This guide details how to install the Polar Pixel on your Shopify or headless store and configure your ads' tracking parameters to ensure the best results.

Overview

Accurate data is the lifeblood of a scaling DTC brand. In an era of privacy restrictions (like iOS 14+) and ad-blockers, standard browser tracking often misses up to 30% of your conversion data.

The Polar Pixel is our proprietary first-party tracking solution designed to bridge this gap. By installing the Pixel, you move beyond "estimated" data to a "source of truth" that identifies hidden customer journeys, enriches your marketing flows, and powers our advanced attribution models.

In this guide, you will learn:

• How to install the Polar Pixel on Shopify and headless environments.

• The critical role of Tracking Parameters (UTMs) in attribution.

• How to verify your setup is working.

Installing the Polar Pixel (Shopify & Headless)

How you install the Pixel depends on how your storefront is built:

• Shopify theme (Liquid) stores: the Pixel installs as a Shopify App Pixel in one click. It runs in Shopify's secure, isolated sandbox, so it won't slow down your site and isn't affected by Checkout Extensibility updates.

• Headless or custom storefronts (Hydrogen, Next.js, Remix, React, etc.): Shopify's App Pixel sandbox isn't available, so the Pixel is installed with the Polar Pixel SDK. See For Headless & Custom Builds below.

At this time, the Pixel cannot be installed while on the Free Trial.

For Shopify Merchants (1-Click Install)

1. Enable the Add-on: Navigate to the Acquisition page in your Polar dashboard. Ensure the "Polar Pixel" add-on is toggled ON.

2. Execute Installation: Visit the Pixel Setup Page and click Install. Polar will automatically add the Pixel to your Shopify Customer Events.

3. Enable the "App Embed": Click the link to your Shopify theme apps, toggle the Polar App Embed to ON, and click Save. Learn more about the App Embed in this guide.

4. Third-Party Checkouts: If you use tools like Recharge, follow our sub-guide to bridge tracking between your store and the subscription checkout: Add the Polar Pixel to 3rd-Party Checkouts.

Note: Currently, the Polar Pixel cannot be installed on:

• Amazon Seller

• Facebook/Instagram Checkout

• TikTok Shop

• Shopify Shop App

However, orders processed through these channels will still be tracked if they sync with Shopify.

For Headless & Custom Builds

If your store runs on a custom frontend (Hydrogen, Next.js, Remix, React, etc.), install the Pixel with the Polar Pixel SDK. This is a lightweight JavaScript library that your developer calls from your storefront's code to send events to Polar, using the same event names as Shopify's Customer Events (for example page_viewed, product_viewed, product_added_to_cart, checkout_started, and checkout_completed).

Installing the SDK requires access to your website's code, so we recommend sharing the SDK documentation with your developer. The Headless Shopify Integration section of the documentation covers:

• The required fields for every event, including your store's *.myshopify.com domain (not your customer-facing storefront URL).

• Example payloads for each event.

• Identifying visitors when they log in or submit a form.

• Firing page_viewed on route changes in single-page apps.

• Cart Attribute Injection, which reproduces the behavior of the App Embed.

• Verifying your install and troubleshooting.

For help checking that the Pixel is firing on your headless store, see Troubleshooting the Polar Pixel integration on Headless Stores.

Configuring Ad Tracking Parameters

The Pixel "sees" the visitor, but Tracking Parameters tell the Pixel which specific ad brought them there. Without proper UTMs, your conversions will end up in "Direct" or "Unknown" categories.

The "Gold Standard" Configuration

To get the most out of Polar's attribution, append the right parameters to your ad URLs using our tracking guides:

• Google Ads Guide

• Klaviyo Guide

• Facebook Ads Guide

• Bing Ads Guide

• Snapchat Ads Guide

• TikTok Ads Guide

• Pinterest Ads Guide

Use our Universal Tracking Parameters for non-integrated channels (like LinkedIn or influencer links) to maintain a unified view of your marketing.

Note: Comprehensive attribution requires specific tracking parameters. Ads without these parameters may not capture all data.

Verification and Identity Resolution

Once installed, the Polar Pixel begins building a LifetimeID for your customers, which helps recognize returning visitors across sessions.

How to Verify the Pixel is Firing

Shopify theme stores: In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer events and confirm the Polar Pixel is listed and connected.

Headless stores: It's expected that you'll see "No Attribution data" under the Pixel setup section on the connector page. Use your browser's Network tab instead:

1. Open your website, right-click, and select Inspect (DevTools).

2. Go to the Network tab and refresh the page.

3. Filter the requests by pixel.

4. Look for a request with a successful status (200 or 204) to confirm events are reaching Polar.

For a step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots, see Troubleshooting the Polar Pixel integration on Headless Stores.

The 14-Day Baseline

The Polar Pixel does not track retroactively. It begins learning your traffic the moment it is installed. We recommend a 14-day "burn-in" period to establish a baseline before making major shifts in your ad spend based on Polar attribution.

FAQs

Can the Pixel affect my store in any way?

• On Shopify theme stores, the Polar Pixel is a Shopify App Pixel. It runs in an isolated environment and uses Shopify-controlled APIs to collect data. This is the recommended way to add pixels and has minimal impact on the performance, security, and privacy of your website.

"Additional scripts" are not allowed in Shopify checkouts anymore. How does installation work?

• There is no need for an additional script. The Polar Pixel is a Shopify App Pixel, which is the recommended way to use pixels on Shopify stores as it offers the most secure, reliable, and performant setup.

We have other tracking pixels. Is this a problem?

• No problem. Our tracking pixel is independent from other tracking sources, so you can install it in parallel.

Do you foresee any issues in compatibility with consent banner apps?

• We don't foresee any issues. The Polar Pixel is compatible with Shopify customer privacy settings. If you use a third-party provider for marketing consent, please make sure it's compatible with Shopify's customer privacy settings.

• You can check the list of countries in Shopify Admin > Customer Privacy > Cookie banner. When a country is not selected, the Pixel fires without waiting for consent.

Do you support headless stores?

• Yes. Headless stores (including Hydrogen) install the Pixel with the Polar Pixel SDK. See the For Headless & Custom Builds section of this guide.

Do we need to set up a new Conversion action on ad platforms like Google Ads?

• No. We don't rely on Google Ads' pixel or any other ad platform's pixel for tracking, so there's no need to set up a conversion action. Once the Polar Pixel is installed, you only need to configure UTM parameters in your ad platforms.

Does the Polar Pixel work with Shopify's checkout extensibility?

• Yes. On Shopify theme stores the Polar Pixel is a Shopify App Pixel, designed to work with checkout extensibility. No action is required when you upgrade your checkout.

How are the UTMs set up at ad level? Are they manual or automatic?

• The setup of UTMs at the ad level is similar to the campaign level. For Google Ads, UTMs are configured automatically. For all other platforms, UTMs need to be set up manually. Please refer to the tracking parameter guides listed in Section 2.

How can I confirm that the Pixel is installed?

• Shopify theme stores: In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer events and confirm the Polar Pixel is listed.

• Headless stores or external landing pages using the SDK: Use your browser's Network tab, as described in How to Verify the Pixel is Firing.

Can you help me install the Polar SDK?

• Installing the Polar SDK requires access to your website's code, so we recommend working with your web developer or technical team.

  You can share our SDK documentation with them. It includes step-by-step instructions and code examples for tracking key events.

  While we can't install it for you, we're happy to answer questions about how the SDK works.

What cookies are necessary for the Polar Pixel to fire?

• The Polar Pixel does not use its own cookies.

• Required cookies can be seen in the Shopify admin.

• The Pixel stores data in local storage. The keys the Pixel uses are tabId and pap_unique_user_id.