9 Shopify Reports Every Beginner Should Use in 2026
Shopify reports are your store's built-in performance tracker that shows sales, profit, customer behavior, and product analytics all in one place.
In this guide, you'll discover the 9 most critical Shopify reports to run a successful ecommerce business in 2026.
We'll break down each report type with specific metrics to track. Plus, we'll show you when standard Shopify reporting isn't enough and what advanced tools can fill the gaps.
Let’s dive in.
What is Shopify Report?
Shopify reports show your store performance through metrics. They track your sales, profit, customer behavior, and product analytics in one place.
Why Shopify Report Matters?
Shopify reports matter because they help you move from “making sales” to “building a profitable, sustainable business.
Think of it as the X-ray of your store. They can help you in some use cases. For example:
Shopify reports matter because they help you move from “making sales” to “building a profitable, sustainable business.
Think of it as the X-ray of your store. They can help you in some use cases. For example:
- Check your behavior reports to spot where shoppers drop off.
- Your order and profit reports can reveal if returns or high shipping costs are quietly draining your margins.
- Marketing reports will show you which channels drive not just sales, but high-profit customers.
With them, you’re making decisions backed by hard data, so you can scale profitably without guesswork.
9 Main Types of Shopify Reports
1. Acquisition Reports
Acquisition reports give you a clear view of your traffic sources.
A quick heads-up: Shopify uses cookies to track visits, so a single visitor can generate multiple sessions if they return. Sessions end after 30 minutes of inactivity or at midnight UTC.
If your report looks outdated, just refresh, it sometimes takes a few minutes to pull in the latest data.
Acquisition Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
2. Behavior Reports
Behavior reports show you how people interact with your site so you can:
- Build better product bundles
- Spot upsell opportunities
- Improve your store’s layout for more sales
Behavior Reports let you see exactly what shoppers do there and start making changes that actually move your sales needle.
Behavior Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
3. Customer Reports
Customer reports give you the full picture of who’s buying from you, and how often they come back.
They show you things like average order count, total spend, and customer lifetime value, helping you understand who your best customers are and how to segment your audience for future campaigns.
Customer Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
4. Inventory Reports
Running out of stock too soon or drowning in dead inventory?
Inventory reports help you avoid both. This report gives you a clear, month-end snapshot of what’s selling and what’s not, so you know exactly when (and what) to restock to keep cash flowing.
Inventory Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
5. Marketing Reports
Are you trying to find your top-converting marketing channels?
See which campaigns drive the most traffic?
Your answers shape which marketing report you should check, and what insights will actually move your business forward.
Marketing Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
One quick note: Shopify’s marketing data can take up to 24 hours to update. If you’re measuring campaign results, wait a day before checking to get accurate data.
6. Order Reports
Want to understand what your customers love, and what keeps coming back as a return?
Start by checking your order reports.
They show you what’s selling, what’s getting returned, and how fast orders are moving from your warehouse to your customer’s doorstep.
Order Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics
7. Retail Sales Reports
If you’re selling in-person, retail sales reports are your secret weapon.
They show which products fly off the shelves (and which don’t), which locations pull in the most sales, and how your staff performs at the register.
You’ll know exactly which products to stock at each location, and which team members might need extra training, or a high-five for crushing their goals.
Retail Sales Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
8. Sales Reports
Sales reports show you order data by product, sales channel, and more, while taking returns into account so you get a true picture of your net sales.
Returns appear as negative values on the day they’re processed, giving you accurate sales tracking over time.
Sales Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
9. Profit Report
Profit reports (also known as PnL reports) show you exactly how money flows in and out of your store so you can see what’s actually left after expenses.
Think of them as your built-in cash flow truth detector. Track costs, gross profit marginsin one place, so you know which products actually make you money and which ones quietly drain your cash.
Profit Report Types to Run:
Key Metrics:
Shopify Report vs. Shopify Analytics: What Differs?
Shopify reports tell you what’s happening in your store. Analytics help you find patterns and actionable insights.
Shopify analytics help you more with the “why” part, where you spot the hidden gem that can move your profit needle.
Sure, diving deeper can feel overwhelming. But it’s where you’ll find:
- Hidden problems draining your profit.
- Quick wins to boost your conversions and UX.
- Clear answers to the questions that actually move your business forward.
Beyond Standard Shopify Reports: Taking Profit Tracking to the Next Level
While the 9 Shopify report types we've covered give you valuable insights into your store's performance, many ecommerce businesses quickly discover gaps, especially when it comes to comprehensive profit tracking.
Standard Shopify reports show you gross profit, but they often miss the full picture of your true profitability after factoring in all costs like multi-channel ad spend, transaction fees, and shipping expenses.
This is where TrueProfit steps in to fill those critical gaps.
TrueProfit automatically tracks these key reports for you, with profit as the north star! Built specifically as a profit analytics co-pilot for Shopify sellers who want to grow with clarity, TrueProfit goes beyond what standard Shopify reporting can show you.
What you can get out of TrueProfit:
TrueProfit helps merchants see their Net profitat multiple levels: storewide, product-level, and ad-level, something Shopify's native reports simply can't deliver.
- Real-time Net Profit Dashboard – Unlike Shopify's delayed reporting, see your true profitability as transactions happen, with live updates on actual margins after all costs
- Auto-track all costs – While Shopify only shows gross sales, TrueProfit automatically captures COGS, multi-channel ad spend, shipping fees, transaction costs, and hidden expenses that Shopify reports miss entirely
- Profit-based Product Analytics & MKT Attribution – Go beyond Shopify's basic sales data to see which products and marketing channels actually generate profit, not just revenue
- Comprehensive P&L Report– Get complete profit and loss tracking with detailed cost breakdowns, a level of financial insight that Shopify's standard reports don't provide
- True Customer Lifetime Value – Calculate real CLV including acquisition costs across all channels, while Shopify's CLV reports ignore your actual marketing spend
- Mobile app, All-store view – Access profit-focused insights anywhere with intelligent recommendations, while Shopify's mobile reporting remains limited to basic sales metrics
The bottom line: Shopify tells you what you sold. TrueProfit tells you what you actually earned.
Pricing: It offers 14 days trial with paid plans starting at $35/ month.
Harry Chu is the Founder of TrueProfit, a net profit tracking solution designed to help Shopify merchants gain real-time insights into their actual profits. With 11+ years of experience in eCommerce and technology, his expertise in profit analytics, cost tracking, and data-driven decision-making has made him a trusted voice for thousands of Shopify merchants.
