Shopify analytics showing more checkout than Add to cart

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A user noticed their Shopify analytics showing 33 checkout sessions but only 32 add-to-cart sessions, which seemed counterintuitive.

Possible explanations identified:

  • Session-based tracking: Shopify tracks actions per session rather than individual events. A customer might add items to cart in one session, then return in a new session and proceed directly to checkout with previously added items—counting as a checkout without a new add-to-cart action.

  • “Buy It Now” button: If enabled, customers can bypass the add-to-cart step entirely, proceeding directly to checkout from the product page.

  • Multiple actions in one session: A user could add to cart, checkout, then add to cart again—all within one session, potentially creating tracking discrepancies.

Resolution status: The user thanked the support team for the explanation. For persistent concerns, contacting Shopify directly was recommended for further investigation.

Summarized with AI on November 24. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi Guys,

Has anyone ever noticed shopify showing more checkout than add to cart? Find screenshot below:

biocule_0-1671524949105.png
biocule_0-1671524949105.png563Ă—274 7.01 KB

How is this possible that checkout is more than add to cart?

2

Hello @biocule ,

It’s GemPages support team and glad to support you today.

In your case, because Shopify Analytics track for each sessions. You can see the sessions of Reached checkout is 33, but of Added to cart is only 32. So maybe shoppers has left the checkout without purchasing anything in one session.

You could please read more information in this article: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/reports-and-analytics/shopify-reports/overview-dashboard

Best regards,
GemPages Support Team

3

If you have a “buy it now” button enabled in your shop, that wont count towards the “added to cart” process.

4

Hey GemPages,

The shopify documentation says that Reached Checkout - Number and percentage of sessions in which shoppers added one or more items to their shopping cart, proceeded to the checkout, and performed an action (for example, a key press or mouse click).

Add to cart is already being counted in this scenario. So the question still remains open.

5

You meant if customer clicks Buy It Now directly from the Product Detail Page then the session will not be counted in Add to cart but only in Begin Checkout?

6

Hello @biocule ,

I mean there maybe is a case like that: the user clicks add to cart > checkout and after that user clicks add to cart one more time. All these actions happen in one session with one add-to-cart event and one checkout event.

The next time, this user opens a new session and clicks checkout with the product that has been added to the cart the previous time. Absolutely, this action has been tracked with one checkout and no add-to-cart.

If you still concern with this issue, you could please contact Shopify to check further.

Best regards,
GemPages Support Team

7

Thanks a lot for the reply

1 Like
8

I am glad that my answer is helpful to you.

Best regards,
GemPages Support Team