GA4 ecommerce events: Squarespace vs Shopify

Google's reference for Shopify's Google & YouTube app lists the GA4 events Shopify sends: page_view, view_item_list, view_item, add_to_cart, view_cart, remove_from_cart, begin_checkout, add_shipping_info, add_payment_info, search and purchase. A refund event is not among them. Squarespace's Help page names no GA4 events; it lists the order data sent for every order, including a purchase total that "includes shipping". So GA4 revenue may not mean the same thing on the two platforms until you read one order in DebugView.

Which GA4 events does Shopify send?

Shopify Help says that after you set up GA4, "certain ecommerce events are tracked automatically". Google's reference, last updated 28 July 2026, lists them and adds that the app also sends standard measurement events such as session_start, user_engagement and first_visit. Google's setup page lists view_item_list, remove_from_cart, view_cart and add_shipping_info as new events, and the reference says add_shipping_info exists only in checkouts where Checkout Extensibility for customizations is enabled.

Three documented details decide whether the numbers are usable:

• Value. The reference says value "takes into account both item and order level discounts but does not include shipping charges and taxes". Since 24 April 2025 the purchase value is subtotal minus discounts.
• Currency. The reference says the currency string "is USD by default if no currency has been set in the event data", so a store that sells in euros should confirm its purchase event says so.
• Refunds. GA4's ecommerce guide describes a separate refund event, sent with the transaction_id. It is not on the app's list.

What does Squarespace send?

Squarespace Help says its built-in integration is set up by adding a measurement ID, which starts with G- and comes from a GA4 property, and that it works without any script code. For ecommerce it says it sends this data for every order: the buyer's city, region and country, order ID, product name, purchase total (includes shipping), SKU and store name. The page lists no product view, add-to-cart or checkout events and doesn't say which GA4 field the purchase total fills.

These are the platforms' own descriptions, not independent tests of what reaches GA4, which is why the check below reads an actual order. Squarespace's own pages also treat shipping differently. Its sales analytics says revenue excludes tax and shipping fees and "doesn't account for refunds", while the total it sends to Google Analytics includes shipping.

What does GA4 expect from a purchase?

Google's ecommerce guide, last updated 19 August 2026, marks transaction_id as "Required for purchases and refunds" and annotates value as the "Sum of (price * quantity) for all items", with tax and shipping as separate parameters. It allows up to 200 elements in the items array and tells you to set currency at the event level when you send value.

For illustration: items worth EUR 80, a EUR 10 discount and EUR 6 shipping give a value of 80 - 10 = 70 under Google's Shopify definition, and 80 - 10 + 6 = 76 for a total that includes shipping, so the same order is worth EUR 70 in one report and EUR 76 in the other.

How do you check one order on each platform?

Place one order on each store and read it in GA4 DebugView:

1. Turn on debug mode for your device. Google says Tag Assistant or preview mode does it. DebugView shows no events when consent mode is on and analytics cookies weren't accepted.
2. Place the order. On Shopify, use a test order; Shopify says test orders don't display in its reports. On Squarespace, Help describes test mode and a real order you refund yourself for PayPal, and says a refunded real order still counts in its sales analytics.
3. Open the purchase event. Click an event in DebugView to see its parameters. Compare transaction_id, value, currency and items with the order.
4. Find out what the value contains. On Squarespace, compare the GA4 value with the Subtotal, Shipping, Taxes and Total columns of the order export. The column it equals is what the integration sent.
5. Refund the order. Look for a refund event in GA4. GA4's guide says you record a refund by sending one.

Pass: one purchase per order, transaction_id equal to the order ID, value and currency that match the definition you chose, each item and quantity present, and a plan for refunds. Fail: no purchase or two, a value that adds or drops shipping against your reporting rule without you knowing, USD on a euro store, or a refund that never reaches GA4. If a Squarespace test-mode order sends nothing, repeat with a real order you refund.

Sources, 30 September 2026: Shopify event parameters (Google, updated 28 July 2026); Setting up Google Analytics 4 (Shopify, page read 30 September 2026); Connect Google Analytics to your site (Squarespace, updated 28 September 2026); Shopify: Set up your Google tag (Google, page read 30 September 2026); Track your store's revenue, orders, and top products (Squarespace, updated 25 September 2026); Measure ecommerce (Google, updated 19 August 2026); Monitor events in DebugView (Google, page read 30 September 2026); Placing a test order (Shopify, page read 30 September 2026); Run test orders (Squarespace, page read 30 September 2026); Export Commerce orders (Squarespace, updated 24 November 2025)

Related answers

• Shopify themes and tracking: what can break
• Squarespace vs Shopify: attribution gaps
• Google Ads vs Shopify revenue: why the numbers differ
• Squarespace or Shopify: marketing tools and measurement