Connecting your first data source
A quick guide to wiring up the first ad platform or analytics source after installing Ordinary. OAuth-based, no code required.
Connecting your first data source
Shopify is connected automatically at install. Everything else — Meta Ads, Amazon SP-API, Google Analytics 4, PostHog — is a one-time OAuth flow on Settings → Integrations.
Connecting additional data sources requires Starter or higher. On Free you can still see attribution from pixel-observed sessions.
Where to start
Go to Settings → Integrations. Each connector has a card with:
- Current status (Not connected / Connected / Needs reauth)
- A Connect button for OAuth
- A “Last synced” timestamp once connected
Which to connect first
Pick the platform you spend the most on. Most DTC brands:
- Meta — Facebook + Instagram ads. Usually the first to connect.
- Google Analytics 4 — historical sessions from before Ordinary’s pixel was installed.
- Amazon SP-API — if you also sell on Amazon.
- PostHog — if you already use PostHog for session analytics and want to backfill pre-install history.
The OAuth flow
For any connector:
- Click Connect on the card.
- You’re redirected to the platform’s auth page (Meta, Google, Amazon, etc.).
- Approve the requested scopes. These are read-only for your analytics, orders, and ad-reporting data — the one exception is Google Ads, which can also create draft ad creatives at your request (you review and publish them yourself).
- You’re returned to Ordinary with the connection active.
First sync begins immediately. Depending on the platform and your account’s history, it takes anywhere from 30 seconds to 20 minutes.
Per-platform guides
Each guide walks through the platform-specific quirks (e.g. Meta’s ad-account selector, Amazon’s region picker).
What if the OAuth fails?
Most OAuth failures fall into two buckets:
- Insufficient permissions on the ad account. You need admin or equivalent access on the Meta ad account / Amazon seller central / GA4 property — read-only user accounts can’t grant OAuth.
- The browser blocked the popup. Disable popup blockers for
app.tryordinary.comand retry.
If it still fails, see the platform’s integration article linked above for a troubleshooting section, or email support@tryordinary.com.
What’s next
- Once a source is connected, check Reports → Attribution — ad spend for the connected platform should start appearing in the UTM breakdown within a few minutes.
- To connect more sources later, come back to this page any time.