Visitor Limits
Each Store Shield plan includes a monthly limit on unique visitors. This page explains how we count visitors and what happens when you approach or exceed your limit.
How Visitors Are Counted
What is a "Unique Visitor"?
A unique visitor is a distinct person (browser/device) visiting your store during your billing period.
Example:
- Sarah visits your store 5 times in March → 1 unique visitor
- John visits once from phone, once from laptop → 2 unique visitors
- A bot visits 1,000 pages → 1 unique visitor (but caught by bot detection)
Counting Method
We use browser fingerprinting to identify visitors:
- Combination of browser, device, and system characteristics
- Creates a unique ID without personal data
- Same visitor = same ID, even across sessions
What Counts
✅ Counted:
- Real human visitors
- Shoppers browsing your store
- Visitors from ads
❌ Not counted:
- Search engine crawlers (Google, Bing)
- Known good bots (Facebook, Pinterest)
- Your own testing (whitelist your IP)
Plan Limits
| Plan | Monthly Visitors |
|---|---|
| Free | 500 |
| Starter | 5,000 |
| Pro | 25,000 |
| Enterprise | 100,000 |
Need more? Contact us for custom plans.
Checking Your Usage
In Dashboard
Your current usage shows:
- On the main dashboard
- In the Billing page
- Via usage alerts
Usage Display
Visitors this period: 3,247 / 5,000 (65%)
Period: Mar 1 - Mar 31
Days remaining: 12
What Happens at Your Limit
At 80% Usage
- You receive an email notification
- Dashboard shows warning
- No service impact
At 100% Usage
- You receive another notification
- Dashboard shows limit reached
- Protection continues - we don't abandon your store
- Some advanced features may be limited
Over Limit
If you consistently exceed your limit:
- Basic protection continues
- Advanced features (scanning, alerts) may pause
- You're encouraged to upgrade
We never stop basic protection mid-period.
Managing Your Usage
Reducing Visitor Count
You can't directly reduce the count, but you can:
- Optimize traffic sources - Remove low-quality traffic
- Block unwanted regions - If you don't serve certain countries, block them (they won't count)
- Filter bot traffic - Bots count unless detected and blocked
Estimating Your Needs
| Store Traffic | Recommended Plan |
|---|---|
| Under 500 visitors/month | Free |
| 500-5,000 visitors/month | Starter |
| 5,000-25,000 visitors/month | Pro |
| 25,000-100,000 visitors/month | Enterprise |
| 100,000+ visitors/month | Contact us |
Tip: Check your Shopify Analytics for monthly visitor count.
Timing Upgrades
Best time to upgrade:
- When you hit 80% usage
- Before a sales event/spike
- When you need higher-tier features
Upgrades take effect immediately.
Billing Period
When It Resets
Your visitor count resets on your billing date:
- If you subscribed March 15, resets every 15th
- Unused visitors don't roll over
Mid-Cycle Upgrades
If you upgrade mid-cycle:
- New limit applies immediately
- Current count carries over
- Next reset on normal billing date
Example:
- You're on Starter (5,000 limit) with 4,800 visitors
- You upgrade to Pro (25,000 limit)
- You now have 20,200 remaining for this period
Enterprise & Custom Plans
Higher Limits
Enterprise plan offers 100,000 visitors. Need more?
Contact us for custom plans:
- Custom visitor limits
- Volume pricing
- Multi-store discounts
- Annual billing options
Multi-Store
Running multiple Shopify stores? Ask about:
- Combined visitor pool
- Agency pricing
- Centralized management
FAQ
Q: Why don't you count page views instead? A: Unique visitors is a fairer metric. A customer browsing 50 products shouldn't cost more than one browsing 5.
Q: Do bots count against my limit? A: Only if undetected. Known bots (search engines) and detected bots don't count.
Q: Can I see who my visitors are? A: We don't collect personal information. You see visitor counts and behavior, not identities.
Q: What if I have a viral day? A: We won't cut off protection. You might get a notification to upgrade, but service continues.
Q: Do refunded orders affect visitor count? A: No. Visitor count is based on visits, not purchases.
Q: Can I buy more visitors without upgrading? A: Not currently. Upgrading to the next plan is the path to more visitors.
Q: How accurate is the count? A: Very accurate for unique visitors. The count may be slightly lower than Shopify's because we detect and exclude some bots.
Tips
Check Monthly
Review your usage monthly:
- Compare to plan limit
- Identify growth trends
- Plan for seasonal spikes
Plan for Sales
Before big sales events:
- Check current usage
- Ensure headroom for spike
- Upgrade if needed
Use All Your Plan
At 25,000 visitors on Pro:
- You have full protection for all 25,000
- Upgrade when you approach limit
- Don't upgrade too early (waste of budget)