The complete Piwik PRO Shopify app playbook

Opening a store is no longer enough. In 2025, ecommerce success depends on understanding your customers, using data effectively, and adapting quickly. Today’s market is shaped by higher consumer expectations, complex data environments, and stricter privacy regulations.

Key trends driving ecommerce growth

• Accurate data is critical. In a multi-channel world, reliable tracking and precise attribution help businesses make better decisions.
  
• Mobile is dominant. More than 75% of ecommerce transactions now happen on smartphones.
  
• Personalization is expected. About 82% of shoppers want experiences tailored to their behavior and preferences.
  
• Privacy is a priority. With regulations like the GDPR and CCPA, companies must adopt consent-based strategies and transparent data practices.
  

Sustainability matters. Over 60% of consumers consider a product’s environmental impact before making a purchase.

To succeed, ecommerce teams need more than traffic reports or conversion metrics. They must turn raw data into clear, actionable insights.

Why choosing the right analytics platform matters

Shopify stores generate a wealth of customer data at every step — from discovery to checkout. But it’s not just about collecting data. The platform you choose to analyze it can make or break your store’s success.

Most merchants start with Google Analytics, but it has clear limitations, especially when it comes to privacy, data ownership, and tracking accuracy across devices. That’s where Piwik PRO offers a better alternative.

With the Piwik PRO Shopify App, you can:

• Track full customer journeys across sessions and devices
  
• Attribute sales to the correct marketing source — even in multi-touch scenarios
  
• Create audience segments based on real user behavior
  
• Use anonymous tracking by default — fully integrated with Shopify’s Privacy API
  
• Stay compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws using first-party data only

Unlike GA, Piwik PRO offers an integrated CDP and doesn’t rely on third-party cookies or external platforms. You retain full control over your data and can deliver insights that fuel real growth.

Whether you’re optimizing an existing store or planning your next big move, choosing an analytics platform built for accuracy and privacy gives you the edge.

Understanding your customers and improving performance requires more than basic metrics. The Piwik PRO app gives Shopify merchants a complete analytics solution with a built-in CDP for deeper insights and privacy features that allow you to stay compliant without extra configuration.

It’s designed for ecommerce professionals at every level – from solo entrepreneurs to consultants managing multiple brands.

Learn how to install Shopify app.

What you get with the Piwik PRO Shopify app

• Accurate, end-to-end tracking
  Capture the full customer journey — from the first ad click to repeat purchases — with reliable, privacy-compliant data that works across browsers and devices.
• Built-in customer data platform
  Segment your audience using behavioral and transactional data. Activate high-value groups, such as cart abandoners, first-time visitors or repeat buyers, through email marketing tools and ad platforms.
• Ecommerce-specific insights
  Make informed product, UX, and marketing decisions with analytics designed for online stores. Understand performance at every stage, from product views to post-purchase behavior.
• Seamless privacy compliance with Shopify With Piwik PRO’s anonymous tracking mode, you can keep collecting valuable insights — even when users don’t give consent. Integrated with Shopify’s Privacy API, it ensures your analytics remain compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations, without sacrificing essential data. That means you continue to understand customer behavior while fully respecting user preferences.

The chapters ahead will guide you through real use cases that show how to get the most out of your data, grow your business, and build trust with your customers.

Use case:

Send click-based conversion events from your Shopify store to Google Ads using Piwik PRO’s server-side setup, without injecting additional scripts into your storefront.

Why it matters:

Server-side conversion tracking enhances accuracy by bypassing browser limitations and ad blockers, which often block third-party scripts due to privacy concerns. By avoiding reliance on client-side tags, you reduce the risk of non-compliant scripts running on your site. This approach also supports compliance with privacy regulations through Consent Mode v2 and eliminates the need to install fragile or redundant tracking code on your website.

How to implement:

1. Install Piwik PRO Shopify app:
   • Use the direct install link provided by Piwik PRO.
2. Enable ecommerce tracking events:
   • Events like Order are automatically tracked and can be used as audience triggers.
3. Create an audience:
   • Define key parameters, e.g., event = Order, Last GCLID is not empty, revenue > $200, or performed the event within the last hour.
4. Use the built-in Google Ads activation template:
   • Choose “Send click conversions,” select the proper consent type, and follow the configuration guide for Consent Mode v2.

Example scenario:
A customer clicks a Google ad, browses a product, and places a $300 order. Piwik PRO collects the data and, with the user’s consent, sends the conversion server-to-server from your CDP to Google Ads. This helps eliminate wasted ad spend by identifying which campaigns truly drive revenue. If you’re using Performance Max or other machine-learning-driven campaigns, feeding Google Ads with more complete and accurate conversion data helps the algorithm better target high-value audiences, ultimately improving campaign performance and ROAS.

Success Story

Using server-side data collection unlocks more privacy benefits along with the full power of Piwik PRO for data collection, reporting and activation.

Over the first two weeks, the server-side data collection data volume was 15% greater than the client-side data.

Doug Hall

Analytics Director at Duga Digital

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Use case:

Automatically add or remove contacts from Google Ads Customer Match lists server-side using advanced audience conditions for retargeting purposes and efficiency.

Why it matters:

Consistently updating your customer lists improves ad targeting across Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, and Shopping. Server-side activation ensures accuracy, better segmentation, and privacy compliance under Consent Mode v2.

How to implement:

1. Install Piwik PRO Shopify app:
   • Complete the setup with your tracking endpoint and domain.
2. Enable email address tracking:
   • Activate this in the app settings to identify users by email.
   • Complete the setup with your tracking endpoint and domain.
3. Create an audience:
   • Set basic conditions such as:
     –The user’s email is not empty.
     –The user has not purchased in the past seven days.
     (Note: These are simplified conditions. Actual implementation may involve additional criteria.)
4. Create a Customer List in Google Ads:
   • Set behavioral conditions like event = page view AND did NOT place order in the last 3 days.
5. Create a Customer List in Google Ads (use either “Add a contact to your customer list” or “Remove a contact from your customer list.” Make sure to configure the consent type appropriately.)

Example scenario:
A user views several products but doesn’t convert. Based on their inactivity, Piwik PRO removes them from a high-intent audience and adds them to a retargeting list. Google Ads delivers tailored re-engagement messaging, improving click-through and conversion rates.

Use case:

Send behavioral and transactional data from your Shopify store directly to your CRM to enrich profiles, trigger automations, and segment users more effectively.

Why it matters:

Real-time behavioral syncing helps you respond to customer actions with the right messaging at the right time. You can personalize campaigns, track lifecycle stages, and boost retention with smarter segmentation.

How to implement:

1. Install Piwik PRO Shopify app:
   • Use your site ID, endpoint, and domain during setup.
2. Enable email address and customer ID tracking:
   • These identifiers will allow CRM syncing.
3. Create a behavioral audience:
   • For example, users who visited a product page in the last 10 days but didn’t place an order.
4. Use CDP activation:
   • Send this audience and related attributes to your CRM. Use it to update contact details or trigger marketing workflows automatically.

Example scenario:

A shopper views three premium items but exits without purchasing. Piwik PRO syncs this behavioral data to your CRM, which triggers a personalized follow-up sequence featuring product reminders and a discount code. Engagement and conversions increase.

Use case:

Use behavioral data from your Shopify store to build high-intent audiences and deliver personalized email campaigns via platforms like Mailchimp.

Why it matters:

Behavior-driven email marketing outperforms generic campaigns. Piwik PRO lets you segment users based on what they do (or don’t do) and deliver timely, relevant emails that drive re-engagement and revenue.

How to implement:

1. Install Piwik PRO Shopify app:
   • Complete the setup to start collecting behavioral data.
2. Enable email tracking:
   • Required to identify and reach users across platforms.
3. Create a smart audience:
   • Example, users who viewed a product in the last 10 days but didn’t complete a purchase.
4. Use an email activation template:
   • Sync audiences to Mailchimp or another provider with the built-in CDP template.

Example scenario:

A user browses a new shoe collection but doesn’t buy. Piwik PRO identifies them and sends their profile update to Mailchimp. A personalized email campaign with style picks and limited-time offers follows. Engagement and purchases rise, all while maintaining privacy compliance.

Success Story

Piwik PRO Analytics Suite – the compelling and complete package

One of the strengths of Piwik PRO is the complete package of Analytics, Tag Manager, and Consent Manager. It’s so easy to work with. The standard reports provide excellent insight into the website’s performance, and we plan to dive even deeper into custom reports soon. The second strength is speed. Before Piwik PRO, I often had to wait longer when working with Analytics.

Nicolas Haase

Web Development at Shopping24 Commerce Network

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Use case:

Track the complete user journey, from the first ad click to the final checkout, and visually map user flows to identify exactly where customers abandon the process.

Why it matters:

Knowing where users drop off helps pinpoint friction in the buying journey. This insight allows you to streamline steps, improve the user experience, and increase conversion rates.

How to implement:

1. Install Piwik PRO Shopify app:
   • Use the direct install link provided by Piwik PRO.
   • Enter your site ID, tracking endpoint, and domain during setup.
2. Enable ecommerce tracking events:
   • Key events like product view, add to cart, and purchase are tracked by default.
   • These form the foundation for funnel and user flow analysis.
3. Enable cookieless and anonymous tracking (optional):
   • Turn on these options to ensure compliance while tracking full journeys.
4. Use Piwik PRO funnels and visualize user flows:
   • In your Piwik PRO dashboard, go to Analytics > Funnels.
   • Create a funnel that includes a landing page, product view, add to cart, checkout, and purchase, using the events collected from Shopify.
   • Use the user flow tool to view real-time paths with a single click, including entry points, steps taken, and where users exit.
5. Analyze reports:
   • Review where users drop off (e.g., from cart to checkout).
   • Use this data to A/B test UI changes, reduce steps, or add trust signals.
   • Use insights to make continuous improvements and reduce abandonment.

Example scenario:

A customer clicks an ad for a new jacket, views the product and adds it to the cart. But the user exits after the shipping details page. Funnel and user flow data show that shipping costs cause drop-offs. You respond by simplifying shipping options and promoting free shipping thresholds. Abandonment declines and conversions increase.

Success Story

Optimizing online campaigns thanks to privacy-friendly analytics

We’re impressed that using Piwik PRO allows us to be this compliant, because we take data privacy very seriously. We don’t have pixels for external ad platforms due to GDPR. Instead, we use quite advanced tracking with UTMs and our own campaign identifiers. This lets us see which visuals for our campaigns work best.

Agnieszka Zielonka Digital Marketing Leader at DKMS Poland

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Use case:

Identify which products and digital assets—such as images, downloadable files, or product variants—generate the most engagement and conversions.

Why it matters:

Understanding what drives interest and sales helps ecommerce teams make better decisions about promotional focus and bundling strategies, without relying solely on category-level data.

How to implement:

1. Enable product-level tracking in the app setup:
   • Ensure that key events like product view, add to cart, and purchase are enabled in the Piwik PRO Shopify app. These events allow you to track item-specific performance across customer sessions.
2. Use enhanced ecommerce reports in Analytics
   • Go to Analytics > Ecommerce > Product performance to access data on individual product engagement. Analyze metrics like views, cart additions, and purchases to identify trends.
3. Create custom dimensions (optional)
   • If needed, use custom dimensions to track product groupings by type, theme, or format (e.g., “downloadable,” “limited edition,” “featured”). This allows for flexible filtering based on your unique inventory model.
4. Inform inventory and promotional decisions
   • Use insights to spot bestsellers, underperformers, or items that generate interest but fail to convert. Adjust stock levels, consider product bundling, or refine your promotions based on this data.

Example scenario:

A digital print store notices that a specific set of minimalist posters gets high view counts but low conversion rates. After A/B testing alternative mockup images and improving product descriptions, conversions improved by 35%. The team uses this insight to optimize other low-performing product pages.

Success Story

Important insights about customers’ behavior inspired Sana to create ecommerce analytics tool

Next to using Piwik PRO Analytics Suite for Sana Commerce Insights, it has also enabled us to discover in great detail how our customers are using our platform. This has already helped us to optimize our user interface by discovering popular features to highlight.

Jan van Werkhoven Head of Information Management at Sana Commerce

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Use case:

Attribute purchases to the right marketing channels across customer sessions using standard and custom attribution models tailored to your business goals.

Why it matters:

Spend smarter by understanding which campaigns drive the greatest impact on conversions.

How to implement:

1. Enable cross-device and session tracking:
   • Built-in when tracking is based on the customer’s email address, allowing visitor recognition across devices.
2. Ensure campaign parameters are tagged:
   • Use UTM parameters on all paid and organic links.
3. Use Piwik PRO attribution reports:
   • Go to Analytics > Attribution > Multi-channel attribution.
   • Review the weighted contribution of each touchpoint.
4. Optimize ad spend:
   • Allocate budget to high-performing channels or first-touch campaigns that drive assisted conversions.

Leverage standard and custom attribution models attribution —not a black box

Unlike major ad platforms that rely on opaque AI models, Piwik PRO lets you choose or build attribution models tailored to your business goals. You stay in control of how value is assigned across the funnel.

Example scenario:

A customer sees an Instagram ad for a new pair of sneakers, later searches for the same pair on Google, and finally purchases on your website via email. Piwik PRO helps you track this multi-touch journey, attributing the conversion to the Instagram ad as well, allowing you to allocate more of your budget toward social ads.

Use case:

Track form submissions for newsletter signups, contact requests, or lead generation.

Why it matters:

Forms are often key conversion points outside of purchases. Tracking them helps measure campaign effectiveness and user interest.

How to implement:

1. Add a custom event to the theme:
   • In your Shopify theme file or app block, locate the form’s submit action.
   • Use Shopify’s Shopify.analytics.publish() method:

Shopify.analytics.publish("piwik_pro_trackEvent", {

  category: "Form",

  action: "Submit",

  name: "Newsletter Signup"

});

2. Verify event in Piwik PRO debugger:
   • Check if the event appears instantly in the tracker debugger.
3. Use custom reports or goals:
   • Navigate to Analytics > Events or Goals to track submissions over time.
4. Segment based on form submission:
   • Use the event as a trigger for CDP segmentation or remarketing.

Example scenario:

A customer subscribes to your newsletter after reading a blog article. You track the form submission as an event — a microconversion that adds valuable context beyond ecommerce transactions. This data lets you segment the customer for follow-up and launch a targeted email campaign promoting new content, driving higher engagement and future conversions.

Use case:

Segment customers by actual or predicted lifetime value using first-party data from Shopify and the Piwik PRO Customer Data Platform

Why it matters:

Focusing on high-value customers enables you to offer more relevant experiences, prioritize loyalty programs, and increase the return on your marketing efforts.

How to implement:

1. Use order and behavioral data from Shopify:
   • CDP automatically ingests order history and frequency through Shopify events and site behavior.
2. Create CLV-based segments:
   • Group customers into value tiers (e.g., top 10% by total spend or those with frequent purchases). Use these segments to prioritize engagement strategies.
3. Target these audiences:
   • Send loyalty perks, upsell offers, or early access invitations to high-value segments through email marketing platforms or ad channels.
4. Measure campaign ROI:
   • Evaluate the ROI of marketing efforts by segment. Compare metrics like repeat purchase rate, average order value, and churn to optimize future strategies.

Example scenario:

You build a segment of customers who have purchased more than three times and spent over $300. This group is invited to a loyalty program with exclusive perks. Over the next quarter, you see a noticeable uptick in repeat purchases and average order value among this audience.

Success Story

Detailed analysis and effective audience targeting

It’s important for us to find out where our potential customers are looking for insurance information. With Piwik PRO, we can accurately track the source of our conversions and invest our budget in the right online channels.

Thomas Quast

Online Strategy Specialist at HDI Global SE

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Use case:

Automatically convert multi-currency transactions into a single, consistent currency to measure global performance accurately.

Why it matters:

If your store serves international customers, you’re likely accepting multiple currencies. Without a unified view, comparing performance across regions, calculating ROI, or tracking true profitability becomes messy and error-prone. Currency conversion in Piwik PRO ensures that all ecommerce data is normalized into a single currency, so you can confidently analyze and optimize global sales.

How to implement:

1. Enable currency conversion in Piwik PRO:
   • Navigate to Menu > Administration > Sites & apps.
   • Select your site or app.
   • Under Settings, choose your desired base currency (e.g., USD, EUR). This currency will be used for reporting purposes.
   • Piwik PRO will automatically convert revenue data from Shopify based on historical exchange rates.
2. Verify data collection:
   • Shopify sends the original transaction currency and value.
   • Piwik PRO uses real-time and historical rates from Open Exchange Rates to calculate the base-currency equivalent.
     
3. View unified reports:
   • Navigate to Analytics > Ecommerce > Product and Order Performance.
   • All revenue, ROI, and ROAS metrics now reflect values in your chosen base currency, regardless of the customer’s local currency.
4. Segment and compare by region:
   • Use CDP or location-based segments to compare store performance across geographies with normalized revenue data.
5. Make informed decisions:
   • Understand true profitability by product or channel across countries.
   • Compare ad spend to revenue using consistent values.
   • Optimize pricing, promotions, and fulfillment strategies globally.

Example scenario:

An online electronics retailer sells in the US, UK, and Germany, with each storefront using local currency. A customer in Berlin purchases a €250 tablet, while a UK shopper buys a £220 laptop. Without converting these amounts, the brand struggles to compare performance across regions or evaluate global ad spend ROI. By automatically converting all orders to USD using historical exchange rates, the marketing team gets a consistent view of revenue and return — making it easier to optimize budgets, measure profitability, and plan international promotions with confidence.

Introducing Currency Conversions: Unified revenue data for smarter global analytics with Piwik PRO! Learn more from our article.

Use case:

Group products that solve a full customer need, such as pairing shampoo with conditioner and a scalp brush, to simplify complex product selection and increase cart value.

Why it matters:

Ecommerce shoppers often struggle with decision fatigue when faced with too many options. By bundling complementary products, you create a streamlined shopping experience, making it easier for customers to find solutions to their needs. Bundling not only enhances the customer experience but also boosts average order value (AOV) by encouraging shoppers to buy more in one transaction.

How to implement:

1. Identify complementary products:
   • Analyze your product catalog to identify items that are frequently purchased together (e.g., skincare kits, fitness accessories, or home office bundles).
   • Use Piwik PRO’s product performance reports to identify which products tend to sell well together or have high engagement.
2. Create product bundles:
   • Group items that complement each other into a special bundle. For example, offer a “Complete Hair Care Kit” that includes shampoo, conditioner, and a scalp brush.
   • Use Shopify’s built-in tools to create product bundles, ensuring all items are displayed together on the product page.
3. Optimize for simplicity and value:
   • Offer bundles at a discount compared to the price of purchasing each item individually, highlighting the savings to customers.
   • Make sure the bundled products provide clear, tangible benefits that solve a customer’s need. A complete “skin care routine” bundle could include a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
4. Promote bundles with targeted campaigns:
   • Use Piwik PRO’s segmentation features to create audiences based on customer behavior (e.g., those who have previously purchased shampoo but haven’t bought conditioner).
   • Run email or display ads that offer bundled products as an upsell, showcasing the benefits of buying a complete solution.
5. Track bundle performance:
   • Monitor how well your bundles are performing in terms of conversion rates, average order value, and customer satisfaction.
   • Use Piwik PRO’s ecommerce reports to track sales metrics and engagement rates for bundles. Look at data like bundle add-to-cart rates and completion rates to identify high-performing combinations.
6. Iterate and optimize:
   • Based on customer feedback and sales data, refine your product bundles by swapping out underperforming items or adjusting the pricing to better match customer expectations.
   • Test different combinations of products and bundle types (e.g., premium vs. standard bundles) to see which resonates most with your audience.

Example scenario:

A customer shopping for hair care products might only add shampoo to their cart, but with the right bundle offer (e.g., shampoo + conditioner + scalp brush), they are more likely to purchase the entire set at a slight discount. Not only does this increase your revenue, but it also enhances customer satisfaction by simplifying the shopping experience.

Use case:

Identify which blog posts, landing pages, or educational content influence buying behavior.

Why it matters:

Content is a key driver of trust and engagement. Understanding which articles or resources contribute to conversions helps refine your content strategy and boost ROI from content marketing.

How to implement:

1. Track content interaction:
   • In the app setup, ensure tracking is enabled for page views and article interactions.
   • Use custom dimensions to tag content type (e.g., blog, guide, video).
2. Create a content-to-purchase funnel:
   • Go to Analytics > Reports > Custom reports, and build a custom funnel that starts with content views and ends with purchase events using the relevant event data
3. Use attribution reports:
   • Navigate to Analytics >Reports> Attribution to see how different content pieces contribute to the customer journey.
4. Segment by content exposure:
   • In the CDP, create audiences based on which content pages users viewed before converting.
5. Optimize your strategy:
   • Double down on high-converting topics.
   • Repurpose or expand content that influences purchase decisions.
   • Reduce focus on content with high views but low conversion impact.

Example scenario:

A customer reads a blog post on “How to Choose the Right Running Shoes” and later makes a purchase of running shoes from your store. By analyzing the content’s influence, you see that this blog post drives a significant number of conversions. You then decide to create similar content and promote it more heavily.

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