What Is the Sales by Channel Report?
The Sales by Channel report groups Shopify sales by the channel where an order originated, such as the Online Store, point of sale (POS), marketplaces, social channels, or other connected sales sources. It helps you see which channels contribute most to revenue during a selected period.
Each row represents a sales channel, with order count and sales amounts alongside discounts, returns, shipping, taxes, and duties. You can compare channel performance without compiling separate reports for each sales source.
Because the report follows the date the sale happened, use a consistent date range when comparing channels or reviewing changes between periods. The report measures sales activity, not profitability or payouts.
Report Overview
- Report period
- Your selected sales-date range.
- Data included
- Channel, order count, gross sales, discounts, returns, net sales, shipping, tax, duties, and total sales.
- Best for
- Comparing sales contribution across Online Store, POS, and other connected channels.
- Export formats
- Excel, CSV, TXT, or PDF, as listed in the supplied report guide.
- Delivery
- Set recurring email delivery daily, weekly, or monthly.
What Can You Learn from Sales by Channel?
1. Which channel brings in the most sales
Compare Total Sales alongside Order Count to identify the channels driving the largest sales values and the most transactions.
Example: A store might see more Online Store orders but higher Total Sales from POS.
What you can do: Prioritize channel reviews based on both transaction volume and sales value.
2. Where discounts affect the sales picture
Read Discount next to Gross Sales and Net Sales so a high-volume channel is not judged solely by its sales before reductions.
Example: A marketplace may have strong Gross Sales but relatively large discounts.
What you can do: Review whether channel-specific promotions are producing the result you expected.
3. Which channels are experiencing returns
Compare Returns across channels alongside their Gross Sales and Net Sales. The report shows sales-level return amounts, not return reasons or product-level causes.
Example: POS could show a smaller return amount than the Online Store in the selected period.
What you can do: Investigate channels with unusually high return values using more detailed records.
4. How added sales components differ by channel
Review Shipping, Tax, and Total Duties beside sales figures to understand the components included in each channel summary.
Example: A channel with overseas orders might show duties while another shows none.
What you can do: Check your channel totals before sharing a single headline sales number.
What Should You Check First in This Report?
Start with a small number of checks that make channel comparisons easier to interpret.
- Total Sales and Order Count: Identify your largest channels by value and volume.
- Gross Sales versus Net Sales: Look for channels where discounts and returns make a meaningful difference.
- Returns: Flag channels whose return value warrants closer inspection.
- Shipping, Tax, and Total Duties: Review these alongside Total Sales instead of treating all components as product revenue.
When Should You Use This Report?
| When to Use It | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Reviewing weekly sales contribution by channel | See how Online Store, POS, and connected sales sources contributed to sales. |
| Comparing channel results during a promotion | Compare sales totals and discount amounts by channel for a chosen period. |
| Comparing POS and online sales | Put POS sales next to online sales in the same summary. |
| Preparing channel sales figures for further reconciliation | Review sales components across channels before preparing a broader reconciliation. |
| Sharing a monthly channel sales update | Share a consistent channel-level summary with stakeholders. |
How to Create This Report in Data Export
The Sales by Channel premade report includes the columns listed above, so you can start from the existing template.
- Open Data Export and find the premade Sales by Channel report.
- Open the report and review the sales channel grouping and included fields.
- Choose your date range; adjust columns or filters if needed.
- Save the report with a name your team can recognize.
- If useful, schedule it for daily, weekly, or monthly email delivery, or export it in an available format.
Make the Most of This Report
Use these four checks to keep your channel comparisons consistent and easy to share.
01 / TIME PERIOD Compare matching date windows Use the same date range for each channel and for any period-to-period review.
02 / SALES BASIS Read gross and net together A channel with high gross sales may contribute less after discounts and returns.
03 / CHANNEL SCOPE Check the included sources Verify which connected sales channels appear before assuming every external selling platform is represented.
04 / SHARING Tailor the export Sort by Total Sales and send a concise, scheduled summary to the people reviewing channel performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Shopify Sales by Channel report show?
It shows order count and sales amounts grouped by sales channel for a selected sales-date period, including discounts, returns, shipping, tax, and duties.
Can I compare Shopify POS and Online Store sales?
Yes, when both channels are represented in your store data and selected report period. They appear as separate channel rows.
Does the report include marketplaces and social channels?
The supplied template describes these as possible connected sales sources. A channel appears only where relevant sales data is available in the report.
Does Total Sales represent profit or money paid out?
No. Total Sales is a sales measure; the report does not include cost of goods, profit, payment fees, or payout fields.
Can I export or schedule the report?
Yes. The supplied guide lists Excel, CSV, TXT, and PDF exports, as well as daily, weekly, and monthly email scheduling.
