Key takeaways
- Lead with a short, decision-focused summary.
- Explain changes, do not just display numbers.
- Separate revenue from profit.
- End with owned, dated actions.
Start with a summary
Open with a half-page summary that states the most important changes, the main risks and the decisions needed. Many readers will read nothing else, so write it accordingly.
Sales and traffic
Show units, sessions, conversion and sales by product and period, with comparisons to the previous period and the same period last year where available. Explain notable moves rather than just displaying them, for example whether a drop followed a stockout, a price change or a listing edit.
Advertising
Report spend, attributed sales and the main ratios together: ACoS, ROAS, click-through rate, cost per click and conversion rate. Include TACoS to show advertising in the context of total sales. Highlight the products and queries driving results or waste.
Inventory and operations
List stockout risk and excess stock by product, inbound shipments and any fulfillment issues. Include operational exceptions such as late shipments, returns trends and open listing issues.
Fees and profitability inputs
Present Amazon fees, advertising and any cost data you have supplied. Distinguish clearly between revenue and profit, and state what data is missing for a full profit view. Never present estimates as facts.
Account health and the action plan
Summarize account health status and open notices. Finish with a prioritized list of actions with owners and dates, and the approvals needed from you.
Common reporting mistakes
Reports often fail by being too long, too numerical or too backward-looking. A forty-page export with no commentary is rarely read. Another frequent mistake is mixing metrics from different attribution windows without saying so, which makes comparisons misleading.
State definitions and data sources in a short appendix and keep the main report focused on interpretation and decisions.
Making the report useful in meetings
Use the report as the agenda for the review call. Walk through the summary, discuss the top three issues and confirm the actions. Record decisions and update the action list so the next report can show progress against it.
If the same issue appears in several reports with no progress, make it the first agenda item until it is resolved or consciously deprioritized.
Choosing the right cadence
Weekly reports should be short and operational, focused on exceptions and short-term actions. Monthly reports should include trends, advertising and profitability inputs, and strategic recommendations. Quarterly reviews can revisit goals, catalog structure and fulfillment models.
Match the cadence to the pace of your business. A fast-moving catalog or heavy advertising spend justifies more frequent reporting, while a stable catalog may need less.
Who the report is for
Decide the audience before you design the report. An owner wants profit, risk and decisions. An operations lead wants exceptions and tasks. An advertising manager wants query-level detail. One document rarely serves all three, so build a short executive page on top and keep detailed tabs for the specialists.
Ask each reader what decision they make with the report. If nobody can answer for a section, remove it.
Frequently asked questions
How often should reports be produced?
Weekly operational updates and monthly performance reviews suit many sellers.
Who should receive the report?
Anyone who makes decisions based on it, with a short summary for executives.
This guide is general information. Amazon's fees, policies and program rules change and vary by marketplace, so confirm current details in Seller Central and, for tax or legal questions, with a qualified adviser.