How to check if tracking pixels are working on Shopify store

Tracking pixels help you see how customers use your store and if your ads are working. When tracking breaks, you might waste money on ads that don’t work or make decisions based on wrong information. Before verifying your tracking setup, make sure you’ve properly installed your Google Ads remarketing pixel.

This guide shows you easy ways to check if your tracking pixels are working properly. You’ll learn how to verify tracking for Google Analytics, Facebook ads, and Google Ads even if you’re not tech-savvy.

Important: Shopify Pixel Migration (February 2025)

Action Required: Shopify has migrated pixel management to app-based integrations. As of February 2025:

• Old method (deprecated): Online Store → Preferences → Google Analytics / Facebook Pixel fields
• New method (required): Use the official Google & YouTube app and Facebook & Instagram app

If you haven’t migrated:

• Your existing pixels may be “sandboxed” with limited functionality
• Some conversion events may not fire correctly
• You may see warnings in your Shopify admin

To migrate:

1. Install the Google & YouTube app from the Shopify App Store
2. Install the Facebook & Instagram app from the Shopify App Store
3. Connect your accounts and verify tracking is working
4. Remove old pixel code from Online Store → Preferences (if present)

This migration is part of Shopify’s compliance with PCI DSS v4 security requirements.

Kahunam’s suggestions to check pixels on Shopify

Method 1: Using Shopify’s Native Tools

This is the easiest place to start for store owners.

Check Shopify Analytics Dashboard

1. Go to your Shopify admin → Analytics → Reports
2. Verify that basic traffic and conversion data is being recorded
3. Check the “Online store conversion” report specifically
4. This confirms Shopify’s native tracking is working correctly

Use Shopify’s Customer Privacy Settings

1. Go to Shopify admin → Settings → Customer privacy
2. Verify your Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and other tracking IDs are correctly entered
3. Enable consent collection for GDPR/CCPA compliance
4. Choose when to load tracking scripts (recommended: “Only after consent is given”)
5. Test your store in incognito mode to verify consent banners appear

Check Native Integration Status

1. Go to Shopify admin → Settings → Apps and sales channels
2. Check the connection status for Facebook & Instagram and Google channels
3. Green checkmarks indicate working connections
4. For Facebook, click “View pixel events” to see recent events
5. For Google, check that enhanced conversions are enabled

Method 2: Using Platform-Specific Testing Tools

Each advertising platform offers specialized tools to verify tracking.

For Facebook/Meta Pixel:

1. Install the “Meta Pixel Helper” Chrome extension
2. Visit your Shopify store
3. Click the extension icon in your browser toolbar
4. You should see your pixel ID and any events firing
5. Navigate through your store to verify events like PageView, ViewContent, AddToCart, and Purchase

Check Your Event Match Quality Score

Event Match Quality (EMQ) measures how well Meta can match your pixel events to Facebook users. A low score means poor attribution accuracy.

1. Go to Meta Events Manager → Your Pixel → Overview
2. Find the “Event Match Quality” score for each event type
3. Scores range from 0-10:
   • Good: 6.0 or above
   • Needs improvement: Below 6.0
   • Poor: Below 4.0

If your score is low:

• Enable Conversion API (see section below)
• Ensure you’re passing customer email and phone at checkout
• Use the Facebook & Instagram Shopify app with “Maximum” data sharing

For Google Analytics:

1. Install the “Google Analytics Debugger” Chrome extension
2. Enable the extension and visit your store
3. Open Chrome DevTools (F12 or right-click → Inspect)
4. Go to the Console tab
5. Look for GA4 events in the console logs
6. Verify events like page_view, view_item, add_to_cart, and purchase

For Google Ads:

1. Install the “Tag Assistant” Chrome extension
2. Visit your store and click the extension icon
3. Start recording
4. Navigate through your store and complete a test purchase
5. Stop recording and review the conversion events

Method 3: Using Google Tag Manager Preview Mode

If you’re using Google Tag Manager, its preview mode is extremely helpful.

Set Up Google Tag Manager Preview Mode

1. Log into your Google Tag Manager account
2. Click the “Preview” button in the top right corner
3. Enter your website URL and click “Connect”
4. A new tab will open with your website and a Tag Assistant panel at the bottom

Debug Using Tag Assistant

1. Navigate through your website as a customer would:
   • View the homepage
   • View a product
   • Add a product to cart
   • Start checkout
   • Complete a purchase using a test payment method
2. In the Tag Assistant panel, you’ll see all tags firing in real-time
3. Click on any event to see exactly what data is being sent
4. Check for expected events like “view_item”, “add_to_cart”, and “purchase”
5. Verify that the correct product information, prices, and quantities are included

Method 4: Browser Developer Tools (Advanced)

This method is more technical but still approachable for determined store owners.

Access Developer Tools

1. Right-click anywhere on your Shopify store and select “Inspect” or press F12
2. Navigate to the “Network” tab first

Check Network Requests

1. Filter requests by typing in the search box:
   • GA4: Search for “collect” or “google-analytics”
   • Meta pixel: Search for “facebook” or “tr”
   • Google Ads: Search for “conversion” or “googleads”
2. Refresh the page to see initial page view events
3. Perform actions like viewing products, adding to cart, and checkout
4. Each action should trigger new network requests to the respective tracking services
5. Click on any request to examine the payload data and verify it contains accurate information

Check for JavaScript Errors

1. Go to the “Console” tab
2. Look for any red error messages that might indicate tracking code issues
3. Common errors include “undefined variable” or “failed to load resource”
4. If you see errors related to your tracking scripts, they may prevent proper tracking

Examine dataLayer Contents (If Using GTM)

1. In the Console, type dataLayer and press Enter
2. This will show you all data currently in the dataLayer
3. Alternatively, install the “dataSlayer” Chrome extension for a visual dataLayer inspector

Why Your Pixel Data May Be Incomplete

Before troubleshooting your pixel setup, understand that even perfectly configured pixels now capture only a portion of actual conversions due to privacy changes.

iOS 14+ App Tracking Transparency

Since iOS 14.5 (April 2021), Apple requires apps to ask permission before tracking. Most users opt out, meaning:

• Facebook/Meta estimates 40-60% of iOS conversions are now unmeasurable via browser pixels
• Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention limits cookies to 7 days
• This affects all advertising platforms, not just Meta

Browser and Ad Blocker Impact

• Approximately 30-40% of users have ad blockers installed
• Many browsers now block third-party cookies by default
• Privacy-focused browsers (Brave, Firefox with Enhanced Tracking Protection) block most tracking pixels

What This Means for Your Data

If your Events Manager shows 40 purchase events but Shopify recorded 100 orders, you likely don’t have a broken pixel—you’re seeing the reality of modern privacy restrictions. This is why Conversion API (server-side tracking) has become essential.

Server-Side Tracking with Conversion API

Browser-based pixels alone are no longer sufficient. Server-side tracking (Conversion API) sends data directly from your server to advertising platforms, bypassing browser restrictions.

Why CAPI Matters

• Not affected by ad blockers or browser privacy settings
• Not affected by iOS App Tracking Transparency
• Provides more accurate conversion data
• Required for optimal ad delivery and attribution

How to Enable CAPI on Shopify

For Meta/Facebook:

1. Go to Shopify admin → Settings → Apps and sales channels
2. Open the Facebook & Instagram app
3. Navigate to Settings → Data sharing
4. Enable “Maximum” data sharing (this enables Conversion API)
5. Shopify automatically sends server-side events alongside browser pixels

For Google:

1. Use the Google & YouTube Shopify app
2. Enable “Enhanced conversions” in the app settings
3. This sends first-party customer data (hashed) to improve attribution

Verifying CAPI is Working

In Meta Events Manager:

1. Go to your pixel’s Test Events tab
2. Look for events marked “Server” in the connection method column
3. Healthy setups show both “Browser” and “Server” events

Systematic Testing Methodology

To thoroughly verify your tracking, follow this systematic approach:

Test These Critical Customer Journey Points:

1. Homepage view: Should trigger PageView/page_view events
2. Product page view: Should trigger ViewContent/view_item events with product details
3. Add to cart: Should trigger AddToCart/add_to_cart events with product details
4. Begin checkout: Should trigger InitiateCheckout/begin_checkout events
5. Shipping information: Should trigger add_shipping_info events (GA4)
6. Payment information: Should trigger add_payment_info events (GA4)
7. Purchase completion: Should trigger Purchase/purchase events with transaction details

For Each Step:

• Verify the appropriate tracking events fire
• Check that product details, prices, and quantities are accurate
• Ensure customer information is properly anonymized for privacy