Sudden drop in sessions

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A Shopify store owner reports an unusual 50-67% drop in daily sessions over several days (from 300-400 to 100), despite no apparent issues with paid marketing campaigns or changes in Google Analytics data.

Troubleshooting suggestions include:

  • Analyzing traffic source breakdown (organic, paid, referral) to identify specific channel drops
  • Checking Google Search Console for ranking changes
  • Reviewing recent website updates (themes, apps, settings)
  • Testing site performance and loading speeds
  • Considering seasonal variations or competitor activity

Community responses indicate a pattern:

  • Multiple users report experiencing identical issues during the same timeframe
  • One user suspects changes to Shopify’s Analytics system after finding no logical explanation
  • Another notes the problem began in late October, with sessions appearing to track at only 50% of actual traffic
  • GA4 and third-party analytics tools show normal metrics, suggesting a Shopify-specific tracking issue

Status: Unresolved. The discussion remains open with no confirmed solution, though the pattern across multiple stores points toward a potential platform-wide analytics tracking problem rather than individual store issues.

Summarized with AI on October 29. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi,

Our Shopify store has been running for over two years, typically averaging 200-400 sessions per day. However, a few days ago, our sessions dropped from 300 to 200, and then to 100. I’ve reviewed our paid marketing campaigns, and everything looks fine. Google Analytics shows no significant changes compared to previous sessions.

Has anyone else experienced a similar issue lately?

Thanks.

2 Likes
2

Hey @ozy_ba ,

Since you’ve already checked your paid marketing campaigns and Google Analytics doesn’t show major changes, here are a few things you might want to look into:

1. Traffic Sources Breakdown

Have you checked if the drop is specific to a certain traffic channel—like organic, paid, or direct traffic? For example:

  • Organic Traffic: There might be a slight shift in search rankings. Tools like Google Search Console can help you spot any changes.
  • Paid Traffic: Even if the campaigns look fine, it’s worth double-checking metrics like impressions or click-through rates.
  • Referral Traffic: If any of your top referral sources stopped sending traffic (e.g., partnerships or backlinks), it could impact sessions.

2. Website Updates

Did you recently make any changes to your store, like switching themes, updating apps, or tweaking settings? Even small changes can sometimes affect user experience or tracking.

3. Site Performance

Slow loading speeds can cause visitors to leave before fully engaging with your site. Run a quick check using Google PageSpeed Insights or a similar tool to rule out speed issues.

4. Seasonal Variations

Depending on your niche, traffic might naturally dip around this time. For instance, after holiday sales or promotions, some stores see a lull as shoppers take a break.

5. Competitor Activity

Check if competitors are running aggressive campaigns or promotions that could be drawing some of your audience away.

If everything checks out and the issue persists, it might be worth reaching out to Shopify Support or connecting with a marketing expert for more insights. Hopefully, this helps you narrow things down!

Feel free to share what you discover—I’d be happy to help troubleshoot further if needed.

3

Same here, it doesn’t follow any logical pattern and after a week of searching for issues I honestly can only put it down to a change in the Shopify Analytics system.

4

Have you find any issue? Since the end of October we experience the same thing. It seems like only half of the sessions are being tracked.

5

Did anyone fix this? We are experiencing this as well and have tried everything. GA4 and other tools looks fine.