How To Implement Criteo Tags with Shopify via GTM & Server-Side API

Elevar powers your data layer and server-side tracking needed to connect Criteo and Shopify.

intermediate Implementation Difficulty
How To Implement Criteo Tags with Shopify via GTM & Server-Side API

Integration Specs

  • Channel Accuracy Monitoring
  • Requires Elevar Data Layer
  • GTM server-side client customizable
  • Chrome Extension

  • Elevar Server-Side
  • GTM Server-Side
  • GTM Web Container

What's Included

Events

What customer events are tracked in this integration

  • Product View
  • Add To Cart
  • Initiate Checkout
  • Loader File
  • Homepage
  • Listing Page
  • Purchase

Customer Parameters

What customer parameters are tracked in this integration

  • e-mail
  • customer id

Step 1: Prerequisites

Before you can enable your Criteo API Destination, you will need to:

  1. Install Elevar’s Data Layer on your store or ensure you are on Elevar Data Layer Version 2.33+. This can be done inside your Elevar Dashboard > Data Layer
  2. Install Elevar’s Shopify Notifications to add Webhook listeners to your store for purchases

Plus, Criteo recommends adding their client-side tracking in parallel with server-side tracking. So if you would like to implement this then follow this step included below as well.

Step 2: Import the Criteo (for Server-Side) Pre-Built Container into Google Tag Manager Web

Criteo requires you to have a User Identification Tag in your GTM Web Container to set the ID for your server events. To set this up:

  1. Click here to be taken to the Pre-Built Criteo (for Server-Side) container
  2. Add in your Criteo Caller ID > Select Download Container
  3. Log into Google Tag Manager > Select your desired Web GTM Container
  4. Navigate to Admin > Import Container > Upload the file you just downloaded from Elevar
  5. Select New under Choose Workspace > titled it Elevar Criteo API
  6. Select Merge > Then select Overwrite > Then Confirm
  7. [Optional] QA the newly uploaded tag using Google Tag Manager’s Preview Mode
  8. Once you’re ready to publish, navigate to the Elevar Criteo API Workspace > Select Submit at the top right > Then Publish

Step 3: Navigate to the Criteo Server-Side Install Wizard in your Elevar App

1. In your Elevar App, navigate to Server-Side > Select Add Destination > Find and select Criteo.

criteostep2a

2. You’ll be taken to an Overview Page, select Get Started

criteostep2b

Step 4: Select Your Events

In this first step you are simply choosing what events you want enabled for your Criteo API.

By default, we’ve already selected the standard recommended events for you! Most likely, you won’t need to adjust anything and can just select Save to continue to the next step.

criteostep3

Step 5: Block Transactions

This step allows you to control exactly what purchase events are sent to Criteo’s API. You can block orders based on Source Channel Names, Order Tags or Order Gateways.

criteostep4

Two common scenarios where you may want to block orders are: recurring orders & offline orders. Learn how to block these orders in this guide.

Not sure if you need to block orders? Look at what Sales Channels you have in Shopify!

Step 6: Add in Your Criteo API IDs

You’ll need to add in your Criteo Application ID, Partner ID, and Caller ID into the Elevar Install Wizard. Here’s how you can get all three API IDs.

criteostep5

Once you’ve inputted all three IDs, select Save & Continue.

Step 7: Push the Tracking Live

Select Go Live on the Overview Page to launch your new Criteo tracking.

criteostep6

Then remove your previous Criteo tracking.

Step 8: Monitor Accuracy in Real Time

Once you are live then you can view transactions in real-time including all attribution data for the order.

You’ll see the destinations that the order was delivered to at the bottom (you will want to see Criteo here after you go live).

realtimeorders

And you can also view your conversion accuracy over time. Here’s an example of what this report looks like using TikTok as an example:

tiktokchannelaccuracy

Step 1: Install Data Layer to Your Store

In order to deploy Criteo tracking via Google Tag Manager tags, you need to have a data layer implemented on your Shopify store that pushes customer, product, and order data that Criteo’s tags require.

installdatalayer

If you don’t have a data layer for your Shopify store yet, then you can utilize Elevar’s data layer for Shopify. It’s a 1-click installation into your theme.

Step 2: Download Container for GTM

Inside of your Elevar account, go to Pre Built Tags > Criteo

Update your Criteo Partner ID in the tag settings shown below.

criteo-gtm-container

Download the container and save to your computer.

Step 3: Import Container to GTM

Next up, go to your Google Tag Manager container > Admin > Import.

import-container-gtm

Be sure to select Merge container, not overwrite.

Once you’ve imported, verify your Partner ID variable is accurate.

Step 4: QA & Publish

Once you’re ready to go live then put GTM into preview mode.

You can navigate the site and place an order to verify your TikTok tags trigger as expected.

Remember that the data layer from step 1 needs to be live on your store in order for the variables – like revenue and order id – to populate.

Step 5: Follow Up With Criteo Rep

Typically once you go live then Criteo will want to verify tracking is working as expected. You’ll need to let your Criteo rep know that your tracking is now live.

Compatible Data Sources

Data Layer

Complete data layer for Google Tag Manager including all native events and variables for Shopify.
Learn More

Shopify Webhooks

Used for our server-side integrations for 100% purchase capture rate.
Learn More

FAQs

View common integration questions