If you’re ready to harness the power of numbers to optimize your Etsy shop but haven’t installed Google Analytics yet, don’t wait any longer!
Here are my instructions for connecting Google Analytics the right way, with up-to-date steps and screenshots.
⚠️ These instructions are for GA Universal Analytics and are no longer applicable. Etsy now supports GA4.
PREP: Make sure you have a Google account login
You’ll need a Google account login to use Google Analytics. A Google account is different to a Google Analytics Account: it’s a username and password to login to any of Google’s huge suite of products.
1. Decide if you need to create a Google account
If you already use Google products, like Android phones, Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs or Drive, Google Ads etc., you already have a Google account.
If you know that you do NOT use these products yet, you’ll need to create an account in step 2.
Should you create a new account for your business?
If you already have a Google account, you can use that same account here or you can create a new one just for your handmade business. Your decision will probably depend on the size of your business and how much you want to separate your online activities between business and personal.
Whichever you choose, you are not locked in to your decision for Google Analytics. You can transfer everything later!
2. Create a Google account
1. Go to http://accounts.google.com/
You should be presented with a “Sign In” form.
If you don’t see a “Sign In” form at all, then guess what? You already have a Google account and you’re currently logged in! If this is the account you want to use, skip to the next section.
If you wanted to create a new Google account, you’ll need to log out of your current account first, or open a new browser or incognito window and follow these instructions again.
2. Click Create Account under the sign in form and complete the signup process
You can choose to create the account for personal or business. Both give you access to the same tools and both are free, but Google will prompt you to use the business-related tools if you choose “for business”. (This can be helpful!)
You do not have to create a new Gmail address.
You can use any email address for a Google login, including the main email you use for your Etsy business. To use your own email address with your new account, choose “Use my current email address instead” on the account creation form.
FIRST: Create your Google Analytics Account
1. Go to the Google Analytics website
Go to https://analytics.google.com
If you see a “Sign In” form, login with your Google account login details.
2. Decide whether to create a new Google Analytics Account or use an existing one
If you’ve never used GA before, you’ll create a new account
If you’ve used GA before, but not for this business, create a new account
- Open the Admin area (bottom-left “cog” icon)
- Click [ + Create Account ] at the top of the first column.
If you already use GA for this business, but not for Etsy, create a new Property in your existing Account
If you already use Google Analytics with other platforms where you sell the same products as on Etsy (i.e. for the same business, but on different websites), you should create a new Property within your existing Account.
- Open the Admin area (bottom-left “cog” icon)
- Select your business’s Account from the left column dropdown
- Click [ + Create Property ] at the top of the middle column
3. Complete details for your new Google Analytics “Account” & “Property”
Account setup
- Account Name = Your business name
- Account Data Sharing Settings = Read the descriptions and decide what to tick based on your own preferences.
Here’s what I always leave selected:
– Google products & services
– Benchmarking - Click [ Next ]
Property setup
- Property Name = Human-readable name of your website, not the URL. eg. Your shop name – Etsy
- Reporting Time Zone = Your own timezone
- Currency = Not used with Etsy, but there’s no harm in setting this.
- Click [ Show advanced options ]
- Create a Universal Analytics property = Turn ON
Etsy has not yet updated seller tracking to use “Google Analytics 4”, so we’ll continue to use Universal Analytics until then. - Website URL = https://www.etsy.com
By entering Etsy’s home page here, you can click in Google Analytics reports to directly visit pages in your shop. If you enter any other Website URL – such as your own shop home URL – all these links will be broken.
This URL does not affect your tracking at all. Your shop will be tracked correctly as soon as you add your tracking ID to your Etsy shop settings, no matter what URL you use here. - Create a Universal Analytics property only = Select
There’s no need to clutter your account with a Google Analytics 4 property that you can’t use! You can create one later, if Etsy starts supporting GA4. - Click [ Next ]
About your business
Complete all, some or none of these optional survey questions. Then click [ Create ].
4. Agree to the Terms of Service.
If you’re creating a new Account, you’ll be asked to agree to the Google Analytics Terms of Service, even if you’ve agreed before for other Accounts.
(Don’t forget to choose the right country from the drop down and tick all the necessary boxes.)
5. Copy your tracking ID from the top of the page.
Finally, you’ll arrive on the Tracking Code page for your new Property. Copy the letters and numbers under the heading “Tracking ID”.
Ignore all the code! You don’t need to touch a line of this – Etsy has done it all for you.
If you aren’t shown this page immediately – or need to find your tracking ID again later – navigate to:
- Open the Admin area (bottom-left “cog” icon)
- Select your Etsy shop’s Account and Property from the dropdowns
- Go to Property > Tracking Info > Tracking Code
NEXT: Connect Etsy to Google Analytics
1. Log in to Etsy and open Shop Manager > Settings > Options > Web Analytics [tab]
2. Enter your tracking ID
Paste your tracking ID, including the letters “UA” and the hyphens, into the box labelled “Web Property ID“. Then hit [ SAVE ].
FINALLY: Check it’s all working
It will take up to 48 hours for numbers to appear in your Google Analytics account (though it’s usually closer to 2 or 3 hours). But you can test your connection straight away.
Can I use the “Send test traffic” button?
If you remember seeing a button labelled “Send test traffic” when you were setting up your account, this looks like it’s meant for just this purpose! And it is, for most people. Unfortunately, Etsy sellers can’t use that button to test Google Analytics because it sends traffic to the URL we entered for the Property: www.etsy.com. That’s Etsy’s home page and not where your tracking code is installed, so the test traffic won’t be detected in your Account. Follow the instructions below instead…
1. Login to Google Analytics and open the Realtime > Overview report
(If you have more than one website using GA, make sure the correct one is selected in the top-left dropdown!)
2. In a new browser tab or window, open one of your Etsy listings.
Just how a visitor would see it.
You must open a LISTING for Google Analytics code to run on your shop. Etsy does not run our tracking code on our shop home pages anymore.
3. Back in Google Analytics, wait a few seconds and make sure that an Active User appears in the top-left of the report.
What’s next?
Like most tools, Google Analytics can’t just be left alone and expected to perform perfectly. It needs fine-tuning and cleaning. Some simple TLC.
Here’s what to do next:
Comments (26)
Hello, in the article it states to use “Website URL = https://www.etsy.com”
However, Etsy’s documentation says “When asked for your Website’s URL, enter the Etsy URL for your shop (www.etsy.com/shop/shopname)”
What is the correct way to do it so that things are tracked correctly?
Ref: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000337927-Web-Analytics
Hi Adam! The “Website URL” doesn’t affect the tracking at all, so no matter what you enter, your shop will be tracked correctly as soon as you put your UA ID into your Etsy settings.
This URL is used to create the links from your All Pages report back to your Etsy shop. If you enter what Etsy says, those links will be broken. If you enter “https://www.etsy.com”, they’ll work.
Occasionally, you might get a “tracking code not found” notice because GA checks Etsy’s home page and doesn’t find your tracking code. But this check is only a courtesy and isn’t related to whether your code is working or not on your shop’s pages.
Albiet a few months late, thank you, Lesley. I’m back after hearing your interview on Etsy Conversation Podcast to make sure I’ve done all this correctly.
This is a huge help and your directions were spot-on. Thanks! Good Stuff!
This was so helpful. thank you!
thanks for such easy peasy setup steps
This helped me way more than the Etsy official help! thank you very much 🙂
Thank you so much for preventing me from tearing my hair out! This was SO helpful!!!
Hi Lesley! Thank you for this! I was wondering — is it possible to track which traffic source is converting into sales on my Etsy shop using Google Analytics?
Thanks for stopping by, Melanie! Unfortunately, Etsy does not let us track sales directly into Google Analytics but you can start here to find individual buyers and build up a picture: https://www.artisananalytics.com.au/blog/find-etsy-buyers-in-google-analytics
If we try to test our traffic right away the way that was shown, will it work right after setting up? I followed the directions, but I am not seeing the 1 person online even though I have my shop page open.
Yep, same here. Nothing showing
Try testing by viewing a listing page, not your shop home. Etsy has recently made some changes, which I’ll be posting an update on very soon!
I was having the same issue, but I didn’t realize that you can’t be logged in to your Etsy account. Once I logged out, (I think that’s the reason Lesley’s instructions direct us to open Etsy in another browser) I was able to see myself as an active user.
Thank you so much for your detailed instructions. I have my account set up for my ETSY shop and now I am trying to add a property account for my Pattern site with my own domain. I’m doing something wrong. Just wondering where we put the website URL should I put my domain or the pattern domain. I’m thinking that’s where I went wrong?
Thank you – I was literally going around in circles trying to work this out and you saved my life!
Hi… Thankyou kindly for this tutourial.
This question relates to whether I should Create a New Account or New Property.
For e.g.
Say I had http://www.batman.com for the last 20 years (Google Analytics /Adsense etc).
Ok… now I have 2 new websites that I just registered….
http://www.superman.com and http://www.wonderwoman.com
All 3 websites sell different products totally different from one another.
As you stated above kindly…
“If you already use Google Analytics with other platforms where you sell the same products as on Etsy (i.e. for the same business, but on different websites), you should create a new Property within your existing Account”………
Do i create a New Account for each one and then fillin details in the next panel…(the New property section… ( Click [ + Create Property ] at the top of the middle column)…
…….
or do I just create 2 New Properties under my http://www.batman.com Account which is the only one listed?
ANy info greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards
Hi Rob,
Great question! My general advice is more about keeping a tidy account that’s easy to navigate and understand. There is no technical reason to set it up in any particular way and you can move Properties between Accounts later, if you change your mind.
Will you be selling under each of these brands on both a standalone website (eg. batman.com) and Etsy store (eg. batman.etsy.com)? If yes, then do create a new Account for each as you will have two Properties for each (one for standalone website and one for Etsy). Six properties under one account might get confusing!
If you manage these three sites “behind the scenes” as totally separate businesses (eg. separate finances), then I also suggest creating a new Account for each one. If not (and you’ll only have one website per store), go ahead and create new Properties in your existing Account.
You’re not locked into whatever structure you choose. If you ever run into trouble or limitations with it, you can transfer properties between accounts later (either to split or combine them).
Hope that helps!
Lesley
Hi Lesley, Thanx heaps for your quick reply… I came across 3 websites that really compliment your brilliant answer.
I just thought I shared it with you and newbies because all answers are given on these websites in very informative ways a bit different from each other.
Feedback on your blog:
I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this blog with excellent, clear and concise diagrams. Keep up the outstanding work! Have a Great Day!
Google Analytics Account limit and Property Limit
https://analytify.io/google-analytics-limits/
In standard Google Analytics, you can set up 100 accounts and can add 50 properties per account which means you can create 100 accounts and a Google Analytics account contains 50 properties or websites.
Google’s – Example account structures
Overview of two Analytics accounts
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1102152?hl=en#zippy=%2Cin-this-article
How to Set Up & Use Google Analytics Across Multiple Websites
https://databox.com/how-to-use-google-analytics-across-multiple-websites
Databox sums it up well…
In sum, if you have multiple websites, there are two main ways to configure Google Analytics.
• You can add all of your sites as different properties under your main account.
• Or, you can add multiple sites in your main Google Analytics as unique accounts.
Thank you for the clear and useful article
That worked very well, thank you!
Thank you SO much. I was lost with Etsy’s directions, and Google Analytic documentation wasn’t great either. This completely clarified and help me do it quickly.
Also, a note for people who are not seeing anyone Realtime when they test it – you MUST be logged out of your Etsy seller account – it didn’t show me as exploring my site until I did that.
Thank you for these instructions. I am having one small problem in that there is no “show advanced options” in the location /time / currency setup page and therefore I can’t get an ID starting with UA- I can only get a ‘measurement ID’ starting with G- and Etsy says this is invalid in their property ID text field.
Suggestions? Is there somewhere else in the Analytics settings I can generate this ID format?
thank you
Hello… sorry… I just realized that the ‘show advanced options’ only appears during the initial setup stage. I was thinking I might be able to go into that property and generate a UA ID but that’s not the case. Anyway, all set up and Etsy accepted the UA ID. Phew. Done. Thank you!
I am so thankful to have come across this website. Thanks for the good advice.
Cheers Tilda
Thank you! does this still capture data if they are browsing from the app? or only from the website on a computer?