Why these 10
Where Shopify profit usually leaks
Most stores don't lose money in one big place. It leaks out through costs that aren't counted: missing product costs, shipping labels, payment fees, refunds, discounts, ads judged by ROAS instead of profit, and subscriptions. Each question above checks whether one of those is visible to you.
- Missing product costs. Shopify says “Profit is reported only for products and variants that had cost recorded at the time they were sold.”1
- Costs Shopify's profit reports don't mention. The reports subtract recorded product cost (and shipping costs, duties and import taxes in some of them). Ad spend, payment processing fees and app subscriptions aren't part of them.1
- Fees on refunds. The original card fee isn't returned to you when you refund an order.2
- Ads judged by ROAS. Merchants ask why an ad with a good ROAS still loses money; the answer is the costs the ad platform can't see.3
What to do with a low score
Start with the leaks that cost the most: usually missing product costs, shipping and ads. The free tools linked under each question will get you rough numbers in a few minutes. For real numbers by product and by month, without installing an app, the Shopify Profit Report is built from your own exports.
Questions
What is a profit leak?
Any cost that quietly reduces your profit because it isn't counted or watched: missing product costs, shipping labels, payment fees, refunds, discounts, ads and subscriptions.
Is my score saved anywhere?
No. The checklist runs in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent, and refreshing the page clears it.
What's a good score?
9 or 10 means you can see where your money goes. Below that, each "no" or "not sure" is a cost you can't see yet. It's a self-check, not a benchmark.
How do I fix missing product costs in Shopify?
Fill in Cost per item for each product or variant in the product's pricing section, or update many at once with the bulk editor or a product CSV import. Shopify reports profit only for sales that had a cost recorded at the time, so costs you add now generally won't fill in earlier sales.
Can you check all of this for me?
Yes. The Shopify Profit Report is built from your Shopify exports and shows profit and margin by month and by product, after every cost. One-time price from $25.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center: Profit reports
- Shopify Help Center: Refunds and Shopify Payments payouts
- Shopify Community: Why can an ad with a ROAS of 3.8 still lose money?
- Shopify Help Center: Product details (cost per item, bulk editor, CSV)
Checked October 18, 2026. If something has changed, email hello@groundworkmetrics.com and I'll fix it.