Setting up your data integrations is the most important thing you'll do in Ranksy. This guide will walk you through connecting both the Shopify Partner API and Google BigQuery step-by-step.
Why Integrations Matter
Think of Ranksy without integrations like a car without an engine - it looks nice, but it won't take you anywhere. Here's what you're missing without integrations:
Without Integrations:
- ❌ No revenue data
- ❌ No customer information
- ❌ No traffic sources
- ❌ No conversion tracking
- ❌ Can only see public app store data
With Integrations:
- ✅ Complete revenue and MRR tracking
- ✅ Full customer lifecycle analysis
- ✅ Traffic source attribution
- ✅ Conversion funnel visualization
- ✅ Know exactly what drives your business
Bottom line: Skip this and you're flying blind. Do this and you have superpowers.
Integration 1: Shopify Partner API
This connects your Shopify Partner account to Ranksy so I can track your app's revenue, customers, and subscriptions.
What Data Do You Get?
Once connected, Ranksy will show you:
- Revenue: Daily, weekly, monthly earnings
- MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue): Your predictable income
- Customer Count: Total paying customers
- New Installs: People who just added your app
- Churn: Customers who cancelled
- Subscription Changes: Upgrades and downgrades
- Customer List: Every merchant using your app
Before You Start
Make sure you have:
- Access to your Shopify Partner Dashboard
- Admin permissions for your app
- 10 minutes of uninterrupted time
Step-by-Step Setup
Part 1: Get Your Credentials from Shopify
1. Get Your Organization ID
- Log into partners.shopify.com
- Click on Settings (gear icon in top right)
- Go to Partner account settings
- You'll see Organization ID - it's a number like
123456 - Copy this number and paste it somewhere safe (Notes app, etc.)
2. Get Your App ID
- In Partner Dashboard, go to Apps
- Click on your app
- Look at the URL in your browser
- You'll see something like:
partners.shopify.com/123456/apps/789012 - The last number (789012) is your App ID
- Copy this number
3. Create a Partner API Client
- In Partner Dashboard, go to Settings again
- Scroll to Partner API clients and click Manage Partner API clients
- Click Create Partner API client
- Give it a name like "Ranksy Analytics"
- Tick the required permissions: View financials and Manage apps
- Save, then open the client and copy its Access token from the Credentials section
💡 Good to know: Unlike the old API keys, this access token stays viewable — you can copy it again anytime. Still, treat it like a password: don't share it or commit it to GitHub.
Part 2: Enter Credentials in Ranksy
-
Go to Your App Settings
- In Ranksy, click My Apps
- Click on your app
- Click Settings in the navigation
-
Find Shopify Partner API Section
- Scroll to find "Shopify Partner API Integration"
- Click Configure or Connect
-
Enter Your Credentials
- Organization ID: Paste the number from Step 1.1
- API Key: Paste the Partner API client access token from Step 1.3
- App ID: Paste the number from Step 1.2
-
Test the Connection
- Click Test Connection
- Wait 5-10 seconds
- You should see: ✅ "Connection successful!"
- If you see an error, double-check your credentials
-
Save and Sync
- Click Save Configuration
- Click Run Historical Sync
- This imports all your past revenue and customer data
Part 3: Wait for Data
Timeline:
- Initial sync: 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Depends on: How long your app has been live and how many customers you have
What's Happening: Ranksy is downloading:
- Every transaction since your app launched
- Every customer install and uninstall
- All subscription changes
- Complete revenue history
While You Wait:
- The Settings page shows sync progress
- You can close the page - sync continues in background
- You'll see partial data appear as it imports
Troubleshooting Partner API
Error: "Invalid Organization ID"
- Double-check you copied the whole number
- Make sure there are no spaces before or after
- Try copying it again from Shopify
Error: "Invalid API Key"
- The key is case-sensitive - copy carefully
- No spaces at the beginning or end
- Re-copy the Access token from your Partner API client — it's viewable anytime (or use Generate secondary token to rotate it)
Error: "App Not Found"
- Verify the App ID is correct
- Make sure it's the app ID, not organization ID
- Check the URL format in Shopify Partner Dashboard
Sync Takes Forever
- Large app with years of data? Can take 2-4 hours
- Check status in Settings page
- Contact support if stuck for more than 6 hours
Data Doesn't Match Partner Dashboard
- Click "Full Sync" to refresh everything
- Check date ranges match
- Some metrics calculated differently (I'll explain why)
Integration 2: Google BigQuery
This connects your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) data to Ranksy so I can show you traffic, sessions, conversions, and user behavior.
What Data Do You Get?
Once connected, Ranksy shows:
- Traffic Sources: Where visitors come from (Google, Facebook, Direct, etc.)
- Pageviews: How many people view your app listing
- Sessions: Complete user journeys
- Geographic Data: Where your users are located
- Device Data: Mobile vs desktop traffic
- Click Events: What users click on
- Conversion Tracking: From view to install
- Attribution: Which channels drive paying customers
Prerequisites (Important!)
You MUST have these set up BEFORE connecting BigQuery:
✅ Google Analytics 4 (GA4) installed on your app ✅ GA4 linked to BigQuery (free tier works!) ✅ BigQuery Data Export enabled ✅ At least 24 hours of data exported
Don't have these? No problem - see the "Setting Up BigQuery Export" section below first.
Step-by-Step Setup
Part 1: Verify BigQuery Export is Working
- Go to console.cloud.google.com
- Select your Google Cloud Project
- Go to BigQuery (use search bar if needed)
- In the left sidebar, expand your project
- Look for a dataset named
analytics_XXXXXXXXX(your GA4 property ID) - Expand that dataset
- You should see tables like:
events_20250112(today's date)events_20250111(yesterday's date)events_intraday_20250112(realtime data)
If you see these tables, you're ready! If not, see "Setting Up BigQuery Export" below.
Part 2: Connect in Ranksy
-
Go to Your App Settings
- In Ranksy, go to My Apps → Your app → Settings
- Find "Google BigQuery Integration"
-
Connect Your Google Account
- Click Connect Google Account
- A Google sign-in window opens
- Choose your Google account (use the same one that owns the BigQuery project)
- Click Allow to grant permissions
What permissions am I asking for?
- Read your BigQuery datasets (to import GA4 data)
- View your Google Cloud projects (to find your datasets)
- That's it! I can't modify or delete anything.
-
Select Your Project
- After connecting, you'll see a dropdown
- Select the Google Cloud Project where GA4 exports data
- This is usually named after your company or app
-
Select Your Dataset
- Another dropdown appears
- Choose the
analytics_XXXXXXXXXdataset - This is where GA4 exports your data
-
Configure Import Settings
- Import Historical Data? Yes (recommended)
- Date Range: Last 365 days (or choose custom)
- Include Intraday Tables? Yes (for near-realtime data)
-
Test the Import
- Click Test Import
- Ranksy will try to read a sample of your data
- You should see: ✅ "Found X events from [date]"
- If error, see troubleshooting below
-
Save and Import
- Click Save Configuration
- Click Start Historical Import
- Import begins immediately
Part 3: Wait for Import
Timeline:
- 7 days of data: 15-30 minutes
- 30 days: 1 hour
- 1 year: 2-4 hours
What's Happening: Ranksy is:
- Reading all your GA4 event tables
- Processing pageviews, clicks, sessions
- Calculating traffic sources
- Building attribution models
- Creating your customer journeys
Progress Tracking:
- Settings page shows import progress
- "Last Import" timestamp updates
- Partial data appears as it imports
Troubleshooting BigQuery
Error: "No datasets found"
- Make sure GA4 is exporting to BigQuery
- Wait 24-48 hours after enabling export
- Check you selected the correct Google Cloud project
- Verify billing is enabled on your project
Error: "Permission denied"
- You need "BigQuery Data Viewer" role minimum
- Go to Google Cloud Console → IAM & Admin
- Check your account has proper permissions
- Try disconnecting and reconnecting your Google account
Error: "Dataset not found"
- Confirm GA4 export is enabled
- Check dataset name matches
analytics_XXXXXXXXXformat - Verify project is correct
- Look in BigQuery console to see if tables exist
Import Fails Repeatedly
- Check BigQuery quota limits (free tier is generous but has limits)
- Verify internet connection is stable
- Try smaller date range first (last 7 days)
- Contact support with error message
No Data Shows in Ranksy
- Verify GA4 tracking is working (check Google Analytics)
- Confirm events are being collected
- Check date range selection in Ranksy
- Wait for daily export to complete (happens overnight)
Setting Up BigQuery Export (If You Haven't Already)
Don't have BigQuery export set up yet? Here's how:
Part 1: Link GA4 to BigQuery
- Go to analytics.google.com
- Click Admin (gear icon, bottom left)
- In the Property column, click BigQuery Links
- Click Link
- Choose your Google Cloud Project (or create a new one)
- Click Next
- Select your data streams
- Configure settings:
- Daily: Exports complete daily data (recommended: ON)
- Streaming: Real-time export (recommended: ON if you have volume)
- Include today's data: Yes
- Click Submit
- Wait 24-48 hours for first export
Part 2: Enable Billing (Required but Can Be Free!)
Google requires billing enabled, BUT:
- First 1 TB of queries per month is FREE
- Free 10 GB storage
- Most apps stay within free tier
To enable:
- Go to console.cloud.google.com
- Select your project
- Go to Billing
- Link a billing account (or create one)
- Set up budget alerts at $0.01 to monitor usage
💡 Pro Tip: Set a budget alert so you know if you're approaching paid usage (you probably won't).
Integration Maintenance
Keep Your Integrations Healthy
Weekly Check (30 seconds):
- Look at "Last Sync" timestamp in Settings
- Should be within last 24 hours
- Look for any error messages
Monthly Tasks (5 minutes):
- Review BigQuery usage costs (probably $0!)
- Check both integrations still connected
- Verify data looks accurate
When to Re-sync:
- If data looks off
- After changing credentials
- If sync fails multiple times
- When onboarding new team members
Automatic Syncs
Once connected, Ranksy automatically:
- Partner API: Syncs once per day (overnight)
- BigQuery: Imports new daily tables each morning
- Intraday: Checks for near-realtime data every 4 hours
You don't need to do anything - it just works!
Security & Privacy
How I Handle Your Data
Credentials Storage:
- Encrypted at rest using industry-standard AES-256
- Encrypted in transit with TLS/SSL
- Never stored in plain text
- Access logged and monitored
Data Access:
- Read-only access to your data
- I NEVER modify your Shopify or Google data
- Your data stays yours
- Isolated per account - no cross-contamination
Compliance:
- GDPR compliant
- SOC 2 practices
- Regular security audits
- Data processing agreements available
Your Rights
You can always:
- Export your data (CSV/Excel anytime)
- Disconnect integrations (Settings → Disconnect)
- Delete your data (90-day retention, then permanent deletion)
- Request data processing agreement
FAQ
Q: Do I really need BOTH integrations? A: For complete analytics, yes. Partner API gives you money data. BigQuery gives you traffic data. Together you see the full picture.
Q: Can I connect later? A: Yes, but you'll lose historical data for the days you're not connected. Best to connect immediately.
Q: What if my API key leaks? A: Open your Partner API client → Generate secondary token to rotate the access token (or delete the client to revoke it), then update it in Ranksy Settings.
Q: Does this affect my Shopify billing? A: No. Partner API is free to use (within reasonable limits).
Q: Will BigQuery cost me money? A: Probably not. Most apps stay within Google's free tier (1 TB queries/month free). Typical cost if you exceed: $5-20/month.
Q: Can I pause syncing? A: Yes. Toggle "Automatic Sync" off in Settings. Manual sync still available. Can re-enable anytime.
Q: What if I have multiple apps? A: Connect each app separately. Use same or different credentials (your choice).
Q: How do I disconnect? A: Settings → Find integration → Click "Disconnect" → Confirm. Historical data retained for 90 days.
Getting Help
Still Stuck?
Check These First:
- Error messages in Settings (click for details)
- "Last Sync" timestamps
- Integration status indicators (green = good, red = issue)
Contact Support:
- Email: [email protected]
- Chat: Click widget in bottom right
- Include: Screenshots of any errors + your app name
Urgent Issues:
- Subject line: "URGENT: Integration Issue"
- I respond within 2 hours during business hours
Success Checklist
Before you consider integrations "done", verify:
- ✅ Partner API showing green "Connected" status
- ✅ BigQuery showing green "Connected" status
- ✅ Revenue numbers appear in Analytics Dashboard
- ✅ Traffic data showing in Analytics Dashboard
- ✅ "Last Sync" timestamps are recent (within 24 hours)
- ✅ No error messages in Settings
- ✅ Customer count matches (roughly) Partner Dashboard
Once all checked off, you're good to go! 🎉
What's Next?
Now that your data is flowing:
- Your Dashboard — Learn what all those numbers mean and where each hub deep-link takes you
- Revenue hub — Explore MRR, churn, trials, and your full customer list
- Traffic hub — Dive into attribution, sources, and your conversion funnel
Remember: The hardest part is done. Now you can focus on growing your app with real data!