← Back to DocumentationUsing Filters
ShopSheets lets you filter and sort your data directly in Google Sheets using dropdown menus. This guide explains how to use filters effectively.
Filter Overview
Filters are located in the first two rows of your sheet:
- Row 1: Filter labels (Date Range, Status, Sort By, Sort Order)
- Row 2: Filter dropdowns (click to change values)
Rows 3-4 are blank for spacing. Row 5 contains column headers (frozen). Row 6 onwards contains your data.
Available Filters
Date Range
Controls which time period to display orders from.
Options:
- Past 7 days - Orders from the last week
- Past 30 days - Orders from the last month (default)
- Past 90 days - Orders from the last 3 months
- All time - Your entire order history
Example use cases:
- Review this week's sales: Select "Past 7 days"
- Monthly reporting: Select "Past 30 days"
- Quarterly analysis: Select "Past 90 days"
- Historical research: Select "All time"
Performance tip: For stores with 1000+ orders, use "Past 30 days" or "Past 90 days" for faster loading. Expand to "All time" only when needed.
Status
Filters orders by their fulfillment and payment status.
Options:
- All - Show all orders regardless of status (default)
- Pending - Payment pending
- Authorized - Payment authorized but not captured
- Paid - Payment received
- Partially Paid - Split payments, partial payment received
- Refunded - Full or partial refund issued
- Voided - Order cancelled
Example use cases:
- Find unpaid orders: Select "Pending"
- Review refunds: Select "Refunded"
- Daily fulfillment: Select "Paid"
Sort By
Controls how data is ordered in the sheet.
Options:
- Date (newest) - Most recent orders first (default)
- Date (oldest) - Oldest orders first
- Total (high) - Highest order value first
- Total (low) - Lowest order value first
Example use cases:
- Latest orders: "Date (newest)"
- High-value orders: "Total (high)"
- Process orders chronologically: "Date (oldest)"
Note: Sort Order is automatically set based on your Sort By selection and doesn't need manual changing.
How to Change Filters
- Click the dropdown in row 2 under the filter you want to change
- Select a new value from the dropdown menu
- Wait 2 seconds - Data automatically refreshes (if auto-sync is enabled)
- See updated data starting in row 6
With Auto-Sync Enabled (Recommended)
If you've run ShopSheets menu → Setup Auto-Sync:
- Filter changes trigger automatic data refresh
- Wait 2 seconds to see updated data
- You'll see a toast message: "Syncing orders..."
Without Auto-Sync
If auto-sync is not enabled:
- Change the filter dropdown
- Click ShopSheets menu → Refresh Data
- Wait for sync to complete
Tip: Enable auto-sync for the best experience (one-time setup).
Smart Caching
ShopSheets uses intelligent caching to make filter changes fast and efficient.
How It Works
Expanding Date Range (fetches new data):
- Currently showing: "Past 30 days"
- Change to: "Past 90 days"
- ShopSheets fetches days 31-90 only (not duplicating days 1-30)
Narrowing Date Range (uses cache):
- Currently showing: "Past 90 days"
- Change to: "Past 30 days"
- ShopSheets uses cached data (instant)
- No API call to Shopify needed
Changing Status or Sort (uses cache):
- Already have data for "Past 30 days"
- Change status to "Paid"
- ShopSheets filters cached data (instant)
Cache Expiry
Cached data expires after 7 days. After expiry, changing filters will fetch fresh data from Shopify.
Manual cache refresh: Use ShopSheets menu → Refresh Data to force-fetch latest data from Shopify.
Manual Refresh
Sometimes you want to bypass the cache and get the latest data from Shopify immediately.
When to Use Manual Refresh
- Just created a new order in Shopify (want to see it now, not in 1-2 minutes)
- Suspect data is stale
- Updated an order status in Shopify Admin
- Want to force a fresh fetch
How to Manually Refresh
- Click ShopSheets in the menu toolbar
- Select Refresh Data
- Wait for sync to complete (5-30 seconds)
- You'll see a toast: "Synced X orders"
Manual refresh ignores the cache and always fetches from Shopify.
Filter Combinations
You can combine multiple filters for powerful queries:
Example 1: High-value orders this week
- Date Range: "Past 7 days"
- Status: "Paid"
- Sort By: "Total (high)"
Example 2: Unpaid orders (oldest first)
- Date Range: "Past 30 days"
- Status: "Pending"
- Sort By: "Date (oldest)"
Example 3: All refunds this quarter
- Date Range: "Past 90 days"
- Status: "Refunded"
- Sort By: "Date (newest)"
Tips & Best Practices
Start Narrow, Expand as Needed
Begin with "Past 30 days" and expand to "Past 90 days" or "All time" only when you need historical data. This keeps the sheet fast and responsive.
Use Status Filters for Daily Workflows
- Morning: Filter to "Pending" to follow up on unpaid orders
- Fulfillment: Filter to "Paid" to see orders ready to ship
- Accounting: Filter to "Refunded" for bookkeeping
Bookmark Filter Combinations
Can't save filter presets yet, but you can:
- Set filters to your preferred combination
- Duplicate the sheet tab (right-click tab → Duplicate)
- Rename the tab (e.g., "Pending Orders", "This Week")
- Each tab can have different filters
Avoid Editing Row 2
The dropdowns in row 2 are data validation lists. Don't delete or edit them directly - only select values from the dropdown menu.
If you accidentally break a filter, create a new sheet from the dashboard.
Troubleshooting Filters
Filter Changed But Data Didn't Update
Possible causes:
- Auto-sync not enabled - Run ShopSheets menu → Setup Auto-Sync
- Sync in progress - Wait 10 seconds
- No data matches filter - Try "All" status or wider date range
"Syncing Orders..." Appears But Nothing Changes
Cause: Data is being served from cache (already current)
Check: Look for toast message "Synced X orders (from cache)" - this means data is up-to-date, no changes needed.
Dropdown Shows Wrong Options
Cause: Data validation list was accidentally modified
Solution: Create a new sheet from the dashboard (existing sheet may be corrupted).
Next Steps