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Shopify - PostHog

Send every Shopify event to PostHog, server-side

Q: How does Upstack identify users in PostHog?

Upstack assigns each visitor a consistent distinct_id that persists across sessions, devices and browsers when it can resolve the visitor’s identity. Anonymous visitors get a temporary ID that Upstack tries to merge once the visitor is identified.

Q: Will I see duplicate events if I also have PostHog installed via another method?

Possibly. If PostHog’s JavaScript snippet or another integration sends the same events, you may see duplicates, so disable overlapping event types in either Upstack or the other integration.

Q: Which events does PostHog receive?

PageView as $pageview, ViewContent as view_item, AddToCart as add_to_cart, InitiateCheckout as initiate_checkout and Purchase as purchase. Orders reach Upstack directly from Shopify, even when the browser pixel is blocked.

Q: Which customer parameters are sent to PostHog?

Each event carries Upstack’s resolved distinct_id, which persists across sessions, plus email when the visitor is identified, IP address, user agent and device details.

Q: How do I check that Shopify events are reaching PostHog?

Visit your store, view a product or add to cart, and confirm the event appears in PostHog under Activity, Live Events.

Q: Do I need a developer to connect Shopify to PostHog?

No. Shopify connects as an app install with no theme edits, and most brands are live in under 20 minutes. Headless storefronts add the Upstack Pixel script instead of the theme app extension.

Each event is resolved to a person against a 750M+ device graph before it reaches PostHog, so records and reporting reflect the person, not the device.

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4.6 out of 5 from 36 reviews on the Shopify App Store

US device IDs in the graph: 750M+
Match rate on events: 90%+
Identity window, per customer: Lifetime
Most brands are live: <20 min

How it flows

How a Shopify event reaches PostHog. Captured on the server, resolved to a person, then sent.

01 Capture

Captured from Shopify

One Upstack app setup that captures Shopify storefront and checkout events with the Upstack Pixel, records every order directly from Shopify, and forwards both to every tool you spend on.

See the Shopify integration

ShopifyWhat it sends

order_idShopify order and checkout token
email / phonecustomer contact from checkout
customer_idShopify customer record, if they have one
line_itemsproducts, variants and quantities
total / subtotal / discountorder economics

02 Understand

Resolved to one person before it leaves

Every Shopify event is matched against a 750M+ device graph, so a phone browse and a desktop checkout resolve to one customer rather than two strangers.

How resolution works

Resolved before it is sent

IdentityMatched against a 750M+ device graph, so a phone browse and a desktop checkout resolve to one customer.
customer_typeNew or returning, resolved before send.
DeduplicationOne person, one record, across devices and identifiers.
Bot and fraud filteringAutomated traffic never becomes a contact.

A CRM is only as trustworthy as its worst duplicate. These controls exist so the record reflects the person.

03 Activate

Delivered to PostHog

Stream resolved product and commerce events into PostHog for analysis on a person, not a session.

See the PostHog integration

PostHogWhat it receives

distinct_idthe person, across devices
event name and propertiesfunnels and retention
$set person propertiesuser-level attributes

Which events reach PostHog

Each Upstack event is mapped to the PostHog event below before it is sent.

Upstack event	Sent to PostHog as
Page view	$pageview
Product view	view_item
Add to cart	add_to_cart
Checkout	initiate_checkout
Purchase	purchase

Each event carries Upstack’s resolved distinct_id, which persists across sessions, plus email when the visitor is identified, IP address, user agent and device details.

The catch

Shopify's customer ID and the email a shopper types at checkout are frequently not the same person over time.

Treating either as the primary key on its own is how a CRM ends up with duplicate contacts that never merge.

Where to check in PostHogRecords you can audit

PostHog Activity

then check that a single person shows events from more than one device.

What changes

What changes when Shopify feeds PostHog. Two gains on the PostHog side, two on the Shopify side.

PostHog

Server-side delivery

Upstack always sends events to PostHog from its servers as well as through the PostHog snippet, so an event an ad blocker or browser privacy setting stops in the browser still arrives from the server.

PostHog

Identity-resolved events

Events sent to PostHog carry the resolved customer whenever Upstack can identify one, matched against a 750M+ device graph.

Shopify

Orders recorded from Shopify itself

Purchases also reach Upstack directly from Shopify, about 10 minutes after the order, so an order still counts when an ad blocker stopped the pixel or the shopper closed the page.

Shopify

Recognize returning customers

Shopify customer IDs, emails and phones are matched against the graph, so repeat buyers are identified across devices.

Setup

Live in under 20 minutes.

App install, no theme edits and no developer. You need your PostHog Project API Key from Project Settings and the data region, US or EU, where your project is hosted and owner or staff access to Shopify.

Upstack dashboardExample

Shopify Data source Connected

PostHog Destination Healthy

Read the full PostHog setup guide

01

Connect Shopify

In the Upstack dashboard, open System, then Data Sources, and click Connect Shopify. Approve the install in your Shopify Admin: Upstack reads products, orders and customers, and writes only its own pixel.
02

Add the PostHog destination

Under Destinations, add PostHog with your Project API Key, which starts with phc_, and the Data Region (US or EU) that matches where your PostHog project is hosted.
03

Check Live Events in PostHog

Visit your store, view a product or add to cart, and confirm the event appears in PostHog under Activity, Live Events.

FAQ

Questions about Shopify and PostHog.

How does Upstack identify users in PostHog?

Upstack assigns each visitor a consistent distinct_id that persists across sessions, devices and browsers when it can resolve the visitor’s identity. Anonymous visitors get a temporary ID that Upstack tries to merge once the visitor is identified.

Will I see duplicate events if I also have PostHog installed via another method?

Possibly. If PostHog’s JavaScript snippet or another integration sends the same events, you may see duplicates, so disable overlapping event types in either Upstack or the other integration.

Which events does PostHog receive?

PageView as $pageview, ViewContent as view_item, AddToCart as add_to_cart, InitiateCheckout as initiate_checkout and Purchase as purchase. Orders reach Upstack directly from Shopify, even when the browser pixel is blocked.

Which customer parameters are sent to PostHog?

Each event carries Upstack’s resolved distinct_id, which persists across sessions, plus email when the visitor is identified, IP address, user agent and device details.

How do I check that Shopify events are reaching PostHog?

Visit your store, view a product or add to cart, and confirm the event appears in PostHog under Activity, Live Events.

Do I need a developer to connect Shopify to PostHog?

No. Shopify connects as an app install with no theme edits, and most brands are live in under 20 minutes. Headless storefronts add the Upstack Pixel script instead of the theme app extension.