1/25/2025

Shopify Sessions Issue: Why European Traffic Isn’t Being Tracked

When running an online store, having accurate data about customer behavior is CRUCIAL. This includes tracking how many visitors come to your site and what actions they take. However, many Shopify merchants have noticed a significant issue with tracking their sessions, especially when it comes to European traffic. In this blog post, we'll dive deep into the reasons why European traffic isn’t being tracked and provide you with insights on how to solve these issues effectively.

The Problem: Sudden Drop in Traffic

Imagine waking up one day to discover that your Shopify site's traffic has plummeted by a staggering 93% in just 24 hours. This is exactly what happened to one merchant, causing a flurry of confusion & concern within the Shopify community. Many businesses in Europe are facing similar situations, wondering why their analytics don’t reflect the actual visitor numbers.

From the increased reliance on GDPR regulations to changes in cookie consent policies, there are many your customers might not be counted due to various tracking issues. For an extensive overview of the problem, be sure to check out the discussions in the Shopify Community.

One of the most significant changes affecting tracking on Shopify is the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and its subsequent impact on how businesses collect & manage customer data in the EU. According to a discussion on the Shopify Community, changes made to cookie consent policies can lead to reduced visibility in terms of traffic.

Cookie Consent Impact: Customers in Europe must consent before cookies can collect their data. This means if potential visitors decline or don’t engage with your cookie consent banner, they're essentially invisible to your analytics. More on the cookie consent impact can be found in the GDPR/PECR discussions.
Implementation of GDPR Policies: Businesses that are just not complying with these new regulations might see even worse declines in their tracking. As shared in the same community thread, it’s necessary for companies to perform regular audits to ensure that they’re compliant with the new regulations.

The fear of incurring hefty fines has caused many Shopify merchants to err on the side of caution, leading them to set their websites to not track visitors who haven’t accepted their cookies. Some shops, in trying to track their numbers, have found discrepancies where their Google Ads clicks do not translate into actual Shopify sessions. This problem can point toward compliance issues which are often blocking analytics from working correctly.

Changes in Tracking Mechanisms

Another aspect affecting tracking is the way Shopify utilizes cookies for analytics, particularly in the European market. As per discussions in the Shopify Community, many merchants believe that their analytics were previously misconfigured, leading to over-counting of visitors based on old tracking methods that no longer comply with GDPR requirements.

In the community discussions about traffic discrepancies, it’s been noted that:

Many users experience inconsistencies between Google Analytics data & Shopify tracking. This can create confusion about the actual performance of campaigns and overall site traffic.
With GDPR, sites may be limited to tracking only those visitors who have opted-in, resulting in a dramatic reduction in reported traffic numbers and accurate session tracking. This issue manifests prominently in discussions with merchants noticing their traffic recorded is significantly low compared to other analytics tools.

Addressing the Challenges

So, if you find yourself losing track of visitors mainly from Europe, you’re NOT alone. But what can you do about it? Here are some action steps to tackle these tracking problems:

Review Cookie Banner Settings: Ensure that your cookie consent banner is set up effectively. Use an app like Ultimate GDPR EU Cookie Banner to provide users clear options, allowing them to accept or decline cookies.
Use a Trustworthy Consent Management Tool: Integration of a robust consent management platform can ensure compliance with the regional laws while allowing your tracking to function as intended. These tools often feature customizable banners that can adapt to local preferences.
Audit Your Tracking Configuration: Periodically checking your tracking settings within Shopify and Google Analytics can help catch issues early on. An audit should include checking that your Google Analytics is tracking all screens across your site. Make sure you're aware of where settings could be inadvertently set to block traffic from recording.
Update Your Privacy Policy: In light of GDPR, ensure that your privacy policy is up to date regarding how you use data and cookies on your site. Transparency with your audience can enhance trust and may improve acceptance rates for your consent banners.
Engage with the Shopify Community: Don’t hesitate to share your experience or seek advice from fellow merchants. Community-driven insights can offer perspectives you might not have considered.

Promoting Customer Engagement with Arsturn

To further elevate your customer interactions and overcome the challenges of tracking, consider creating your custom chatbot with Arsturn. With Arsturn’s AI chatbot, you can:

Instantly Engage Users: The chatbot can assist visitors before they even leave the site, answering queries related to product offerings, tracking policies, and cookie consent—helping you clear up any confusion on the spot.
Enhance Customer Experience: Providing instant responses can significantly improve customer satisfaction, ensuring visitors get the information they need, leading to higher conversion rates.
Analyze User Behavior: Gain valuable insights into what your customers are interested in and refine your strategy accordingly.

Let Arsturn’s powerful capabilities enhance your customer engagement. You could even test the platform with a free trial, no credit card required. Get started today!

Conclusion

In summation, problems with tracking sessions in Shopify, particularly in Europe, create significant challenges for online merchants. As GDPR continues to shape the landscape of online data management, it's vital to stay updated, compliant, and engaged with your audience to ensure accurate tracking and analytics. Don't just wait for traffic to drop—take action & engage.

This ongoing issue is multifaceted, enshrouded in the evolving landscape of data compliance. Engagement through tools like Arsturn can not only help you adapt to these changes but also allow you to build and solidify relationships with your audience, ensuring that your store remains relevant & successful.