WooCommerce analytics: Getting started guide for store owners

WooCommerce provides built-in analytics covering orders, revenue, products, customers, and taxes—accessible via WordPress admin without additional plugins or costs. Yet 64% of WooCommerce store owners primarily rely on Google Analytics or third-party dashboards, leaving native WooCommerce data underutilized despite being more accurate for transactional metrics and requiring zero setup complexity.

According to WooCommerce merchant research, stores using native WooCommerce Analytics alongside (not instead of) external tools make faster, more accurate decisions than stores relying on external tools alone. Why? WooCommerce Analytics reports definitive transaction truth (recorded in database at checkout), while external tools track visitor behavior with inherent data loss from ad blockers, JavaScript issues, and tracking gaps.

This guide provides comprehensive WooCommerce Analytics introduction: where to find reports, which metrics matter most for business decisions, how to interpret data correctly, and when external tools (Google Analytics, specialized plugins) add value versus when native reports suffice.

Understanding WooCommerce Analytics location and structure

Where to access WooCommerce Analytics

For WooCommerce 4.0+: WordPress admin → WooCommerce → Analytics. This is modern analytics interface introduced 2020, replacing older ""Reports"" section. Features visual dashboards, date comparison, and export capabilities.

For older WooCommerce versions: WordPress admin → WooCommerce → Reports. This is legacy reporting interface (pre-2020). Functionality similar but interface less polished. If running older WooCommerce, consider updating to access modern analytics (backup site first).

What's included in both: Revenue reports (orders and sales), product reports (items sold, categories), customer reports (who's buying), tax reports (collected taxes), and stock reports (inventory levels). These cover core operational analytics for most stores.

Analytics dashboard overview

WooCommerce → Analytics → Overview provides dashboard summary: Revenue (yesterday, last 7 days, last 30 days), Total orders, Average order value, Items sold, New customers, and Returning customers. This dashboard provides quick health check—is revenue growing, flat, or declining?

How to use dashboard: Check 2-3 times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Compare ""Last 7 days"" to ""Previous period"" (previous 7 days). Revenue growing 10%+ week-over-week = healthy growth. Revenue flat (-5% to +5%) = stable. Revenue declining 10%+ = investigate traffic, conversion, or seasonality issues.

Essential WooCommerce reports (the core five)

Report 1: Revenue (Orders report)

Where: WooCommerce → Analytics → Revenue → ""Orders.""

What it shows: Net sales (revenue after refunds), Total orders, Average order value, and Items sold over selected date range. Graph shows daily, weekly, or monthly trends. Table below lists individual orders with dates, customer names, and order totals.

What to check: (1) Net sales trend—growing, flat, or declining? (2) Orders per day—how many transactions daily? (3) Average order value—is it increasing (customers buying more per order) or decreasing?

Key insight: Revenue = Orders × Average order value. Both components matter. Store with declining order counts but rising AOV might maintain flat revenue (fewer customers but they buy more). Store with rising order counts but declining AOV might also maintain flat revenue (more customers but they buy less). Understanding which component drives changes informs strategy.

Frequency: Check weekly, looking at last 30 days versus previous 30 days. This smooths daily volatility while capturing meaningful trends.

Report 2: Products (Items report)

Where: WooCommerce → Analytics → Products → ""Products.""

What it shows: List of products ranked by items sold, with columns for items sold, net sales (revenue), orders (number of orders containing this product), and variations breakdown (if applicable). Sortable by any column.

What to check: (1) Top 5-10 products by items sold—these are bestsellers requiring inventory attention, (2) Products with high revenue but low sales volume—indicates high-ticket items, (3) Products with many orders but low revenue—indicates low-price volume sellers.

Key insight: Your top 10 products typically generate 60-80% of revenue (this is normal and healthy). These 10 products cannot go out of stock without major revenue impact. Check inventory for top sellers weekly. Products ranked 50+ with minimal sales are candidates for phase-out or aggressive promotion.

Frequency: Check weekly for inventory planning (top 10-20 products). Check monthly for full product list review (positions 1-50+) informing product strategy.

Report 3: Customers (Customer report)

Where: WooCommerce → Analytics → Customers → ""Customers.""

What it shows: List of customers with columns for name, email, date registered, orders (lifetime order count), total spend (lifetime revenue), and average order value. Sortable and filterable.

What to check: (1) Top customers by total spend—your VIPs deserving special attention, (2) Customers with many orders but declining frequency—retention risk, (3) Customers with single order 60+ days ago—reactivation opportunity.

Key insight: Customer lifetime value varies dramatically. Top 20% of customers often generate 60-80% of revenue. Identifying VIPs enables targeted retention (exclusive offers, early access, personal outreach). Identifying one-time buyers 60-90 days post-purchase enables reactivation campaigns before they churn permanently.

Frequency: Check monthly for VIP identification and one-time buyer reactivation targeting. This isn't daily metric—customer relationships develop over weeks/months.

Report 4: Categories (Category report)

Where: WooCommerce → Analytics → Categories → ""Categories.""

What it shows: Product categories ranked by items sold and net sales. Shows which product types drive most revenue.

What to check: (1) Which category generates most revenue? (2) Which category has highest average order value? (3) Are any categories declining significantly (30%+ revenue drop versus previous period)?

Key insight: Category performance guides inventory investment and marketing focus. If ""Activewear"" generates 45% of revenue, inventory investment should reflect this (not equal investment across all categories). Declining category revenue might indicate market shift, increased competition, or need for product refreshment.

Frequency: Check monthly. Category trends change slowly; weekly checking provides no additional insight.

Report 5: Taxes (Tax report)

Where: WooCommerce → Analytics → Taxes → ""Taxes.""

What it shows: Sales tax collected by jurisdiction, tax rate, and time period. Essential for tax filing and compliance.

What to check: (1) Total tax collected for filing period (monthly, quarterly depending on jurisdiction), (2) Tax by state/country if operating in multiple jurisdictions, (3) Any anomalies (unexpected tax spikes or drops indicating configuration issues).

Key insight: This is operational compliance report, not strategic analytics. You need accurate tax data for filing. WooCommerce calculates tax at checkout based on configured rates—this report aggregates those calculations for your accountant or tax software.

Frequency: Check when preparing tax filings (monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on requirements). Otherwise, minimal attention needed unless you suspect tax calculation errors.

Secondary WooCommerce reports (check occasionally)

Variations report

What it shows: For products with variations (size, color, style), breaks down sales by specific variation. Example: ""T-shirt"" product with variations ""Small/Blue,"" ""Medium/Red,"" ""Large/Black""—shows which specific variations sell best.

When useful: Stores with significant variation complexity (apparel, shoes, customizable products). Informs inventory decisions at variation level (restock ""Medium/Black,"" phase out ""Small/Pink"" which doesn't sell).

Stock report

What it shows: Current inventory levels, low stock alerts, out-of-stock products. Real-time inventory snapshot.

When useful: Stores managing physical inventory (not dropshipping). Daily check identifies low-stock bestsellers requiring reorder. For stores with 50+ SKUs, low-stock alerts prevent revenue-losing stockouts.

Downloads report

What it shows: For digital products (ebooks, software, courses), tracks download counts and remaining downloads (if limited).

When useful: Digital product stores. Physical product stores can ignore this entirely.

Interpreting WooCommerce Analytics correctly

Understanding ""Net sales"" versus ""Gross sales""

Gross sales: Total charged to customers before refunds, discounts shown separately. Example: Customer orders $100 product with $10 coupon, pays $90. Gross sales = $100, discount = $10.

Net sales: Gross sales minus refunds minus discounts. This is actual money kept. Example: $100 gross - $10 discount - $0 refunds = $90 net sales.

Which to use: Net sales for financial planning (this is real revenue). Gross sales for promotional analysis (shows pre-discount demand). WooCommerce Analytics defaults to net sales—this is appropriate for most analysis.

Date comparisons and seasonality

WooCommerce allows comparing selected period to ""Previous period"" or ""Previous year."" Previous period comparison useful for trend analysis (is performance improving?). Previous year comparison essential for seasonal businesses (holiday shops, apparel, outdoor gear).

Example: December 2024 revenue: $45,000. Compared to November 2024 (previous period): $28,000 (+61%). Compared to December 2023 (previous year): $42,000 (+7%). Interpretation: December shows expected seasonal spike (+61% versus November) and healthy year-over-year growth (+7% versus last December). Without previous year comparison, you might misinterpret seasonal spike as extraordinary growth.

Average order value trends

AOV fluctuates based on which products sell each period. Rising AOV might indicate: (1) Successfully upselling customers to premium products, (2) Customers buying multiple items per order, (3) High-ticket products selling more than usual. Declining AOV might indicate: (1) Successful promotions attracting more low-ticket purchases, (2) Customers buying fewer items per order, (3) Mix shift toward lower-priced products.

Important: AOV changes aren't inherently good or bad. Declining AOV with rising order volume generates more revenue than stable AOV with flat orders. Analyze AOV in context of total revenue and order count, not isolation.

When WooCommerce Analytics suffice versus when to add tools

WooCommerce Analytics are sufficient for:

Transactional analysis: Revenue, orders, products sold, customers, refunds, taxes. WooCommerce records these at checkout—100% accurate, no tracking gaps. If your questions are ""How much did we sell? What products sold best? Who are top customers?"" WooCommerce Analytics answer these perfectly.

Financial reporting: Tax collection, refund tracking, net revenue calculations. WooCommerce's transaction-based data is source of truth for accounting and tax filing. External tools (Google Analytics) don't provide tax data or match accounting records—WooCommerce does.

Inventory management: Product performance informing restock decisions, low-stock alerts, inventory movement. WooCommerce knows inventory status; external tools don't.

When to add Google Analytics:

Traffic source analysis: WooCommerce knows customers purchased but doesn't know how they found your store (Google search? Facebook ad? Direct visit?). Google Analytics tracks traffic sources, enabling marketing attribution.

On-site behavior: What pages do visitors view before purchasing? Where do they exit site? How long do they spend browsing? WooCommerce doesn't track pre-purchase behavior; Google Analytics does.

Conversion funnel: How many visitors add to cart? How many start checkout? Where do abandonment happen? WooCommerce only knows completed purchases; Google Analytics tracks full funnel including abandonments.

Recommendation: Use WooCommerce Analytics for transactional decisions (what sold, to whom, for how much). Add Google Analytics for marketing and optimization decisions (where traffic comes from, how visitors behave, why some don't convert). They're complementary, not redundant.

When to add WooCommerce plugins:

Customer lifetime value: Native WooCommerce shows lifetime spend per customer but doesn't calculate LTV metrics like cohort retention, churn prediction, or lifetime value by acquisition source. Plugins like Metorik provide this sophistication. Justifiable for stores over $200k annual revenue where retention drives growth.

Advanced reporting: Native reports don't support custom date ranges, multi-store aggregation, or automated report delivery. Plugins like WooCommerce Admin Analytics (extended) or Metorik provide these capabilities. Useful for larger operations or multi-store setups.

Email integration: Want daily revenue summary emailed automatically? Native WooCommerce doesn't do this. Plugins or tools like Peasy deliver WooCommerce metrics via email without manual dashboard checking. Useful for teams needing shared visibility. Check current options.

Your WooCommerce analytics routine

Daily check (5 minutes) - Optional for most stores

WooCommerce → Analytics → Overview. Check yesterday's net sales, orders, and average order value. Compare to same day last week. If dramatic change (revenue up/down 40%+), investigate. Otherwise, note results and move on. Most stores don't need daily checks—weekly suffices.

Weekly review (15 minutes) - Recommended

Monday morning routine: (1) Revenue report (last 7 days versus previous 7 days)—growing, flat, or declining? (2) Products report—top 10 items, any inventory concerns? (3) Orders count—tracking toward monthly target? This 15-minute review provides operational awareness informing weekly planning.

Monthly deep-dive (30 minutes) - Essential

First Monday of month: (1) Revenue report (last 30 days versus previous 30 days and same period last year)—understanding trends and seasonality, (2) Products report (full list review, top 30-50 products)—identifying products to restock, promote, or phase out, (3) Customers report—identifying new VIPs (top 20 spenders), one-time buyers for reactivation, (4) Categories report—which product types growing versus declining? (5) If applicable: Taxes report for filing preparation.

This monthly review provides strategic context for planning next month's inventory, marketing, and product focus.

Common WooCommerce Analytics mistakes

Mistake 1: Ignoring native reports in favor of Google Analytics alone

Merchants set up Google Analytics, then exclusively use GA for all analytics including revenue and product reporting. Problem: Google Analytics has 10-15% data loss from ad blockers, tracking errors, and JavaScript issues. For transactional data (revenue, orders, products), WooCommerce's database records are 100% accurate while Google Analytics estimates with error margin. Use Google Analytics for traffic and behavior; use WooCommerce for transactions.

Mistake 2: Never exporting data for deeper analysis

Native WooCommerce reports provide tables and graphs but limited customization. Exporting to CSV enables spreadsheet analysis: custom calculations, pivot tables, merged data from multiple reports. WooCommerce → Analytics → Any report → ""Download"" (CSV button). Monthly export to spreadsheet enables custom analysis WooCommerce interface doesn't support.

Mistake 3: Not using date comparisons

Merchants check ""Last 30 days"" revenue without comparison context. Revenue of $15,000 seems good—but compared to what? If previous 30 days was $18,000, you're declining 17%. If previous 30 days was $12,000, you're growing 25%. Always use ""Previous period"" or ""Previous year"" comparison to understand whether current performance represents growth, decline, or stability.

Mistake 4: Overlooking customer lifetime analysis

Merchants focus on daily/weekly order counts without analyzing customer patterns. Customer report (WooCommerce → Analytics → Customers) reveals critical insights: Are customers returning for second purchase? Are one-time buyers converting to repeat? Are VIPs maintaining spending? These patterns predict sustainable revenue better than daily order counts.

WooCommerce Analytics Getting Started

WooCommerce provides built-in analytics covering revenue, products, customers, categories, and taxes accessible via WordPress admin → WooCommerce → Analytics. These reports provide transaction-accurate data (100% accuracy, no tracking gaps) making them source of truth for financial and operational decisions.

Essential reports: Five core reports—(1) Revenue (orders and sales trends), (2) Products (bestsellers and inventory planning), (3) Customers (VIP identification and retention), (4) Categories (product type performance), (5) Taxes (compliance reporting)—answer 90% of operational questions for WooCommerce stores.

Recommended routine: Weekly 15-minute review (last 7 days revenue, top products, order counts). Monthly 30-minute deep-dive (30-day trends, full product review, customer analysis, category performance). This provides operational awareness and strategic context without excessive time investment.

When to add external tools: Google Analytics for traffic sources and on-site behavior (WooCommerce doesn't track pre-purchase visitor behavior). Specialized plugins like Metorik for customer lifetime value analysis and advanced reporting (justify at $200k+ annual revenue). Email reporting tools for automated dashboard delivery to teams. Use WooCommerce Analytics as foundation, adding external tools for specific gaps—not replacing native reports with less-accurate external data.