Help Center
everything you need to know to get accurate profit tracking
Getting Started
Everything you need to set up Skim
Shopify Permissions
What access Skim needs and why
Setting Up Costs
Configure COGS and expenses for accurate profit
Importing Data
Upload CSV files for bulk cost data
Accessing Outside Shopify
View your dashboard from anywhere
Getting Started
Skim calculates your true profit by combining your Shopify order data with your actual costs. Here's what happens when you install:
- 1
Install from Shopify App Store
Grant the required permissions to let Skim read your orders and products.
- 2
Initial Sync
Skim pulls your last 90 days of orders. This usually takes 1-3 minutes.
- 3
Configure Your Costs
Add your COGS, shipping costs, and other expenses for accurate profit calculations.
- 4
View Your Real Profit
See your true margins, identify profit leaks, and track performance over time.
Without cost data, profits are estimates
Skim will use default estimates for payment processing (2.9% + $0.30) and shipping until you provide your actual costs.
Shopify Permissions
Skim requests read-only access to specific parts of your store. We never modify your data.
read_orders
View order history, line items, and transaction fees to calculate per-order profit.
read_products
View product catalog, variants, and pricing to map COGS and compute margins.
read_inventory
Access cost-per-item data from inventory items to calculate accurate COGS.
read_analytics
Access store-level analytics and sales reports for trend analysis.
read_shipping
View shipping rates and zones to accurately attribute shipping costs per order.
Your data is safe
All permissions are read-only. Skim cannot modify orders, products, or any other store data. You can revoke access at any time from your Shopify admin.
Setting Up Costs
For accurate profit calculations, you need to provide your actual costs. Here's what to configure:
Product Costs (COGS)
The cost you pay for each product. You can set this in two ways:
- In Shopify: Set the "Cost per item" field on each product variant
- CSV Import: Upload a spreadsheet with SKU and cost columns
Shipping Costs
What you actually pay to ship orders (not what you charge customers):
- Flat rate: e.g., $5.99 per order
- Percentage: e.g., 8% of order total
- Per item: e.g., $2.50 per item in the order
Payment Processing Fees
Fees charged by your payment processor:
- Shopify Payments: Usually 2.9% + $0.30 (varies by plan)
- PayPal: Typically 2.9% + $0.30
- Third-party: Check your provider's fee schedule
Ad Spend (Optional)
Track advertising costs by importing your ad spend data:
- Export spend data from Meta, Google, TikTok, etc.
- Upload CSV with date, platform, and spend columns
Importing Data
Upload CSV files to bulk-import your cost data. Here are the supported formats:
Product COGS CSV
| Column | Required | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sku | SKU-001 | |
| cost | 12.50 | |
| product_title | Optional | Blue Widget |
Ad Spend CSV
| Column | Required | Example |
|---|---|---|
| date | 2024-01-15 | |
| platform | meta, google, tiktok | |
| spend | 150.00 | |
| campaign | Optional | Spring Sale |
Tip: Your CSV file should have headers in the first row. Dates should be in YYYY-MM-DD format, and currency values should not include symbols (use 12.50 not $12.50).
Accessing Outside Shopify
You can view your Skim dashboard from anywhere, not just inside Shopify admin.
New Installation (Automatic)
When you install Skim, we automatically create an account using your store's email. You'll receive a welcome email with instructions to set your password.
Existing Installation
If you installed Skim before we added standalone access, you can connect your store:
- 1Go to getskim.dev/sign-in
- 2Click the "Connect Store" tab
- 3Enter your Shopify store domain (e.g., mystore.myshopify.com)
- 4Check your store's email for a magic login link
Still need help?
Can't find what you're looking for? Check our FAQ or reach out.