When analyzing your sessions data from multiple platforms (such as Shopify or Google Analytics) and comparing those with the sessions reported by the Polar Pixel, you may notice a difference in the number of sessions reported by each source for the same date range.
There are a few reasons why this can happen:
Tracking Mechanisms: Each platform uses different mechanisms for tracking user interactions. The Polar Pixel, being a server-side tracking model, typically captures additional sessions that Google Analytics or Shopify miss due to tracking blockers, cookies, or failed page loads.
Session Definition: Each platform may define a "session" differently. For example, Google Analytics and Shopify end a session after 30 minutes of inactivity, at midnight, or with a campaign change. Polar Pixel ends a session after only 20 minutes of inactivity.
Data Processing: Each service processes data differently, which can lead to discrepancies. This includes how they handle bot traffic, data sampling, or the time zone settings for the account.
Cross-Domain Tracking: If your e-commerce operations span multiple domains, Google Analytics requires specific cross-domain tracking setup, which if not configured correctly, can lead to session loss. As the Polar Pixel is installed directly within the domain of your Shopify store, it is less likely to miss sessions in this case (as long as it is installed correctly).
If you have any questions regarding your sessions data, don't hesitate to reach out to our Support Team via the in-app live chat and we'll be happy to assist.