> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.datalyr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Profit tracking

> Combine net revenue, ad spend, and costs into a useful profit view.

Profit is a derived view. Fix the inputs before trusting the result.

## Start with the definition

A practical contribution-profit view is:

```text theme={null}
Net revenue − ad spend − product costs − included fees = contribution profit
```

Decide which costs belong in your operating view before comparing Datalyr with an accounting system. Datalyr is designed for acquisition decisions, not general-ledger reconciliation.

## Setup order

<Steps>
  <Step title="Verify net revenue">
    Check several known transactions and refunds. Do not configure profit while revenue is still duplicated or missing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect every ad account">
    Open **Sources** and connect the platforms spending money in the selected workspace.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add supported costs">
    Configure product costs, fees, or other available cost adjustments consistently. Avoid mixing tax-inclusive and tax-exclusive values.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Align reporting settings">
    Use the same date range, timezone, and currency across revenue, spend, and cost inputs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test a small period">
    Reconcile one day or a handful of known orders before reviewing a full month.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Read the result

* **Gross revenue** is sales before recorded refunds.
* **Net revenue** subtracts recorded refunds.
* **Ad spend** comes from connected ad-platform accounts.
* **Product costs and fees** depend on the cost inputs enabled for the workspace.
* **Profit** is only comparable when all inputs cover the same period and currency basis.

## Why profit can look wrong

* One ad account is missing or connected to the wrong workspace.
* Refunds arrived after the selected period.
* Product costs are incomplete for some items.
* Revenue and spend use different timezones.
* Source currencies are being compared without the same conversion basis.
* Gross revenue is being compared with a net-revenue calculation.

<Note>
  Reconcile inputs independently: revenue first, then refunds, then spend, then costs. A single profit total cannot tell you which input is wrong.
</Note>