https://askshelf.in/guides/ Plain answers to the questions WooCommerce store owners ask about their numbers. en https://askshelf.in/guides/questions-to-ask-your-store-every-monday/ https://askshelf.in/guides/questions-to-ask-your-store-every-monday/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT A short Monday routine for WooCommerce owners: ten questions about sales, products, stock, channels and customers, and where each answer comes from. https://askshelf.in/guides/store-owner-number-mistakes/ https://askshelf.in/guides/store-owner-number-mistakes/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Seven common mistakes WooCommerce owners make reading their numbers, from comparing partial months to mistaking revenue for profit, and how to fix each one. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-weekly-report-checklist/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-weekly-report-checklist/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT A weekly WooCommerce reporting checklist: what to check before you start, the numbers to record, where each comes from in Analytics, and a one-page template. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-shipping-costs-vs-charges/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-shipping-costs-vs-charges/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce reports the shipping you charge, not what you pay. How to compare the two each month, find orders that lose money, and fix your shipping rates. https://askshelf.in/guides/chatgpt-vs-built-in-store-analyst/ https://askshelf.in/guides/chatgpt-vs-built-in-store-analyst/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT When uploading a WooCommerce CSV to ChatGPT works fine, its risks (stale exports, customer data, wrong sums), and when a built-in analyst fits better. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-discount-impact-on-margin/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-discount-impact-on-margin/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT A 20% discount can remove 40% or more of your profit per sale. How to work out what a WooCommerce coupon or sale really costs, and the extra sales it needs. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-time-between-orders/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-time-between-orders/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Measure how many days your WooCommerce customers take between orders, using order history, a CSV export or SQL, and use it to time emails and spot lapsed buyers. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-payment-fees/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-payment-fees/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce Analytics doesn't record payment processing fees. How to find your real fee rate, why small orders and refunds cost more, and how to add fees to profit. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-cost-of-goods/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-cost-of-goods/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Turn on WooCommerce's built-in Cost of Goods Sold field, set costs for products and variations, import them by CSV, and see what it does and doesn't report. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-customer-lifetime-value/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-customer-lifetime-value/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Work out customer lifetime value for your WooCommerce store from the Customers report summary, a simple formula or SQL, and learn which version to trust. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-gross-margin-by-product/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-gross-margin-by-product/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce doesn't report margin per product. Export net sales from Analytics › Products, add unit costs, and calculate gross profit and margin in a sheet. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-profit-after-refunds-and-discounts/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-profit-after-refunds-and-discounts/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Net sales already removes refunds and coupons, but profit needs more. How refunds and discounts change cost of goods and margin, and how to calculate it. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sell-through-rate/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sell-through-rate/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce doesn't report sell-through rate. Here's the formula, where to get units sold and stock in WooCommerce, a worked example, and how to read the result. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-refund-rate/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-refund-rate/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Work out your WooCommerce refund rate by value and by order count from Analytics, find which products get refunded most, and avoid the refund-date trap. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-repeat-purchase-rate/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-repeat-purchase-rate/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce has no repeat purchase rate report. Here's how to calculate it from the Customers report, a CSV export or SQL, and how to read the number. https://askshelf.in/guides/checking-ai-answers-about-your-store/ https://askshelf.in/guides/checking-ai-answers-about-your-store/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT A simple method to verify any AI's sales, product, stock and coupon numbers against WooCommerce Analytics, and the usual reasons the two disagree. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-compare-date-ranges/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-compare-date-ranges/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Use the Compare to option in WooCommerce Analytics to see this month against last month or last year, read the results, and avoid misleading comparisons. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-year-over-year-sales/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-year-over-year-sales/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Compare this year's WooCommerce sales with last year's using Compare to › Previous year, read month-by-month growth, and avoid the common year-over-year traps. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-lapsed-customers/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-lapsed-customers/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Find WooCommerce customers who used to buy and then stopped, using the Customers report filters, a CSV export or SQL. Plus how to count them in one question. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-dead-stock/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-dead-stock/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce has no dead stock report. Here's how to list products that have stock but no recent sales, using an export, Analytics, SQL or one question. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-products-about-to-sell-out/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-products-about-to-sell-out/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Work out which WooCommerce products will sell out soon by dividing stock by daily sales. Step by step with Analytics, a spreadsheet, SQL, or one question. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-day-and-hour/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-day-and-hour/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce Analytics has no day-of-week or hour report. How to find your busiest days with a daily export, see hourly sales for one day, and use SQL for the rest. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-top-customers/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-top-customers/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Find your top WooCommerce customers by total spend or number of orders in the Customers report, rank them for a date range with SQL, and decide what to do next. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-low-stock-report/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-low-stock-report/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See every low-stock product in WooCommerce with Analytics › Stock, set thresholds that match each product's pace, and get low-stock emails that arrive in time. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-campaign-results/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-campaign-results/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Measure a WooCommerce sale or campaign: compare it with a fair baseline in Analytics, check coupon use and UTM-tagged orders, and look past the first week. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-new-vs-returning-customers/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-new-vs-returning-customers/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See how many WooCommerce orders and sales come from new vs returning customers using the Orders report's Customer type filter, an SQL version, or one question. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-variation/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-variation/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See which sizes and colors sell in WooCommerce with Analytics › Variations, filter by attribute, compare variations, and use the numbers to plan stock. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-customers-by-location/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-customers-by-location/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See where your WooCommerce customers are by country, region or city using the Customers report, a CSV export or SQL, and turn it into shipping and marketing decisions. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-orders-by-channel/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-orders-by-channel/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See WooCommerce orders and revenue by channel using order attribution: the Origin column, an export, SQL, or one question. Plus how to read the totals. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-referral-sources/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-referral-sources/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See which websites send buyers to your WooCommerce store using order attribution's referral source and referrer URL, total them by site, and read the gaps. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-category/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-category/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See sales by product category in WooCommerce Analytics, compare categories, avoid double counting products in several categories, and export the numbers. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-country/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-by-country/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce Analytics has no sales-by-country report. How to get sales by country from the Customers report, a CSV export, an extension or a SQL query. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-best-selling-products/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-best-selling-products/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Find your best sellers in WooCommerce Analytics by units sold or net sales, compare them with last month, and spot which products are rising or fading. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-reorder-point/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-reorder-point/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Calculate a reorder point for each WooCommerce product from daily sales, lead time and safety stock, then use the low stock threshold to get alerted in time. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-coupon-roi/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-coupon-roi/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Find a WooCommerce coupon's orders, discount and net sales in Analytics › Coupons, then work out whether it made money once margin and normal sales are counted. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-variation-stock/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-variation-stock/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Track stock for each size and color in WooCommerce: turn on Manage stock per variation, see variation stock in Analytics › Stock, and spot which one runs out first. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-utm-tracking/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-utm-tracking/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT How WooCommerce saves UTM source, medium and campaign on every order, how to tag your links so they're counted, and how to total orders by campaign. https://askshelf.in/guides/ai-for-woocommerce-analytics/ https://askshelf.in/guides/ai-for-woocommerce-analytics/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT What AI can and can't do with WooCommerce data, the three ways to use it, how to keep customer data safe, and how to check the numbers it gives you. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-inventory-value/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-inventory-value/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce doesn't show total inventory value. Here's how to calculate stock value at cost or at retail with an export, a spreadsheet, SQL or one question. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-instagram-vs-email-sales/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-instagram-vs-email-sales/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Compare how many WooCommerce orders and how much revenue Instagram and email bring, using order attribution and UTM tags, and avoid the traps that skew it. https://askshelf.in/guides/is-it-safe-to-give-ai-your-store-data/ https://askshelf.in/guides/is-it-safe-to-give-ai-your-store-data/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT A vendor-neutral checklist for any AI tool that reads your WooCommerce store: what leaves the store, retention, training, write access and customer data. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-mobile-vs-desktop-orders/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-mobile-vs-desktop-orders/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT See how many WooCommerce orders come from mobile, tablet and desktop using order attribution's device type, compare order values, and act on the split. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-net-sales-vs-gross-sales/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-net-sales-vs-gross-sales/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT What gross sales, net sales and total sales mean in WooCommerce Analytics, how each is calculated, a worked example, and which one to use for decisions. https://askshelf.in/guides/black-friday-review-questions/ https://askshelf.in/guides/black-friday-review-questions/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Twelve questions to review your WooCommerce Black Friday: sales against last year, best sellers, coupons, channels, refunds and what to reorder. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-out-of-stock-lost-sales/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-out-of-stock-lost-sales/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Estimate the sales you lost while a WooCommerce product was out of stock, from its sales rate before the stock-out and the days it was gone. Plus how to stop it. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-first-purchase-products/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-first-purchase-products/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Find which first products turn WooCommerce buyers into repeat customers. How to run a first-purchase analysis with an export or SQL, and what to do with it. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-analytics-not-matching-orders/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-analytics-not-matching-orders/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce Analytics showing different totals from your Orders list? The usual causes: excluded statuses, refund dates, date type, tax and missing imports. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-attribution-unknown-source/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-attribution-unknown-source/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Why WooCommerce orders show Unknown as their origin: tracking off, consent, firewalls, blocked scripts, or orders made outside checkout. How to find the cause and fix it. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-average-order-value/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-average-order-value/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Find your average order value in WooCommerce Analytics, learn exactly how it's calculated (net sales ÷ orders), and see practical ways to raise it. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-customer-analytics/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-customer-analytics/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT What WooCommerce can tell you about your customers, where to find it, which metrics need a spreadsheet or SQL, and how to track repeat buyers and lapsed customers. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-inventory-forecasting/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-inventory-forecasting/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT How to forecast stock in WooCommerce: what the built-in Stock report and thresholds do, how to work out days of stock left, reorder points and dead stock. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-order-attribution/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-order-attribution/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT How WooCommerce order attribution tracks where each order came from, what Direct, Referral and Unknown mean, where to see it, and how to total it by channel. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-profit-reporting/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-profit-reporting/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT WooCommerce Analytics shows sales, not profit. What you need to work out profit and margin: product costs, refunds, discounts, shipping and payment fees. https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-reports/ https://askshelf.in/guides/woocommerce-sales-reports/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:00:00 GMT Where WooCommerce keeps its sales reports, what every number in Analytics means, why totals differ from your orders, and what the built-in reports can't show.