Optimization Events

Initiate Checkout Optimization

By the AdFlint research team · Last reviewed July 2026

Targets people likely to begin the checkout flow, sitting between add to cart and purchase in both intent and event volume.

The event fires when a shopper enters checkout, so it carries stronger buying intent than a cart add while still firing more often than a completed order. It is the sensible middle step for stores that cannot sustain purchase optimization but find cart signal too loose. The trap is a leaky checkout: if payment or shipping steps kill conversions, you will buy abandoners efficiently and sell nothing.

Initiate Checkout Optimization compared with

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