Why Essential A/B Testing Shows Fewer Orders Than Shopify

If you notice that the number of orders shown inside Essential A/B Testing is lower than the total orders received during theme-level A/B test period, this is usually expected behavior and not a tracking error.

Below we explain how order tracking works, when orders are counted, and why discrepancies can happen, especially during theme-level A/B tests.

📌 Important Things to Know

A/B test analytics are not updated in real time
Only orders that interact with the A/B test are counted
Shopify privacy and checkout limitations can prevent some orders from being tracked

Let’s break everything down 👇

1️⃣ When Is an Order Counted in an A/B Test?

An order is included in Essential A/B Testing results only if all of the following conditions are met:

Essential A/B Testing relies on data provided by Shopify.

Before a customer accepts the cookie consent banner:

Shopify does not share behavioral or conversion data
Variant assignment cannot be tracked
Orders cannot be attributed to the test

If a customer places an order before accepting cookies, that order will appear in Shopify but not in the A/B test results.

✅ 2. The visitor actually experiences the test variant

Even if the test is active, an order is counted only if the visitor:

Is assigned to variant A or B
Visits the template or theme version included in the test

Orders from visitors who never loaded the test experience will not be included.

✅ 3. The visitor does not bypass the tested template

Orders are not tracked if customers bypass the tested experience, for example:

Purchasing directly from collection pages
Using quick-buy flows that skip the tested page
Completing actions outside the template being tested

In these cases, the order exists in Shopify but cannot be attributed to the A/B test.

2️⃣ Why Can This Happen Even When Testing the Entire Theme?

When running a theme-level A/B test, most visitors should interact with the test. However, discrepancies can still occur due to:

Delayed or missing cookie consent

Some users accept cookies late or never, so their orders cannot be tracked.

Third-party or alternative checkout flows

If customers complete purchases via:
- external checkout solutions
- alternative sales channels
  
  and do not land on Shopify’s standard Thank You page, the completed order event is not sent to the app.
Analytics update delay

The dashboard updates periodically, not instantly.

It may take minutes or a few hours for all valid orders to appear.

3️⃣ Is the A/B Testing Data Reliable?

Yes. When tracking conditions are met, Essential A/B Testing provides accurate and reliable results.

However:

Shopify privacy rules limit tracking before consent
Some checkout flows do not trigger conversion events
Not all store orders are eligible to be attributed to a test

Because of this:

Shopify orders = total store revenue
A/B Testing orders = orders that interacted with the test

4️⃣ Best Practices for More Accurate Results

To maximize tracking accuracy:

Ensure the cookie consent banner is clearly visible
Avoid third-party checkout flows during critical tests
Allow time for analytics to update before evaluating results
Use Shopify order data for volume, and A/B Testing data for variant comparison

✅ Final Summary

If your A/B test shows fewer orders than Shopify:

This does not indicate a system issue
Orders are counted only after cookie consent and test interaction
Alternative checkout flows can prevent tracking
Analytics updates are not real-time

If you believe something still doesn’t add up, our support team is always happy to investigate further 💙