Shopsterra Blog
Build-in-public updates, product thinking, and lessons from building analytics for growing stores.
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July 31, 2026
How to Track COGS in Shopify (and Why the Cost Per Item Field Is Not Enough)
Shopify's cost per item field is a static snapshot that quietly breaks your margins the moment supplier prices change. Here is how to track true cost of goods sold on Shopify.
July 25, 2026
Shopify Refund Tracking: How Returns Are Silently Destroying Your Margins
Shopify deducts refunds from revenue but never from your ad spend. On a 20% return rate, that gap can flip a profitable product into a money loser. Here is how to calculate the real impact.
June 22, 2026
Triple Whale Alternatives for Shopify Stores That Don't Need to Pay $499/mo
Honest breakdown of Triple Whale alternatives for Shopify stores under $2M GMV. Compare Shopsterra, BeProfit, Lifetimely, and TrueProfit.
June 19, 2026
Where Is My Ad Spend Going? Why Shopify Can't Tell You
Shopify shows you revenue. It doesn't show where your ad budget actually went. Here's why that gap is costing you money and how to fix it.
June 15, 2026
Shopify Ad Spend Tracking: Why Your ROAS Is Probably Wrong
Shopify doesn't track your ad spend. Your ad platforms report ROAS before refunds, fees, and COGS. Here's how to see what your ads actually cost you - and what they actually return.
June 13, 2026
Your Best-Seller Is Probably a Profit Loser: Here's How to Find Out
Shopify shows you revenue per product. It doesn't show what that product actually cost you. Here's how to find your real profit per SKU - and why it changes everything.
June 5, 2026
Why ROAS Doesn't Tell You If You're Actually Profitable
ROAS of 4x sounds great. But after refunds, shipping, COGS, and fees, that campaign might be losing money. Here's how to track real profit, not just ad returns.
May 18, 2026
Shopify Analytics vs Real Profit: The 30-40% Gap Explained
Shopify analytics shows revenue. It doesn't show what you spent on ads, refunds, fees, or shipping. Here's the real gap and how to find your actual profit.
May 15, 2026
How to Calculate True Profit for Your Shopify Store
Shopify shows revenue, not profit. Here's the exact formula to calculate your true net profit after ad spend, refunds, COGS, and fees - with real numbers.
May 12, 2026
Why Your Shopify Revenue Number Is a Lie
Shopify's dashboard shows you a number that feels like profit. It isn't. Here's exactly what it's missing and why it matters.
May 6, 2026
I Built a Shopify Profit Tracker in 48 Hours. Here's What I Learned.
A solo founder's honest account of building Shopsterra in 48 hours, the mistakes made, and why existing tools were failing small stores.