Reading your store reports
How to use WooCommerce's built-in reports to understand your sales, revenue, and customer data.
WooCommerce includes built-in reports that show you how your store is performing — what's selling, where revenue comes from, and how customers are behaving. This guide shows you where to find reports and what the numbers mean.
Quick summary
Go to WooCommerce → Analytics (or WooCommerce → Reports in older versions) to see your sales data. Key reports include Overview, Revenue, Orders, Products, and Customers. Use the date range selector to compare periods and spot trends.
Where to find reports
Newer versions of WooCommerce use WooCommerce → Analytics in the dashboard menu. This replaced the older WooCommerce → Reports screen. Both serve the same purpose.
The Analytics Overview
The Overview screen is your store's dashboard-at-a-glance. It shows:
- Total sales for the selected period
- Net sales (after refunds and discounts)
- Orders placed
- Average order value
- Products sold (number of units)
- Top performers — best-selling products
Use the date selector in the top right to change the time period (today, last 7 days, last month, custom range). You can also compare two periods side by side to see growth.
Key reports and what they show
| Report | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Revenue | Total revenue over time, broken down by gross vs. net |
| Orders | Number and value of orders, average order value, refund rates |
| Products | Which products sold most, revenue by product |
| Categories | Sales by product category |
| Coupons | How many times each coupon was used and its total discount value |
| Taxes | Tax collected per tax rate |
| Shipping | Shipping revenue collected |
| Downloads | For digital products — download activity |
| Stock | Products running low on stock |
| Customers | Customer growth, new vs. returning, lifetime value |
Reading the Revenue report
The Revenue report is the most commonly used. Key terms:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gross revenue | Total sales before any deductions |
| Net revenue | Gross minus refunds, coupons, and taxes (what you actually earned) |
| Refunds | Money returned to customers |
| Coupons | Total discount value of coupons redeemed |
| Taxes | Tax collected (this goes to the government, not you) |
| Shipping | Shipping revenue collected |
Net revenue is the number to watch
Gross revenue looks big, but net revenue — after subtracting refunds, discounts, and taxes — is the real income number. Focus on net revenue for business planning.
Exporting reports
You can export most WooCommerce reports as CSV files for use in spreadsheets:
- Look for a Download button or CSV export option on each report screen.
- CSV files open in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers.
Beyond WooCommerce's built-in reports
WooCommerce's built-in reports are good for basics. For deeper insight:
- Google Analytics (GA4) with e-commerce tracking — tracks where customers came from, how they browsed, and where they dropped off.
- Metorik — a popular third-party analytics tool specifically for WooCommerce, with better dashboards and email digests.
Ask us to set up e-commerce tracking in Google Analytics if it's not already configured.
Common questions
Related guides
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