Shopify cost per item: add it, bulk-update it, fix missing costs
Short answer
Cost per item is an optional field in the Pricing section of each product (or variant) in your Shopify admin. Enter what one unit costs you, and Shopify can show the projected profit and margin.1 You can fill in many products at once with the bulk editor or a product CSV import, using the “Cost per item” column.12 Shopify reports profit only for sales that “had cost recorded at the time they were sold,” so adding a cost now generally won't fill in earlier sales.3
Add cost per item to one product
- In your Shopify admin, open Products and click the product.
- In the Pricing section, enter the Cost per item. For products with variants, open each variant and enter its own cost.
- Save. Shopify can show the projected profit and margin in the pricing section.1
Shopify describes cost per item as the cost to you of the product or variant.1 Use what you pay per unit. Keep shipping, packaging and ad costs out of it; they're easier to track separately.
Update costs in bulk
- Bulk editor: select several products in the Products list and use the bulk editor to fill in their costs together.1
- CSV import: export your products, fill in the Cost per item column (a number with no currency symbol, like 9.99) and import the file back.2 Test with a few products first, since an import overwrites the fields it contains.
Why costs aren't showing in your reports
Shopify's profit reports work from the cost recorded when each sale happened: “Profit is reported only for products and variants that had cost recorded at the time they were sold.”3 So:
- Sales from before you entered a cost show no profit for that product.
- Products with variants have a cost per item on each variant, so fill in every size or colour you sell.
- Gift cards don't take a cost per item.1
Can I fix costs on past orders?
Probably not inside Shopify's reports. They report profit only for sales that had a cost recorded at the time, so entering or changing a cost now generally won't fill in earlier orders there. Merchants ask about this in the Shopify Community, including ones who'd rather not pay for an app to fix it.4
The fix is to calculate past profit outside Shopify: export the orders, apply the right cost to each product yourself and total it. The order export guide shows how, and the Shopify Profit Report does it for up to 12 months of orders.
What to include in cost per item
| Include | Track separately |
|---|---|
| What you pay the supplier per unit | Shipping labels to customers |
| Inbound freight and duties per unit, if you can work them out | Payment processing fees |
| Materials per unit, if you make the product | Ads, apps and your Shopify plan |
A simple, consistent rule beats a perfect one. Write down what you include so next year's numbers match this year's.
Questions
Where is cost per item in Shopify?
In the Pricing section of the product page in your Shopify admin. Products with variants have a cost per item on each variant.
How do I bulk update cost per item?
Use the bulk editor from the Products list, or export your products, fill in the Cost per item column and import the CSV back.
Why isn't cost per item showing in my profit report?
Shopify reports profit only for products and variants that had a cost recorded at the time they were sold. Sales made before you entered the cost don't show profit.
Does changing cost per item update old orders?
Not in Shopify's reports, which use the cost recorded at the time of each sale. To get accurate profit for past months, recalculate them from your orders export with the right costs.
Should shipping be part of cost per item?
It's clearer to keep shipping you pay to customers out of cost per item and count it separately, along with payment fees and ads.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center: Product details page (cost per item)
- Shopify Help Center: Using CSV files to import and export products
- Shopify Help Center: Profit reports
- Shopify Community: Can I edit the cost on old orders for accurate reporting?
Checked October 18, 2026. If something has changed, email hello@groundworkmetrics.com and I'll fix it.