Part of: Data and analytics
GA4 setup and audits
A GA4 audit checks whether your analytics records what really happened in your store. We compare GA4 with your real orders, check your events and settings, and give you a list of what to fix, in priority order.
Is this right for you?
Who it is for
Stores that already have GA4 but do not trust it, stores about to start spending on ads, and stores that have just changed platform and want to check nothing was lost.
When it is not
Stores with almost no traffic or orders, where there is too little data to check, and anyone who wants analytics to give an exact answer. GA4 narrows uncertainty. It does not remove it.
What is included
- GA4 purchases and revenue compared with your real orders
- A check of the ecommerce events across the buying journey
- A check of conversions and how they reach your ad platforms
- A review of data settings, filters and consent handling
- A list of errors found, in priority order
- A slide deck of findings in priority order, talked through on a follow-up call
What a GA4 audit delivers
You get a slide deck of what we found, with the errors in priority order, and we talk you through it on a short follow-up call. Fixes are quoted separately, once you have seen the findings.
Whatever the format, the audit answers four questions:
- Does GA4 record your real orders, and by how much does it differ?
- Are the steps of the buying journey recorded correctly?
- Are conversions defined sensibly and passed to your ad platforms correctly?
- Are the settings and consent handling sound?
If that is what you need, request a free analytics audit and tell us what you would like checked.
What GA4 needs to record
Ecommerce events. These record the steps of the buying journey, from viewing a product to purchase. Their names, the details each one carries and the way your store sends them all matter. Mistakes here are the most common cause of bad data. GA4’s recommended events run from view_item through add_to_cart and begin_checkout to purchase, and each needs the product details, value and currency. Shopify’s Google & YouTube app sends these, and some stores add them through Google Tag Manager instead.
Conversions. GA4 lets you mark the actions that matter most. They feed reports and can be passed to ad platforms. Since 2024, GA4 calls these key events. In Google Ads they become conversions, which is what the bidding learns from.
Data settings. These cover how long data is kept, which traffic is excluded and how referrals from payment providers are treated. The standard version of GA4 keeps detailed data for 2 or 14 months; we set 14. Internal traffic is filtered by IP address, and payment providers go on the “unwanted referrals” list so they don’t take credit for sales.
Consent. What GA4 can record depends on the visitor’s choice, and on how your consent banner is connected. For visitors in the UK and EEA, Google requires consent mode, including the two newer signals for ad data, to use its advertising features. We connect your banner to it so each choice is passed on correctly.
What we measure
The main measure is how closely GA4’s purchases and revenue match your real orders, and whether the gap can be explained. We report the gap before and after any fixes. We do not promise a particular figure, because it depends on your store and on your visitors’ consent.
Where this connects to other work
If your ad spend is large and gaps remain after the audit, server-side tracking may help, though it adds cost and does not remove the need for consent. Sound data is also what attribution and ROI dashboards depend on, and it shows where visitors drop out of the funnel. Google Ads learns from the conversions you pass to it, so it needs this to be right first.
Moving platforms? Tracking has to carry on unbroken through a Shopify migration, and we plan for that.
Ready to check yours? Request a free analytics audit.
How we do it
Every project is different, so timings depend on its size and complexity. You get a realistic timeline in writing before work starts, and we never promise results by a date.
Step 1: Request the audit
You tell us about your store and give us read access to GA4. We agree what is in scope.
Step 2: Compare with real orders
We check GA4 against your store's order records over a set period and note where they differ.
Step 3: Check events and settings
We work through the ecommerce events, conversions, data settings and consent handling.
Step 4: Report
You get the findings in plain English, in priority order, with what to fix first.
Step 5: Fix, if you want us to
We can make the fixes, or hand the list to your own developer.
What it costs
Retainers start from £500 per month and cover our services only. They do not include your ad spend, or any software or other subscription costs. One-off optimisation projects are priced by current need or an agreed hourly rate. Our pricing page has the detail.
Questions people ask
What does a GA4 audit include?
We compare GA4 with your real orders, check the ecommerce events across the buying journey, review conversions and data settings, and look at how consent affects what is recorded. You get the findings in priority order, as a slide deck talked through on a follow-up call.
Should I get a setup or an audit?
If you have no GA4 property, or you have just changed platform, a setup is the place to start. If GA4 is already running and you do not trust it, start with an audit. The audit will tell you whether you need a rebuild or a few fixes.
Will GA4 ever match Shopify exactly?
Not usually. They count in different ways, and consent choices mean GA4 will miss some visitors. We aim for a gap that is small and that we can explain. Shopify counts every order, including those from people who opted out of analytics or block it, and from other sales channels.
Do you fix the problems as well?
We can. The findings deck also works as a list for your own developer. Fixes are quoted separately, after you have seen the findings.
How does consent change my GA4 numbers?
Where a visitor declines tracking, GA4 may record less about them, or only some modelled information. That is one reason GA4 can show fewer visits than you expect. We are not lawyers, so take legal advice on your consent setup. With Google's consent mode, GA4 can estimate some of the missing activity, but only on sites with enough traffic, and the estimates are never exact.
What do you need from me?
Read access to GA4, access to your store's order records and, if you use one, your tag manager. We do not need to change anything on your live store to run an audit.
Ready to talk it through?
Get a free, top-level audit of your website for SEO, your ad account for PPC or your analytics account. A subject matter expert at Advent reviews it, and we aim to send it within 5 working days of receiving access.