Live View

If you use the online store channel, then you can use Live View for a real-time view of the activity on your store. Live View includes a world map (two-dimensional) and a globe (three-dimensional) to show you where the activity on your store is coming from and some key metrics to let you know what's happening right now.

You can use Live View to monitor the activity on your online store and your sales from all channels. It's especially useful during high traffic periods, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and when you want to see the immediate results of your recent marketing activity, discounts, or other promotions.

Information in the Live View is shown in your store’s local time.

Open Live View

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Analytics > Live View.
  2. Optional: Click Map view or Globe view to select the world map (two-dimensional) or a globe (three-dimensional) view.

You can drag the map to reposition it, use the + and - buttons to zoom in or out, and click Full screen to show only Live View on your monitor.

Live View defaults to Globe view the first time it's opened. After this, Live View defaults to the last viewing mode that was used.

Stream Live View

If you need to share your Live View information in real time, then you can click Streamer mode. While Streamer mode is active, your Live View metrics are hidden. This enables you to show your customer activity on the map or globe view, while maintaining privacy. You can use any streaming or video sharing service to share your screen.

Information shown on Live View

On the globe view, green dots indicate recent visitor sessions, and blue dots indicate orders. On the 2d map view, blue dots indicate recent visitor sessions, and purple dots indicate orders. You can interact with the globe to get more information about the visitors and orders shown, including:

  • Toggling between map view and globe view
  • Rotating the globe to see traffic and orders from around the world
  • Hovering over a dot to see more information about that visit or order
  • Zooming into a geographic area by searching for a specific country, region, or city

The following metrics are shown on Live View:

Available metrics on Live View
MetricWhat it shows
Visitors right now

Number of visitors who have been active on your online store in the past 5 minutes. To remain active, the visitor needs to view a page or click a button.

This number might differ from data provided by Google Analytics. Google doesn't reveal how they determine a real-time visitor count.

Total salesTotal value of sales based on the orders on your online store and from other sales channels since midnight. Total sales is equal to gross sales − discounts − returns + shipping + taxes.
Total sessionsTotal number of sessions on your online store since midnight in your store's local timezone.
Total ordersTotal number of orders placed on your online store and from other sales channels since midnight. An order occurs when a visitor completes the checkout process and purchases an item.
Top locationsThe geographic regions where the most visitors to your online store are located since midnight in your store's local timezone.
Top productsThe products that have generated the highest in total sales for your online store since midnight in your store's local timezone.
First-time customersCustomers that haven't previously placed an order from your online store.
Returning customersCustomers that have previously placed an order from your online store.
Customer behavior

Number of sessions in your online store in the last 10 minutes that have added items to their cart, reached the checkout, or made purchases.

  • Active carts: In the last 10 minutes, the number of sessions with one or more items to their shopping carts. This number is usually smaller than the number of visitors because some visitors view products without adding any items to their cart.

  • Checking out: In the last 10 minutes, the number of sessions with one or more items to their shopping carts, proceeded to the checkout, and submitted their contact information, such as their name, address, and so on. This number is usually smaller than the "Active carts" number because some visitors add items to their cart but don't go to the checkout or don't submit their contact information.

  • Completed: In the last 10 minutes, the number of sessions with one or more items to their shopping carts, proceeded to the checkout, and then actually purchased the items. This number is usually smaller than the "Checking out" number because some visitors leave the checkout without purchasing anything.

The data in Live View might vary from the data gathered by analytics tools from other companies. For information on why the data can vary, see Analytics discrepancies.

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