CartOS Reports gives you solid built-in analytics, but sometimes you need to go further—custom calculations, pivot tables, visualizations tailored to your business, or integration with your existing reporting stack. That's where CSV export comes in.
Exporting report data
Any report in CartOS can be exported to a CSV file. Open the report you want, apply any filters or date ranges, then click the Export button. Your browser downloads a CSV file containing all the data from that report.
The export includes every row and column visible in the report, respecting your current filters. If you've filtered to a specific date range or product category, only that filtered data exports—not everything in your store.
What's included in exports
CSV exports contain the raw data behind the report. Depending on the report type, this might include:
- Sales reports – Order IDs, dates, product names, quantities, prices, discounts, taxes, totals, customer info, sales channel
- Order reports – Order details, fulfillment status, shipping method, tracking numbers, timestamps
- Customer reports – Customer names, emails, order counts, lifetime value, first and last order dates, location
- Product reports – Product titles, SKUs, variants, units sold, revenue, views, conversion rates
- Inventory reports – Product titles, SKUs, current quantities, cost per item, inventory value
Exports include more detail than what's displayed in the report summary view, giving you the granular data needed for custom analysis.
Working with CSV files
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a universal format that works with virtually any data tool. Once downloaded, you can open and analyze your data wherever you prefer.
Microsoft Excel
Double-click the CSV file to open it in Excel, or use File › Open and select the file. Excel automatically parses the columns. From there you can sort, filter, create pivot tables, build charts, and apply formulas to analyze your data however you need.
For recurring analysis, consider building an Excel template with your preferred charts and calculations, then paste in fresh data from each export.
Google Sheets
Upload the CSV to Google Drive or use File › Import in Google Sheets. Sheets handles CSV parsing automatically. This is a good option for sharing reports with team members or building collaborative dashboards.
Apple Numbers
Open the CSV directly in Numbers for Mac or iPad. Numbers converts it to a spreadsheet where you can add formatting, charts, and analysis.
BI tools
For more sophisticated analysis, import your CSV exports into business intelligence software like Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or Metabase. These tools let you create interactive dashboards, combine data from multiple sources, and build visualizations that go far beyond what's possible in a spreadsheet.
Many BI tools can connect directly to CSV files or folders, making it easy to refresh your analysis with new exports.
Automating exports
If you need regular exports for ongoing reporting, you can schedule them using the Automation Bolt. Create a workflow that runs on a schedule—daily, weekly, or monthly—and exports specific report data to email or a connected service.
For advanced integrations, the CartOS API provides programmatic access to your store data. You can build automated pipelines that pull data directly into your data warehouse or BI platform without manual CSV downloads.
Common analysis examples
Cohort analysis
Export customer data with first order dates, then group customers by the month they first purchased. Track how each cohort's purchasing behavior changes over time to understand retention and lifetime value trends.
Product profitability
Export sales data with cost information, then calculate true profit margins per product after accounting for discounts, shipping, and transaction fees. Identify which products actually drive profit versus just revenue.
Seasonal trends
Export several years of sales data and analyze patterns by week or month. Build forecasting models to predict demand and plan inventory accordingly.
Customer segmentation
Export customer data with purchase history, then segment by behavior—high spenders, frequent buyers, one-time purchasers, lapsed customers. Use these segments to inform marketing strategy.
Channel comparison
Export sales by channel over time, then build side-by-side comparisons of online store versus POS performance. Identify which channels are growing and where to focus resources.
Tips for working with exports
Use consistent date ranges – When comparing periods, make sure you're exporting the same date range for each report. Inconsistent ranges lead to misleading comparisons.
Filter before exporting – Apply filters in CartOS before exporting rather than exporting everything and filtering later. This keeps file sizes manageable and speeds up your workflow.
Watch for encoding issues – If you see garbled characters when opening a CSV, the file may need to be opened with UTF-8 encoding. Most spreadsheet apps handle this automatically, but you may need to specify it during import.
Keep a data dictionary – Document what each column means, especially if multiple team members work with the exports. Column names are usually self-explanatory, but noting things like whether amounts include tax can prevent confusion.