WooCommerce Reporting – Step-by-Step Guide

With your WooCommerce store fully set up—products live, orders managed, and refunds handled—it’s time to dive into the powerful reporting tools built into WooCommerce. These reports help you track sales, monitor inventory, analyze customer behavior, and understand taxes, giving you insights to grow your business. This step-by-step guide walks you through the Reports dashboard, exploring each section with practical examples to make data-driven decisions.

Step 1: Access the Reports Dashboard

1. Navigate to Reports:
   • From your WordPress dashboard, go to WooCommerce > Reports.
   • The default view shows the last seven days of orders in the Orders > Sales by Date tab.
2. Key Note:
   • Reports only include orders with statuses Processing, On Hold, or Completed (e.g., Pending Payment or Cancelled orders are excluded).

Step 2: Explore Orders Reports

The Orders tab provides detailed sales insights, with four submenus: Sales by Date, Sales by Product, Sales by Category, and Coupons by Date.

Sales by Date

1. Date Filters:
   • Choose from Year, Last Month, This Month, Last 7 Days, or Custom Range (use the date picker).
   • Selecting a filter recalculates the graph and stats.
2. Graph and Stats:
   • The left column lists key metrics, each with a color-coded number matching the graph on the right:
     • Gross Sales: Total sales before discounts/refunds.
     • Net Sales: Gross sales minus refunds/discounts.
     • Orders Placed: Number of orders.
     • Items Purchased: Total items sold.
     • Refunded: Amount refunded.
     • Shipping: Shipping fees charged.
     • Coupons: Value of coupons used.
   • Hover over a graph section to highlight it (turns blue/purple) and see daily breakdowns.
   • Example: For “This Month,” you might see `$1,000 Gross Sales, 50 Orders, $100 in Coupons.”

Sales by Product

1. View Options:
   • Top Sellers: Default view, showing best-selling products by quantity.
   • Product Search: Search for a specific product to see its sales.
   • Top Freebies: Lists free products ($0 price).
   • Top Earners: Products generating the most revenue.
   • Example: “Woo Ninja Poster” might be a top seller with 20 units sold, while “Premium Poster” is a top earner at $500.
2. Usage:
   • Use this to identify which products drive sales or need promotion (e.g., boost slow movers).

Sales by Category

1. Category Search:
   • Type a category (e.g., “Posters”) to view its sales.
   • Select All to show all categories or None to reset.
   • Click Show to update the graph.
2. Graph Display:
   • Shows sales totals for selected categories over the chosen date range.
   • Example: “Posters” category might show $600 in sales for “Last Month.”
3. Usage:
   • Spot high-performing categories to focus inventory or marketing efforts.

Coupons by Date

1. Stats:
   • Left column shows:
     • Discount Amount: Total value of coupons applied.
     • Number of Coupons Used: Count of coupon uses.
   • Filter by:
     • All Coupons: Overall usage.
     • Most Popular: Most frequently used coupon.
     • Most Discount: Coupon giving the highest total discount.
   • Example: Coupon NINJA20 might show $200 discounted across 10 orders.
2. Usage:
   • Evaluate coupon effectiveness to plan future promotions.

Step 3: Analyze Customers Reports

The Customers tab tracks buyer behavior, with two submenus: Customers vs. Guests and Customer List.

Customers vs. Guests

1. Stats:
   • Left column shows:
     • Sign-ups: Number of new customer accounts in the period.
     • Customer Sales: Revenue from logged-in customers.
     • Guest Sales: Revenue from non-registered buyers (if guest checkout is enabled in WooCommerce > Settings > Accounts).
   • Example: “Last 7 Days” might show 5 sign-ups, $300 customer sales, $100 guest sales.
2. Usage:
   • Assess whether encouraging account creation boosts sales or if guest checkout is popular.

Customer List

1. Details:
   • Lists customers from newest to oldest, including:
     • Name, Username, Email, Location.
     • Orders: Number of orders placed.
     • Spent: Total money spent.
     • Last Order: Date of most recent purchase.
     • Actions: Buttons to Refresh, Edit, or View Orders.
   • Example: “Jane Doe, jane@email.com, 3 orders, $150 spent, last order April 10, 2025.”
2. Usage:
   • Identify loyal customers for targeted promotions (e.g., VIP coupons).

Step 4: Monitor Stock Reports

The Stock tab helps manage inventory, with three submenus: Low in Stock, Out of Stock, and Most Stocked.

Low in Stock

1. Details:
   • Lists products with low inventory, showing:
     • Product Name, Parent Product (if a variation), Units in Stock, Stock Status, Actions (edit/view).
   • Example: “Woo Ninja Poster, 5 units, Low Stock, Edit.”
2. Usage:
   • Reorder products before they run out to avoid lost sales.

Out of Stock

1. Details:
   • Similar to Low in Stock, but for products at 0 stock.
   • Example: “Premium Poster, 0 units, Out of Stock, View.”
2. Usage:
   • Prioritize restocking or remove unavailable items.

Most Stocked

1. Details:
   • Shows products with the highest inventory.
   • Example: “Basic T-Shirt, 100 units, In Stock, Edit.”
2. Usage:
   • Identify overstocked items for promotions or sales to clear inventory.

Step 5: Review Taxes Reports

The Taxes tab tracks tax obligations, with two submenus: Taxes by Code and Taxes by Date.

Taxes by Code

1. Details:
   • For the selected date range, shows:
     • Tax Applied: Tax rate name (e.g., “Standard Rate”).
     • Rate: Percentage (e.g., 8%).
     • Orders: Number of orders with this tax.
     • Tax Amount: Total tax collected.
     • Shipping Tax: Tax on shipping.
     • Total Tax: Combined tax.
   • Example: “Standard Rate, 8%, 20 orders, $80 tax, $10 shipping tax, $90 total.”
2. Usage:
   • Track tax liabilities for accurate filings.

Taxes by Date

1. Details:
   • For the selected period, shows:
     • Orders: Number of orders.
     • Total Sales: Gross sales.
     • Total Shipping: Shipping revenue.
     • Total Tax: All taxes collected.
     • Net Profit: Sales minus taxes.
   • Example: “March 2025, 50 orders, $1,000 sales, $50 shipping, $80 tax, $920 profit.”
2. Usage:
   • Analyze profitability and tax impact over time.

Step 6: Export and Act on Insights

1. Export Reports:
   • Most report sections (e.g., Sales by Date, Taxes) include a Download CSV button.
   • Export data to spreadsheets for deeper analysis or accounting (e.g., share with your CPA).
2. Test the Reports:
   • Place test orders (use a sandbox gateway) and mark as Processing or Completed.
   • Check reports to confirm:
     • Sales appear in Sales by Date/Product.
     • Coupons reflect in Coupons by Date.
     • Stock updates in Stock reports.
     • Taxes show in Taxes reports.
   • Verify customer data in Customer List.

Pro Tips

• Regular Monitoring: Check Low in Stock weekly to avoid stockouts and Coupons by Date after promotions to measure impact.
• Custom Ranges: Use the custom date picker to analyze specific campaigns (e.g., a Black Friday sale).
• Customer Insights: Use Customer List to offer loyalty discounts to high spenders.
• Tax Compliance: Export Taxes by Code for accurate reporting to authorities.
• Documentation: Explore WooCommerce’s reporting documentation for advanced filters or third-party analytics plugins.

Congratulations!

You’ve mastered WooCommerce reporting! From tracking sales and coupons to monitoring stock and taxes, you’re equipped to uncover insights that drive growth. Whether it’s spotting top sellers like the “Woo Ninja Poster” or planning restocks, these reports put you in control of your store’s success.

For more guidance, dive into WooCommerce’s resources or explore extensions for deeper analytics.