Prepare a Shopify returns CSV.

Check Shopify’s reports first

If you need returned quantities and reasons, start in Analytics → Reports. Shopify’s sales-report guidance distinguishes physically returned units from reversals, which can also include cancellations, edits and refunds. For physical returns, it points to returned_quantity in the Returns table. Read Shopify’s reporting guidance ↗

A native report may answer your question already. Whyset is useful when you have return-line records to compare by SKU and reason, then want to assign an improvement and review it later.

An Orders CSV needs a closer look

Shopify’s Orders export contains purchased line items. Lineitem quantity is ordered quantity; Refunded Amount is an order-level refund; Created at is the order date. These are not interchangeable with returned units, a line’s refund and its return date. Multiple purchased items can occupy separate rows. Check Shopify’s export fields ↗

Do not copy an order’s refund into every product row. Use your return records and refund details to establish the quantity and refund for each returned line. Keep amounts you cannot attribute separate. Whyset cannot infer that missing detail from an Orders CSV.

Prepare nine required columns

Keep the example’s header row. Use one row per return line, with a stable, unique line ID. Several units of the same returned item can share a line.

• returnLineId and orderId — a unique return-line reference and its order reference. The same order can have several return lines. Never reuse a line ID for a different return.
• sku and reason — the returned product’s SKU and the reason recorded for that line. Keep distinct reasons on separate lines.
• quantity — returned units on this line, as a positive whole number.
• refundAmount — the total refund for this line in currency units, such as 98.00. Do not enter cents or multiply the total by quantity again.
• handlingCost — the total handling cost you recorded for this line. Enter 0.00 only when zero is known. An unknown cost needs checking before import.
• date and currency — the return date as YYYY-MM-DD, plus USD, GBP, EUR, CAD or AUD. Keep currencies separate when reconciling totals.

notes is optional. Leave out customer names, emails, addresses and payment details. Save the file as UTF-8 CSV with decimal points in amounts.

Missing values are not zero. Whyset requires all nine columns and rejects missing amounts, missing currency and repeated return-line IDs. If you only have quantities, use your native quantity report while you gather the remaining details.

One order. Two lines. Three returned units.

The download contains two fictional return lines for order EXAMPLE-6001, both in USD:

Check your own line totals against the underlying return and refund records before drawing conclusions. A refund total is not lost profit or a savings forecast. This example has no shipment data, so it cannot establish a return rate.

Run your first report

1. Download the example and open the free diagnostic.
2. Choose Use my CSV and select the file. The free preview should show three units and $140 in refunds. The CSV also records $6 in handling costs; the free preview does not display that total.
3. Replace the fictional rows with a small verified batch. Keep the headers and compare the report totals with your source records.

The free diagnostic processes the CSV in your browser. Opening it does not create an account. For the next step, read how to turn return reasons into one product improvement.