Order Type (sm_order_type)

The sm_order_type field classifies whether an order is a subscription or one-time purchase. SourceMedium determines this at the line-item level first, then rolls those line-level signals up to the order. This classification is used in subscription analytics, cohort analysis, and LTV reporting.

Order Type Values

Value	Description
`subscription`	Recurring subscription order
`subscription_prepaid`	Subscription order paid up front for multiple deliveries
`one_time`	Non-subscription purchase
`subscription_&_one_time`	Mixed order containing both subscription and one-time items

When you only need the subscription vs one-time split, filter on is_subscription_order = TRUE. It is true for subscription, subscription_prepaid, and subscription_&_one_time.

How Order Type Is Determined

Order type classification uses a multi-signal approach evaluated at the line-item level, then rolled up to the order.

General signal sources

SourceMedium can use several signal families:

Direct subscription-platform line-item mappings such as ReCharge, Stay AI, Chargebee, or Amazon Subscribe & Save
Shopify line-item metadata and property-based signals
Shopify order tags and app/source signals
Platform fields such as is_from_subscription

Amazon Seller Central nuance

Amazon does not provide full subscription lifecycle data through Seller Central, such as subscription IDs, active subscriber status, cancellation dates, or active subscription counts. However, when Amazon provides order-item promotion or program signals that identify Subscribe & Save activity, SourceMedium uses those signals to classify eligible Amazon Seller Central orders and order lines as subscription. This improves subscription-vs-one-time reporting for Amazon, but should still be interpreted as order-level Subscribe & Save classification rather than a complete subscriber lifecycle dataset.

Shopify signal precedence

Where your subscription platform supplies line-level data we use it. Otherwise we use Shopify line-item metadata, then order tags (tag classification only where SourceMedium has enabled it for your store). Tag-only classification is the weakest signal; explicit one-time metadata always wins over it.

Priority	Signal
1	Line-level data from your subscription platform
2	Shopify line-item metadata that marks the line one-time or subscription
3	Shopify order tags
4	Default: one-time

Placeholder metadata, such as a Shopify subscription_id of 1, is ignored. Free-gift metadata does not make a line a subscription.

Subscription tag patterns

When tags are the only signal, an order counts as subscription if a tag matches one of these patterns:

A tag containing a word that starts with subscription, such as Subscription, SubscriptionActive, or subscription_order_loop
recurring_order or recurring-order
Luna Subscription
bulksubscription

A tag containing prepaid alongside a subscription tag classifies the order as subscription_prepaid.

is_subscription_order

A boolean convenience field derived from sm_order_type:

SELECT
  sm_order_type,
  is_subscription_order
FROM `your_project.sm_transformed_v2.dim_orders`
WHERE sm_order_type IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 10;

Use is_subscription_order = TRUE when you want a simple subscription filter.

order_sequence

Customer lifecycle classification based on order position:

Value	Description
`1st_order`	Customer’s first order (new customer)
`repeat_order`	Any subsequent order (returning customer)

subscription_order_sequence

Subscription-specific lifecycle classification commonly appears as:

Value	Description
`1st_sub_order`	Customer’s first subscription purchase
`recurring_sub_order`	Subscription renewal or subsequent subscription order
`one_time_order`	Non-subscription order

Line-level subscription fields

For product-level analysis, use obt_order_lines instead of relying only on the order rollup:

order_line_type
is_order_line_subscription
subscription_order_index
subscription_order_sequence

This is especially important for mixed carts, bundles, free gifts, and any analysis where some lines in an order are subscription and others are not.

Using Order Type In Analysis

Filter to subscription orders

SELECT COUNT(*) AS subscription_orders
FROM `your_project.sm_transformed_v2.obt_orders`
WHERE is_order_sm_valid = TRUE
  AND is_subscription_order = TRUE;

Separate subscription vs one-time metrics

SELECT
  sm_order_type,
  COUNT(*) AS order_count,
  SUM(order_net_revenue) AS revenue
FROM `your_project.sm_transformed_v2.obt_orders`
WHERE is_order_sm_valid = TRUE
GROUP BY sm_order_type;

Use line-level fields when carts can be mixed

SELECT
  order_line_type,
  subscription_order_sequence,
  COUNT(*) AS line_count,
  SUM(order_line_net_revenue) AS net_revenue
FROM `your_project.sm_transformed_v2.obt_order_lines`
WHERE is_order_sm_valid = TRUE
  AND order_processed_at_local_datetime >= DATETIME_SUB(CURRENT_DATETIME(), INTERVAL 90 DAY)
GROUP BY 1, 2
ORDER BY net_revenue DESC;

Best Practices

Prefer direct subscription-platform integrations

If you have ReCharge, Skio, Stay AI, Loop, Retextion, Chargebee, or another supported subscription platform, the most reliable classification comes from direct line-level platform data.

Preserve explicit Shopify line-item metadata

For Shopify stores, explicit line-item metadata is more reliable than tag-only logic. If your app emits explicit subscription or one-time properties, preserve them.

Validate with source-platform data

If you have a direct subscription-platform integration, compare SourceMedium classifications to that platform’s line-level or order-level data when troubleshooting mismatches.

Use line-level fields for product analysis

Use order-level fields for order and customer retention analysis. Use line-level fields when the business question is about products, bundles, subscription mixes, or gifts inside a cart.

Subscription Flags

Understand order-level and line-level subscription fields

obt_order_lines

Review line-level subscription field definitions

How the model works

How numbers are defined

Order segmentation

Customer record

Attribution

Order Type (sm_order_type)

Order Type Values

How Order Type Is Determined

General signal sources

Amazon Seller Central nuance

Shopify signal precedence

Subscription tag patterns

is_subscription_order

order_sequence

subscription_order_sequence

Line-level subscription fields

Using Order Type In Analysis

Filter to subscription orders

Separate subscription vs one-time metrics

Use line-level fields when carts can be mixed

Best Practices

Prefer direct subscription-platform integrations

Preserve explicit Shopify line-item metadata

Validate with source-platform data

Use line-level fields for product analysis

Subscription Flags

obt_order_lines

​Order Type Values

​How Order Type Is Determined

​General signal sources

​Amazon Seller Central nuance

​Shopify signal precedence

​Subscription tag patterns

​Related Dimensions

​is_subscription_order

​order_sequence

​subscription_order_sequence

​Line-level subscription fields

​Using Order Type In Analysis

​Filter to subscription orders

​Separate subscription vs one-time metrics

​Use line-level fields when carts can be mixed

​Best Practices

​Prefer direct subscription-platform integrations

​Preserve explicit Shopify line-item metadata

​Validate with source-platform data

​Use line-level fields for product analysis

​Related Resources

Subscription Flags

obt_order_lines

Order Type Values

How Order Type Is Determined

General signal sources

Amazon Seller Central nuance

Shopify signal precedence

Subscription tag patterns

Related Dimensions

is_subscription_order

order_sequence

subscription_order_sequence

Line-level subscription fields

Using Order Type In Analysis

Filter to subscription orders

Separate subscription vs one-time metrics

Use line-level fields when carts can be mixed

Best Practices

Prefer direct subscription-platform integrations

Preserve explicit Shopify line-item metadata

Validate with source-platform data

Use line-level fields for product analysis

Related Resources