Hiring someone to set up GA4 and your ad tracking is easy. Hiring someone who sets it up so that the numbers still hold up six months later is harder. These are the questions I would ask any freelancer, including me, before signing, and what a good answer sounds like.
Questions about the setup
1. How will you track purchases on Shopify’s checkout?
Good answer: through Shopify’s Customer events, with an app pixel or a custom pixel, or server-side. Red flag: “I’ll add a script to the thank-you page” or Additional Scripts, which Shopify has retired.
2. How do you avoid duplicate purchases?
Good answer: one source per platform, the Shopify order ID as transaction ID, a shared event ID between browser and server for Meta, one primary purchase action in Google Ads. See duplicate purchase events.
3. How will consent be handled?
Good answer: a cookie banner connected to Shopify’s Customer Privacy API, Consent Mode v2 for Google, and tags that respect the choice on the checkout too.
4. Do I need server-side tracking?
Good answer: “it depends”, followed by reasons based on your ad spend, channels and traffic. Be careful with anyone who says yes or no without asking about your store. More in Shopify server-side tracking.
5. Which platforms are included?
GA4, Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Klaviyo? Get the list in writing, with what “included” means for each one.
Questions about quality
6. How do you test that it works?
Good answer: real test orders, then purchases matched with Shopify orders by order ID over several days, in every platform. “I checked it fires in Tag Assistant” is not enough.
7. What gap with Shopify should I expect at the end?
Good answer: never zero, because of consent and blockers, with a clear explanation of what is left and why. Promises of a perfect match are a red flag.
8. Can I talk to Shopify clients you’ve worked with?
Recommendations on LinkedIn or a freelance platform, from people with a real name and company, are worth more than a list of logos.
Questions about what happens after
9. What will I own at the end?
Good answer: everything. Containers, accounts and server hosting in your name, with admin access for you. Never let a provider keep your GTM container in their account.
10. What documentation do I get?
Good answer: a tagging plan listing every event and parameter, an overview of the GTM containers, and the data layer documented for your developers.
11. What happens when Shopify or Meta changes something?
Ask whether maintenance is included, available on demand, or not offered. Shopify changes its checkout and pixels regularly.
12. What exactly is the price, and what is not included?
Fixed price or day rate? Hosting and app subscriptions on top? Number of revision rounds? A clear quote avoids most disputes.
Red flags
- Asks for your passwords instead of collaborator or user access.
- Promises GA4 will match Shopify exactly.
- Installs a new app without removing the old ones.
- Gives no documentation, or keeps the containers in their own account.
- Can’t explain how consent works on Shopify’s checkout.
Freelancer, agency or marketplace?
A specialist freelancer is usually the best value for a single store: one senior person does the work, at a lower cost than an agency. Agencies make sense when you also need media buying or development. Marketplaces are fine for small, well-defined tasks, as long as you can check the result yourself.
I’m happy to answer all twelve questions on a free 30-minute call. You can also see my prices and process on the Shopify tracking packages page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a GA4 freelancer cost?
Hourly rates vary hugely by country and experience. For a Shopify store, prefer a fixed price for a defined scope: it makes quotes comparable and puts the risk of overruns on the freelancer. My packages are listed on the Shopify tracking page.
What skills should a Shopify GA4 freelancer have?
GA4 and Google Tag Manager, Shopify Customer events and custom pixels, Consent Mode v2, Meta Conversions API and Google Ads conversions, and the habit of reconciling data with Shopify orders. Server-side GTM if you run significant ad spend.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency for GA4?
A freelancer specialised in Shopify tracking is often faster and cheaper for a single store. An agency makes sense when tracking is part of a larger project with design, development and media.