Is Shopify Checkout Extensibility Breaking Your Paid Conversion Tracking?

Remember when Shopify took its sweet time rolling out a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) integration? In case you forgot, It caused quite a wave of anxiety for digital marketing professionals as we scrambled to find workarounds that kept data flowing smoothly. Thankfully, Shopify eventually released a native GA4 integration, and relief spread across analytics enthusiasts and Shopify merchants alike.

However, change is constant – especially in the digital marketing world. And some recent changes to Shopify Plus’s checkout setup have introduced some real headaches for Paid Search and Paid Social professionals.

If you’ve noticed issues with your conversion tracking lately, you’re not alone.

In this post, I’ll cover the ongoing issues with Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility upgrade and share some solutions to address tracking issues.

You can also refer to the official Shopify Extensibility Upgrade guide for additional information on this upgrade.

What Is Going On with Shopify Checkout?

Shopify Plus, known for its hefty price tag—527% more expensive than their most affordable plan—has always attracted the enterprise-level merchants seeking some additional bells and whistles. One of the key benefits of Shopify Plus has been the ability to customize the checkout process (“checkout customization”), a feature  that many of our clients at Socium Media take advantage of.

Rightfully so, Shopify’s engineers recognized some shortcomings of the checkout.liquid customization approach and introduced a new solution: the Checkout Extensibility upgrade.

Understanding Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility Upgrades

The Checkout Extensibility upgrade is Shopify’s solution to improving the customized checkout experience. With this upgrade, Shopify aims to:

• Improve checkout security
• Enhance overall performance
• Simplify the customization process through apps

Shopify has already started phasing out checkout.liquid, with a clear timeline for merchants to transition to the new system:

• August 13, 2024: Deadline to upgrade your Information, Shipping, and Payment pages. Automatic upgrades begin on January 6, 2025, and all checkout.liquid customizations for these pages will be lost.
• August 28, 2025: Deadline to upgrade your Thank you and Order status pages, including your apps using script tags and additional scripts.

Click here for Shopify’s official timeline statement.

So… What’s the Problem?

The most concerning aspect of this upgrade is its impact on conversion tracking. This checkout upgrade restricts certain access to the Thank You and Order status pages, which are critical for accurately tracking conversions.

There may be additional concerns if you are utilizing 3rd party apps to modify Shopify’s default checkout. If those developers have not updated their software, it may not be compatible with the new Shopify Checkout Extensibility upgrade.

If you are one of the many who are experiencing Shopify conversion tracking issues, this post might help you out.

There are different processes for different ad platforms. Here is some of what our clients are experiencing.

Google Ads  & Enhanced Conversions Troubleshooting

If your team has noticed a drop in your Google Ads conversion volume, and you suspect it’s related to Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility upgrade, you’re not going crazy (or becoming crazier). The timing correlates with Shopify’s August 13, 2024, deadline, and it’s causing a lot of frustration.

Google’s official recommendation is to speak with a Google tagging specialist. They will assess your current tagging structure and help implement best practices to minimize conversion data loss.

We created a troubleshooting workflow based on our account representative’s recommendations (below).

The process is as follows:

Have you already executed the Shopify Checkout Extensibility upgrade?

• If Yes, are you currently also using the Google & YouTube App on Shopify?
  • If Yes, no action should be needed. Your Google Tag should be working OK.
  • If No, then you may need to reach out to your Google support rep.
• If No, are you currently also using the Google & YouTube App on Shopify?
  • If Yes, then execute the Checkout Extensibility upgrade on Shopify. The Google Tag should be working ok after you do this, but you should also continue to monitor your account for possible tracking discrepancies. If this doesn’t resolve your tracking issues, reach out to your Google support rep.
  • If No, install and configure the Google & YouTube App on Shopify, then execute the Checkout Extensibility upgrade, and see if your tracking issues are resolved. If this doesn’t resolve your tracking issues, reach out to your Google support rep.

Facebook & Instagram Conversions Troubleshooting

Similar issues have been reported with some Facebook, Instagram, and Meta Conversion API (CAPI) accounts as well.

The fix that we’ve found most effective for Meta platforms is:

1. In Shopify, go to Sales Channel > Facebook & Instagram.
2. Deactivate the “Share data” box, then reactivate it.
3. Reselect the Pixel

This simple adjustment has helped many of our clients restore accurate conversion tracking on Meta platforms.

What Else Do You Need to Do?

Given the nature of these changes, we recommend closely monitoring your campaign tracking, especially during this transition period.

Regularly review your analytics and reach out to platform support if you notice any discrepancies. Staying proactive will help you catch and resolve issues before they negatively impact your ad performance.

Final Thoughts

Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility upgrade is a significant change for eCommerce marketers. While it offers improved security and performance, it’s important to be aware of its potential impact on your conversion tracking.

We hope this blog helps you mitigate any negative effects and keep your campaigns running smoothly.