AvantLink merchants may notice discrepancies among Google Analytics (GA) - including Google Analytics 4 (GA4)- and AvantLink reporting. Below are common reasons why the data may not match and troubleshooting ideas to better align reporting.
Reporting Configurations
Discrepancies can be due to the configuration of your Google Analytics report. The following are items to review to ensure that GA is configured correctly:
- Check the timezone that GA uses. AvantLink reports in Mountain Time, while GA can be configured to multiple timezones.
- Check that the GA referral period is the same as the AvantLink cookie duration. Two different referral dates will lead to reporting discrepancies.
- Check the timing of currency conversions. Rate updates may occur at different times in GA and AvantLink causing a slight difference in sales data.
- Verify the GA report is tracking sales on multi-touch attribution as opposed to last touch. When an AvantLink cookie is placed before another marketing channel, multi-touch attribution will ensure AvantLink will be recognized.
Sales Tracking
Discrepancies can also be due to instances when sales do not track in either AvantLink or Google Analytics. The following instances may be causing a discrepancy in reporting data:
- UTM tracking parameters may be stripped on certain redirects (when a browser automatically goes from one URL to another). If this occurs, the sale will not be tracked in GA and will result in more sales being tracked in AvantLink.
- When the AvantLink javascript does not fire before a customer navigates away from the order confirmation page. As a reminder, the AvantLink javascript fires on the order confirmation page. If the javascript does not fire, the sale will not be tracked in AvantLink and will result in more sales being tracked in GA.
- The use of multiple carts for specific payment types (i.e. Apple Pay), customer locations, or currency types. If the AvantLink javascript is not on every single order confirmation page (cart), the sale will not be tracked in AvantLink and will result in more sales being tracked in GA.
- The customer use of a cookie blocker on their browser may cause a discrepancy. Cookie blockers may prevent the sale from tracking in AvantLink and will result in more sales tracking in GA.
Cookie vs UTM Parameter Tracking
Another potential cause that could be impacting your reporting is due to differing tracking methods. AvantLink uses cookies to track sales, while Google Analytics uses UTM parameters.
To help align the data, AvantLink provides merchants with the opportunity to add additional parameters - also known as UTM parameters - to the AvantLink tracking URL. This might be helpful for Google Analytics to track sales more accurately.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about how your Google Analytics and AvantLink reporting or to add UTM parameters to your tracking links, please email support@avantlink.com.