Google Ads + Detectly

The Google Ads Attribution Problem on Shopify

Google Ads reports conversions using its own attribution model, which often counts conversions differently than what you see in Shopify. A customer might click your search ad, leave, come back via an email link, and purchase. Google counts that as a Google Ads conversion. But the last touchpoint was email. Without independent attribution, you cannot tell which channel actually closed the sale.

Shopify’s built-in analytics offer limited help. They show basic referrer data but cannot connect a specific Google Ads campaign or keyword to an individual order. You end up making budget decisions based on incomplete information.

Detectly bridges this gap by capturing the Google click ID (gclid) and UTM parameters on every visit, then attributing each Shopify order to the exact campaign, ad group, and keyword that drove the traffic.

How Google Ads Tracking Works in Detectly

gclid Capture

When someone clicks your Google ad, Google appends a gclid parameter to the destination URL. Detectly’s storefront pixel captures this identifier automatically — no configuration needed beyond enabling auto-tagging in your Google Ads settings.

The gclid links each visitor session to the specific ad click. When that visitor places an order, Detectly records the gclid on the order, giving you a direct connection between the click and the purchase.

UTM-Based Campaign Attribution

While gclid provides the click-level link, UTM parameters give you human-readable campaign data. By tagging your Google Ads URLs with utm_source=google, utm_medium=cpc, and utm_campaign={campaign_name}, every order in Detectly shows exactly which campaign drove it.

For search campaigns, you can include utm_term={keyword} to capture the actual search term or keyword that triggered your ad. This lets you see not just which campaigns convert, but which specific queries bring in revenue.

Use the Detectly UTM Builder to generate properly formatted tracking URLs for all your Google Ads campaigns.

Ad Spend Import

Detectly supports manual spend import via CSV. Export your campaign spend from Google Ads, upload it to Detectly, and see your true ROAS calculated from actual Shopify revenue. This gives you an independent source of truth that does not rely on Google’s conversion modeling.

We recommend importing spend weekly or monthly to keep your ROAS calculations current.

What You Can Track

With Google Ads data flowing into Detectly, your dashboard shows:

• Campaign performance: Revenue and ROAS for each Google Ads campaign based on real Shopify orders
• Keyword attribution: Which search terms actually lead to purchases, not just clicks
• Shopping campaign insights: Which products drive the best return when promoted through Google Shopping
• Ad group breakdowns: Granular performance data to optimize your account structure
• Customer journey: The full path from Google Ads click to Shopify order, including any intermediate touchpoints

Every attributed order is visible in the Detectly orders table. You can filter by source, campaign, medium, or any UTM parameter to understand exactly where your Google Ads budget is working hardest.

Search Ads vs Shopping Ads

Detectly handles both search and shopping campaigns. For search campaigns, UTM parameters with keyword tracking give you the richest data. For shopping campaigns, Detectly attributes orders to the campaign and ad group, letting you see which product groups deliver the best ROAS.

The key difference from Google’s own reporting is that Detectly attributes based on first-party Shopify order data. There is no conversion modeling, no estimated conversions, and no cross-network attribution inflation. If a customer clicked your Google ad and then purchased, you see it. If they clicked your ad but purchased through a different channel later, that order is attributed to the actual converting channel.

Common Questions

Do I need to enable auto-tagging? Yes. Auto-tagging appends the gclid to your ad URLs automatically. Without it, Detectly can still attribute via UTM parameters, but gclid provides a stronger click-level connection.

Can I track Google Shopping campaigns? Absolutely. Shopping clicks include gclid just like search ads. Add UTM parameters to your shopping campaign URLs for the most detailed attribution data.

How is this different from Google Analytics? Google Analytics tracks sessions and pageviews. Detectly tracks actual Shopify orders with revenue data. You see real ROAS calculated from order totals, not estimated conversion values. See our GA4 comparison for a deeper look.

What about Performance Max campaigns? Performance Max campaigns support auto-tagging and UTM parameters. Detectly captures clicks from PMax campaigns the same way it handles search and shopping. The attribution is based on the click, regardless of which Google surface served the ad.

Get Started

Add UTM parameters to your Google Ads campaigns, enable auto-tagging, and install Detectly. You will see attributed orders within hours.

Install Detectly free or view pricing to compare plans.