How to Export Shopify Data for Analysis, Reporting & Migration
Learn how to easily export Shopify data for accurate analysis, streamlined reporting, and seamless migration. Discover key steps to make data management more efficient.
Published January 31, 2025.
When exporting data from Shopify, it's essential to ensure that the process is seamless and the resulting data is both accurate and actionable. Common mistakes such as exporting unnecessary data, overlooking formatting issues, and neglecting security measures can affect the reliability of your reports and potentially expose sensitive information.
In this blog, we explore these pitfalls and offer practical solutions to ensure that your data export process is efficient, secure, and insightful.
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Exporting and Managing Shopify Data
Product Data
Shopify lets you export your product catalog, including titles, descriptions, prices, SKUs, inventory counts, and images. This is super handy for making bulk updates or creating backups. Exports are delivered as CSV files, so you can easily edit or import them into other platforms. You can even filter exports to include only specific products, like those from a certain collection or vendor.
Order History
You can export detailed order data, such as order IDs, dates, customer information, shipping methods, and payment statuses. This is useful for analyzing sales trends or reconciling financial records. Shopify allows you to filter exports by date range, order status, or payment status, making it easy to focus on specific insights.
Customer Data
Shopify allows you to export customer information, including names, emails, purchase history, and total spend. This data is great for customer segmentation or loyalty campaigns. You can also filter exports based on account status or tags, which helps when targeting specific groups.
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Limitations of Shopify’s Export Tools
While Shopify’s export tools are easy to use, they come with certain restrictions. Large data sets may be split into multiple files, making it harder to analyze information efficiently. Additionally, Shopify only supports CSV exports, which limits formatting options and flexibility.
Filtering options are available but may not be detailed enough for more complex data needs.
Example: Extracting specific customer behavior metrics often requires third-party tools.
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The Shopify Admin interface makes data exports super easy with its intuitive layout. Simply navigate to the relevant section, click the Export button, and customize your file with filters like date ranges or order status. Shopify also lets you choose between exporting all data or filtered data, making it quick to get exactly what you need.
Step 1: Access the Shopify Admin Dashboard
Log in to your Shopify account and navigate to the main dashboard. From here, all export options are accessed through the sidebar.
To export products, go to Products.
For customers, click Customers.
For orders, select Orders.
Step 2: Open the Data Page
Once on the desired page (e.g., Products), look at the top right for an Export button. This button is your starting point for exporting data. Click it, and Shopify will open a pop-up where you can configure your export.
Step 3: Filter Data for Export
Before exporting, use Shopify’s filters to narrow down your data.
On the Orders page, filter by date range, order status (e.g., fulfilled, pending), or payment status.
On the Products page, filter by collections, tags, or inventory levels.
Step 4: Configure Export Options
When the export pop-up appears, Shopify will prompt you to select the data scope:
All data: Export everything in the section.
Filtered data: Export only the items matching your active filters.
Choose your preference, then select the format (CSV is the default).
Step 5: Start the Export
Click Export after finalizing your selections. Shopify will process the request, and the file will be emailed to your account's registered email. If it’s a small data set, you’ll also see a download link directly in the admin interface.
Pros and Cons of Manual Exports
Pros
- Complete control over which data to export, ensuring you get exactly what you need without extra clutter. Ideal for one-off reports or quick data reviews.
- Included in your Shopify plan, making it a cost-effective option for smaller stores without needing extra tools or apps.
- Shopify’s export process is user-friendly and doesn’t require technical skills. You can easily click through filters, configure settings, and download your data.
Cons
- Tedious for frequent reports, as repeating the process wastes time and increases the risk of human error. Automated tools can save time by scheduling reports.
- Harder to manage as your store grows, especially with large data sets. Shopify’s CSV files may split into multiple downloads, making organization challenging.
» Discover how to import products to Shopify using CSV
Step 1: Choose the Right Data Type for Your Use Case
Before exporting, you need to determine what you need:
- For analysis , you should prioritize order data, sales trends, and customer purchase behavior.
- For reporting, you have to focus on revenue, inventory levels, and marketing performance.
- For migration, just export everything, including product descriptions, SKUs, and customer accounts.
How to do it:
Log into Shopify Admin.
Navigate to Orders, Products, or Customers, depending on your need.
Click Export and choose "All data" or use filters for specific information
Step 2: Apply Filters to Refine Data Selection
Shopify allows filtering before export, which helps extract only relevant data, reducing clutter.
- For analysis , you need to filter by sales periods, order status, or customer groups.
- For reporting, just focus on financial data, like total revenue or refunds.
- For migration, you export full datasets, ensuring no customer or product data is left out.
How to do it:
Click Filter before exporting.
Select options like date ranges, product categories, or order fulfillment status.
Preview filtered data to confirm accuracy.
Step 3: Use CSV Format for Seamless Integration
CSV is the best format for analysis tools like Excel or Power BI since it’s widely supported and easy to manipulate.
- For large data sets, use Google Sheets to avoid Excel’s row limitations.
- For Power BI, ensure the CSV file has structured columns for smooth importing.
- For automation, use Egnition’s Automatic Backups to regularly export structured CSV files.
How to do it:
- Choose CSV as the export format.
- Open in Excel, then apply formatting like column headers and data validation.
- Save structured files for easy re-importing or analysis.
» Read more: How to use CSV files to export Shopify products
Step 4: Handle Large Datasets Efficiently
If your store has a high volume of data, Shopify’s built-in export tools may split files. To avoid missing information, do the following:
- For large reports, break data into smaller exports by time period.
- For product and inventory migration, use Shopify tools like Data Export IO or Xporter to consolidate information in structured formats.
How to do it:
- Export data in chunks (like monthly orders instead of yearly).
- Use Google Sheets instead of Excel for larger files.
- Use Shopify apps to format data automatically for better usability.
» Learn how to create dummy data in Excel
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Best Practices for Structuring Exported Data
Use clear and consistent headers – Rename confusing labels to match your reporting needs. For example, change "Order Value" to "Total Sales" for clarity.
Save in CSV format – Ensure maximum compatibility with Excel and Power BI, and use UTF-8 encoding to prevent character errors.
Standardize date formats – Use YYYY-MM-DD for easy sorting and filtering.
Remove currency symbols – Keep numeric values clean to avoid calculation issues.
Manage large datasets – Split large files into smaller ones or use Google Sheets to bypass Excel’s row limits before importing.
» Understand the benefits of using dummy data for your Shopify store
Essential Considerations for Generating Actionable Reports
When exporting data for reporting, follow these key steps to ensure clarity and accuracy:
- Define your goals: Identify what you want to analyze, such as sales trends, inventory tracking, or customer behavior. Keep data relevant to avoid unnecessary clutter.
- Choose the right time frame: Ensure the selected period aligns with your analysis. If comparing trends, keep time frames consistent to prevent misleading insights.
- Clean and organize data: Remove duplicates, fill in missing values, and format correctly before analysis. Well-structured data improves accuracy and usability.
- Use reporting tools: Utilize spreadsheets or reporting software to visualize trends and extract actionable insights.
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Steps for a Seamless Store Migration
- Audit and clean data: Review products, customer info, and orders for accuracy, removing duplicates or outdated entries. Back up your current store data to avoid losing anything important during the process.
- Map data fields: Map out how your data will transfer to the new platform. Match fields like product names, SKUs, and customer details to the new system’s structure. Pay extra attention to custom fields or unique data points that might need special handling.
- Test the migration: Export a sample of products, customers, or orders, import them into the new platform, and check for errors or missing information. Use this trial run to refine the process.
- Proceed with the full export: Once you’re confident in the process. After migration, verify the data again to ensure everything transferred correctly and is functioning as expected in the new system
» Learn why you should use sample data to test your Shopify store before and after its launch
Common Data Export Mistakes and Their Impact
Exporting Excess Data
Including unnecessary details clutters reports, slows analysis, and increases the risk of overlooking key insights. Tailor exports to relevant metrics to keep data clean and usable.
Ignoring Formatting Issues
Shopify data may not align with reporting tools, leading to errors in dates, currency, or calculations. Formatting mistakes can distort analysis and produce misleading conclusions.
Lack of Data Security
Exporting sensitive data without encryption or access control risks breaches and compliance violations. Mishandling customer information can damage trust and lead to legal issues.
Ensuring Successful Data Exports
By following the steps outlined in this blog, Shopify store owners can confidently export data for analysis, reporting, and migration. From auditing and cleaning data to mapping fields and testing migrations, each step is crucial for ensuring a smooth and efficient process.
Additionally, securing data and avoiding common mistakes—like exporting irrelevant information or overlooking formatting errors—will improve accuracy and help maintain compliance with privacy regulations. Implementing these best practices leads to better insights, streamlined workflows, and greater security for sensitive customer data.
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