The count of orders where a customer starts a new subscription for the first time.
| Metric | Definition |
|---|
| Orders | Each completed checkout transaction |
| order_type = subscription_initial_purchase | Filters to orders where a customer starts their first subscription |
| Metadata | |
|---|
| Type | Number |
| Data Source | Shopify |
| Aggregation | Count |
Example
Your store acquired 324 new subscribers in Q1:
| Month | New Subscriptions | Growth |
|---|
| January | 98 | Baseline |
| February | 107 | +9.2% |
| March | 119 | +11.2% |
How It Works
This metric counts orders where a customer subscribes for the first time. It excludes recurring subscription renewals and one-time purchases. Use it to measure subscription program acquisition separate from retention.
When to Use
| Scenario | Action |
|---|
| Program growth tracking | Monitor new subscriber acquisition over time |
| Campaign attribution | Identify which campaigns drive subscription signups |
| Subscription mix analysis | Compare initial subscriptions to total orders |
| LTV forecasting | Estimate future recurring revenue from new subscribers |
| Metric | Relationship |
|---|
| Orders | Total orders (includes all order types) |
| Subscription Initial Purchase % | Initial subscriptions as percentage of total orders |
| New Customers | First-time buyers (different from first-time subscribers) |
| Total Revenue | Revenue from all orders including subscriptions |
