Why Shopify doesn’t clearly attribute purchases to Meta ads

By Shalini Vijayakumar

On March 4, 2025

In this blog

Understanding Attribution: How Shopify and Meta Ads Track Conversion
Reasons Why Meta Ads Manager and Shopify Sales Data Don’t Match
Best Practices to Address Shopify and Meta Ads Attribution Issues
FAQs

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Understanding Attribution: How Shopify and Meta Ads Track Conversion
Reasons Why Meta Ads Manager and Shopify Sales Data Don’t Match
Best Practices to Address Shopify and Meta Ads Attribution Issues
FAQs

You’re spending on Meta Ads, but Shopify isn’t showing the right numbers on conversions from Meta. Where did your sales go? This blog is about the attribution mismatch of conversions data between Shopify and Ad platforms like Meta and Google.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why Shopify not clearly attributing purchases to Meta ads?

Shopify’s attribution model differs from Meta’s. Shopify primarily uses last-click attribution, meaning it credits the purchase to the last interaction before conversion. In contrast, Meta uses multi-touch attribution, considering multiple interactions. This discrepancy can cause Meta-attributed conversions to appear untracked in Shopify.

2. Does Shopify use last click attribution?

Yes, Shopify mainly relies on a last-click attribution model, meaning the final touchpoint before a purchase gets full credit. This differs from Meta’s attribution, which considers multiple interactions across the customer journey.

3. What is an attribution model?

An attribution model determines how credit for conversions is assigned to different touchpoints in the customer journey. It helps marketers understand which channels or interactions contribute most to a sale.

4. What is the difference between first-click and last-click attribution?

First-click attribution gives full credit to the first interaction that led a customer to convert. Last-click attribution assigns full credit to the final interaction before the conversion. Each model provides different insights into how customers engage with ads before purchasing.

Shalini Vijayakumar

Seasoned content marketer, creating impactful content in a wide range of topics relating to Digital marketing, SEO, Food and Cosmetics industry and lately into SaaS technology. Optimizing brands amplify their online presence through strategic storytelling and technical precision. Additionally, has interest into drawing and occasionally poses as a motivational speaker.

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Why Shopify doesn’t clearly attribute purchases to Meta ads

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why Shopify not clearly attributing purchases to Meta ads?

2. Does Shopify use last click attribution?

3. What is an attribution model?

4. What is the difference between first-click and last-click attribution?

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