Performance Charts & Trend Visualization

Performance charts in MerchantFlow are interactive visualizations that display your e-commerce revenue, profit, ad spend, and product performance over time. Charts update automatically as new data syncs in, helping Shopify and WooCommerce merchants spot trends, identify seasonal patterns, and make data-driven decisions.

What Charts Are Available?

The Dashboard overview page displays key performance charts that summarize your store's health:

• AreaChart - Revenue and profit trends over time
• LineChart - Comparative metrics and ad spend tracking

All charts support interactive tooltips, clickable legends, and responsive sizing across desktop and mobile devices.

How to Select Time Ranges for Charts

You can adjust the time range for all charts using the time range selector at the top of the dashboard.

Supported time ranges:

How to change the time range:

1. Navigate to your Dashboard
2. Locate the time range selector at the top of the page
3. Click the desired range (7d, 30d, 90d, or 365d)
4. All charts update to reflect the selected period

Revenue Trends Chart

The revenue trends chart shows your total revenue over the selected time period.

What it shows:

• Daily, weekly, or monthly revenue totals (depending on time range)
• Trend line indicating overall direction
• Tooltips with exact values on hover

How to read it:

• An upward slope indicates growing revenue
• Flat lines suggest stable but stagnant sales
• Dips may correspond to seasonal patterns or operational issues

Pro Tip: Use the 365d view to identify seasonal patterns and plan inventory or marketing campaigns accordingly.

[Screenshot: Revenue trends chart]

Profit Trends Chart

The profit trends chart overlays revenue with costs to show your actual profit over time.

What it shows:

• Revenue line
• Cost line (COGS plus expenses)
• Profit area (the gap between revenue and costs)

Why it matters:

Revenue growth without profit growth means rising costs are eating into your margins. This chart helps you spot margin compression early, before it becomes a critical problem.

[Screenshot: Profit trends chart]

Ad Spend Over Time Chart

Track your advertising expenditure alongside revenue to understand your return on ad spend (ROAS).

What it shows:

• Ad spend by day, week, or month
• Revenue generated in the same period
• Visual correlation between spend and revenue

Key insights:

• Identify periods where increased ad spend led to proportional revenue gains
• Spot diminishing returns on advertising
• Compare ad efficiency across different time periods

[Screenshot: Ad spend over time chart]

Product Performance Chart

View how individual products or product categories are performing over the selected time range.

What it shows:

• Top products by revenue
• Product revenue trends over time
• Relative performance between products

Use cases:

• Identify your best-selling products
• Spot products with declining sales
• Discover emerging products gaining traction

[Screenshot: Product performance chart]

How to Use Period Comparison

Compare your current performance against a previous period to understand growth and trends.

How it works:

• Select any time range (7d, 30d, 90d, 365d)
• The chart overlays the current period with the equivalent previous period
• Current period shown as a solid line, previous period as a dashed line

Example:

If you select 30d, the chart compares:

• Current: Last 30 days
• Previous: The 30 days before that

What to look for:

• Current line consistently above previous = growth
• Crossover points where performance shifted
• Similar patterns indicating seasonal consistency

[Screenshot: Period comparison chart]

How to Read Chart Elements

Tooltips

Hover over any data point to see exact values:

• Date
• Metric value (revenue, profit, ad spend, etc.)
• Comparison to previous period (if enabled)

Legends

Click legend items to show or hide specific data series. This is useful when comparing multiple metrics on the same chart.

Responsive Design

Charts automatically resize to fit your screen. On smaller screens, data points may be aggregated for readability.

Best Practices for Chart Analysis

1. Check Charts Regularly

Review your dashboard charts at least weekly to stay on top of trends. Daily checks during active campaigns help you react quickly to changes.

2. Use Multiple Time Ranges

• 7d for recent campaign performance
• 30d for monthly business reviews
• 90d for quarterly planning
• 365d for annual strategy and seasonal patterns

3. Combine Charts with Other Metrics

Charts show trends, but pair them with:

• KPI Metrics for specific numbers
• P&L Tracking for profitability context
• Traffic Sources for channel-level insights

4. Look for Correlations

Compare ad spend charts with revenue charts to find your most efficient marketing periods. Look for patterns where specific actions led to measurable results.

Troubleshooting Charts

Charts Not Loading

Check:

• Internet connection is stable
• Browser is up to date
• JavaScript is enabled
• Try refreshing the page

If charts still do not load:

• Clear your browser cache
• Try a different browser
• Check the Sync Status page to confirm data is available

Charts Showing No Data

Common causes:

• New account that has not completed first sync
• Selected time range has no data (e.g., store was not active)
• Integration disconnected

Fix:

1. Verify integrations are connected at Settings > Integrations
2. Run a Manual Sync if needed
3. Select a time range where your store was active

Data Seems Incorrect

Verify:

• Correct time range is selected
• Currency settings match your store
• Time zone is properly configured
• Recent sync has completed

Troubleshoot data issues

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do charts update with new data?

Charts update automatically each time a sync completes. Data is cached for up to 60 seconds for performance, with background revalidation every 120 seconds. This means you may see data up to 2 minutes old, but the page loads instantly.

Can I export chart data as a CSV or image?

Yes. Use the Export button on the dashboard to download chart data in CSV or PDF format. You can also set up scheduled reports to receive chart summaries by email.

Why does my revenue chart show a dip on the most recent day?

The most recent 1-2 days may show incomplete data because some sources (Google Analytics, Search Console) have processing delays of 24-48 hours. Wait for the data to finalize before drawing conclusions about recent performance.

What is the difference between the area chart and line chart?

Area charts shade the region below the line to emphasize volume (used for revenue and profit). Line charts show data points connected by lines without shading, making them better for comparing multiple overlapping metrics like ad spend versus revenue.

Related Articles

• Dashboard Overview
• KPI Metrics - Metric definitions and benchmarks
• Traffic Sources - Channel-level performance
• Time Range Filters - Control date ranges
• P&L Overview - Profitability analysis

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Last updated: March 14, 2026