Guides
Straight answers to the profit questions Shopify sellers ask most, with the sources linked. Plus sales tracking guides for local shops and studios.
Shopify profit guides
Which Shopify report shows profit?Shopify has five profit reports. Here's what each one shows, why they only subtract product cost, and how to see profit after fees, shipping and ads.Read the guide →How to see your real Shopify profit, month by monthShopify's reports show gross profit, not what you kept each month. Here's a simple monthly profit sheet: the exports you need, the formula and an example.Read the guide →How to calculate Shopify profit from your order exportCalculate Shopify profit by product from your orders export and products export, without an app: which columns to use, how to join costs, and what to subtract.Read the guide →Shopify cost per item: add it, bulk-update it, fix missing costsWhere to enter cost per item in Shopify, how to update it in bulk with the bulk editor or a CSV, why costs don't show in reports, and how to fix past orders.Read the guide →Break-even ROAS, explained with real numbersBreak-even ROAS is 1 ÷ your margin before ads. See why a 3.8 ROAS can lose money, whether a 2 ROAS is profitable, and how to find your own number.Read the guide →Why your Shopify payout is less than your salesYour Shopify payout is your sales minus processing fees, refunds, chargebacks, adjustments, reserves and holds. Here's each reason and how to reconcile them.Read the guide →Do you get Shopify fees back when you refund an order?No: Shopify keeps the original card fee when you refund an order, and conversion fees aren't returned either. What a refund really costs, with examples.Read the guide →
Sales tracking guides by business type
For shops, cafés and studios: what to track, where to find the data, and a sample one-page dashboard. Not on Shopify? Your first dashboard is free.
BakeriesRevenue by day of week, top sellers by units and by dollars and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →Coffee shops & roastersSales by hour, drink and food mix and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →Boutiques & retail shopsTop products by units and revenue, in-store vs. online sales and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →Pet grooming businessesRevenue per appointment, service mix and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →Makers & small-batch producersRevenue by channel, best sellers by product and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →FloristsRevenue by week and season, order type mix and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →Ice cream shopsDaily and hourly sales, product mix and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →Bike shopsRevenue by category, service work share and more, with a sample dashboard.Read the guide →