1/23/2025

Filtering Out Staff Orders in Shopify: Management Tips for Your Reports

Managing orders effectively is crucial for any eCommerce business, especially when using platforms like Shopify. However, one challenge that many merchants face is filtering out staff orders from their reports. In this blog post, we’ll explore strategies for effectively managing your Shopify reports, particularly focusing on how to exclude staff orders to streamline your data analysis process.

Understanding Shopify Sales Attribution

Before diving into the nitty-gritty of filtering staff orders, it’s essential to understand the concept of sales attribution. According to the Shopify Help Center, sales attribution allows you to assign credit for a sale to a specific staff member. This feature is handy, especially in retail scenarios, where multiple employees might be involved in the selling process.

Why Exclude Staff Orders?

Accurate Sales Reporting: When staff orders are included in your reports, they can skew the perception of how well products are performing amongst actual customers. This might lead to misguided business decisions.
Performance Evaluation: Excluding staff orders enables you to assess your staff's performance better without their orders impacting the metrics.
Resource Allocation: You can make better decisions about stock and marketing if your reports reflect JUST customer orders.

How to Exclude Staff Orders in Shopify

1. Utilizing Order Tags

One effective way to manage your staff orders is by using tags. Here’s how:

When a staff member completes a sale, you can tag those orders with something like “Staff Order” or “Employee Purchase.”
During the reporting phase, simply filter out these tags. This approach ensures that only customer orders are reflected in your sales reporting.

2. Custom Reports with Exclusions

Shopify provides various reporting features, but if you need to create a tailored report that reflects your actual sales data, you might need to look at using apps like Better Reports or Report Pundit.

Step-by-Step Report Creation:
- Navigate to your reporting dashboard.
- Create a new report, and add a filter to exclude specific tags related to staff orders.
- Save this report for future use.

This way, you’ll have a clean report without clutter from internal transactions.

3. Use Filters in Sale Reports

When viewing sales reports on Shopify, you can use built-in filters to exclude orders based on specific actions or parameters. Here’s a quick rundown of how to filter in your Order Reports:

Go to your Reports Section.
Open your Sales Report.
Look for the Filters option on the page.
Set conditions such as
- Exclude specific staff members’ names.
- Exclude tagged orders made by staff.
Apply the filters.

Once you’ve set this up, you can always revert to these filters to keep checking clean data.

4. Staff Permissions Management

Managing staff permissions carefully is another critical part of ensuring that internal sales do not mix with general reports. As noted in the Shopify Community, you can go to Settings > Users & Permissions on your Shopify admin dashboard and set the appropriate permissions.

Recommended Steps:
- Limit order access for certain staff to ensure no accidental inclusion of their orders in report analytics.
- Review compliance with the business model and adjust these permissions as necessary.

Best Practices for Managing Staff Orders

Effective management of staff orders can lead to better operational efficiency for your Shopify store. Here are some best practices to consider:

1. Regularly Clean Your Data

Just as important as creating filters is often cleaning data. Regularly auditing your orders to ensure that staff orders are tagged correctly prevents misuse of your reporting tools.

2. Consider Customer Segmentation

Utilize customer segments to define who your target audience is versus your staff. This added layer can help clarify reports further and guide marketing strategies effectively.

3. Automate Where Possible

Using Shopify apps that allow you to automate tagging or filtering tasks can save you countless hours in the long run. Automation tools would reduce human errors when tagging order types.

4. Keep Staff Updated on Protocols

Holding regular meetings can ensure all staff are on the same page regarding processes for handling orders. Communication undoubtedly aids in minimizing mistakes.

5. Utilize Analytics and Insights

Platforms like Arsturn provide powerful analytics features to assess your growth while streamlining operations. Arsturn can also help create customized AI chatbots that can handle FAQs related to order management, saving even more time.

The Bottom Line

Filtering out staff orders in Shopify is not just about creating clear reports; it’s about setting a foundation for sustained business growth with accurate data insights. From using tags to establishing proper staff permissions, every little detail counts. The next time you navigate through your order management, remember these tips, and don’t hesitate to leverage platforms like Arsturn for advanced solutions on automating your chatbot and analytics needs.

By creating streamlined processes, your business can focus on customer engagement and increasing conversions. So, get started today and witness the transformation in your operations!