When looking at conversion summary, there’s no any sign can tell us a conversion generated from Google ads, all Google related summaries say “Visited your store from an organic search result on Google”, but 80-90% of our shop are from Google ads for sure, is there anyway this section can display like “This conversion is made by Google ads” or similar?

The bottom part always shows “UTM Parameters No UTM parameters were available for this session.” then we went to Google ads home> Admin > account settings > Tracking, then put this code “{lpurl}?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}” in a “Tracking template” field, but it still shows “UTM Parameters No UTM parameters were available for this session.”

Can anybody tell us how to set it up? thanks!

2

Hi @taxxx, first test the actual landing URL from a live ad click. The browser address should contain either a gclid parameter or the UTM parameters. Only sessions created after the tracking change can contain the new UTMs.

If neither is present, check that Google Ads auto-tagging is enabled and use the Test button for the tracking template. If the parameters appear initially but disappear after a redirect, the store or domain redirect may be stripping them.

Could you share a redacted final landing URL after clicking an ad and confirm whether the domain redirects? That should quickly show whether the loss happens in Google Ads or after the visitor reaches Shopify.

3

The reason Shopify is classifying your sales as organic and showing “No UTM parameters were available” is usually due to missing Auto-tagging (gclid) or improper tracking template syntax applied at the campaign/ad group level.

Here is how to properly resolve this:

  1. Enable Auto-Tagging in Google Ads:

    • Go to Admin > Account Settings > Auto-tagging in Google Ads.

    • Ensure “Tag the URL that people click through from my ad” is enabled. This appends the gclid parameter, which helps Google Analytics and Shopify identify paid traffic.

  2. Update Tracking Template Format:

    • If using custom UTMs, set the template at the Account Level or Campaign Level as: {lpurl}?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={adgroupid}

    • Make sure existing final URLs at the Ad level or Extension level do not hardcode parameters that strip the template.

  3. Check Redirects:

    • If your ad link points to http:// or example.com and redirects to [``https://www.example.com``](``https://www.example.com``), the browser will strip the URL parameters (utm_ and gclid) during the redirect. Always use the final canonical https:// URL in your ads.

  4. Session Attribution Lag:

    • Note that updating tracking templates will only apply to new ad clicks moving forward. Past orders will not retroactively update.
4

Hi, thanks for your advice, we just tested by clicking a live ad and saw the URL after redirect shows with UTM parameters, then I moved to other pages in our site then the parameters disappeared but I think it’s normal. and Google Ads auto-tagging is already enabled. the test shows everything looks normal. so that we guess the issue happens at Shopify side…

5

Hi, thanks for your reply. we’ve done 1 - 3 instructions you mentioned, and as a test - clicking a live ad shows the URL with UTM parameters after redirect, so we guess the issue would be at Shopify side?

6

If the UTM parameters and gclid are clearly visible on the initial ad landing page, the reason Shopify Analytics fails to attribute the session usually comes down to three specific backend or setup factors:

  1. Headless / Third-Party App Interference or Cookie Consent:

    • If you are using a cookie consent banner app (GDPR/CCPA) that blocks analytics scripts before the customer accepts, Shopify’s internal _shopify_s and _shopify_y tracking cookies won’t store the initial session parameters.

    • Ensure your consent management app is configured to allow essential first-party analytics.

  2. Cross-Domain or Subdomain Tracking Drops:

    • Does your checkout or product page route through a different domain/subdomain (e.g., checkout.yourstore.com or a custom domain setup)? If domain linking isn’t handled seamlessly, the session breaks when the customer moves to checkout.

  3. Theme Liquid Script Overrides:

    • Check if your theme.liquid has custom JavaScript (or an analytics app) that dynamically cleans or strips URL query strings (window.history.replaceState) right after page load. If JS removes the query string before Shopify’s native web pixels fire, the attribution data is lost.

  4. Verify Session Conversion:

    • Remember that Shopify attributes the conversion to the session where the order actually happens. If a user clicks an ad today, leaves, and comes back 3 days later via a direct bookmark without UTMs, Shopify might log it differently depending on attribution windows.

Test placing a mock/test order directly after clicking the ad link to check if that specific new order reflects the UTM tags in Orders > [Order Number] > Conversion Summary.

7

Thanks, that narrows it down. UTMs disappearing from the address bar after internal navigation is normal; attribution should persist through Shopify’s first-party session cookies. Please run one controlled test order immediately after a live ad click and check that order’s Conversion Summary. If the UTM data is still missing, share the public store URL and the names of any consent-banner or analytics apps. I can then check whether consent blocking, a cross-domain redirect, or theme/app JavaScript is breaking the session.