Customer Tracking
Introduction
Customer tracking is the core feature of Customer History for WooCommerce. It automatically monitors and records every customer’s journey through your store, from their first visit to their most recent purchase.
This comprehensive tracking system helps you understand customer behavior, identify top customers, analyze purchasing patterns, and make data-driven decisions to improve your store’s performance.
What Is Tracked
Customer History for WooCommerce automatically tracks the following information:
Customer Information
- User ID: WordPress user identification number
- Name: Customer’s full name from their profile
- Username: WordPress username
- Email Address: Primary contact email
- Country/Region: Geographic location
- Website: Customer’s website if provided
- IP Address: Connection IP for security tracking
Purchase Data
- Order History: All completed, processing, and on-hold orders
- Order Dates: Timestamps for each purchase
- Products Purchased: Complete list of items bought
- Order Totals: Individual order amounts
- Total Spent: Lifetime customer value
- Order Count: Number of completed orders
- Average Order Value: Mean purchase amount
Browsing Behavior
- Page Visits: Every page viewed during sessions
- Session Duration: Time spent on your store
- Source URLs: Where customers came from
- Products Viewed: Items browsed but not purchased
- Categories Browsed: Product categories explored
- Search Terms: Keywords used in site search
- Cart Activity: Items added or removed from cart
All tracking is done in compliance with GDPR and privacy regulations. Customer data is stored securely in your WordPress database and never shared with third parties. See our GDPR Compliance Guide for more details.
Customer Details View
The Customer Details page provides a comprehensive overview of each individual customer’s activity and purchase history. To access it:
- Navigate to Customer History → Customers & Users
- Find the customer you want to view
- Click the View button next to their name
The Customer Details page is organized into several sections:
Personal Information Panel
Displays the customer’s profile information including:
- Profile picture (if available)
- User ID and name
- Username and email
- Country/region and website
- Quick action buttons (Edit User, View Customer Details)
Order History
The Order History section shows all orders placed by the customer, organized by status:
Processing Orders
Orders that are currently being processed for shipment. These are recent purchases that need fulfillment.
On Hold Orders
Orders awaiting payment confirmation or manual approval. These may require your attention.
Completed Orders
Fully processed and delivered orders. This is your historical purchase record for the customer.
Each order entry displays:
- Order Number: Clickable link to WooCommerce order details
- Order Date: When the purchase was made
- Items: Products included in the order
- Total Amount: Order value
- View Button: Quick access to full order details
Click on product names within orders to see more details about specific items. This helps identify which products drive repeat purchases.
Session Tracking
Session History records every visit the customer has made to your store, providing insight into their browsing patterns.
Session Information
Each session entry includes:
- Date & Time: When the session occurred
- URL/Activity: Pages visited or actions taken
- Session Duration: How long they stayed
- Source: Where the traffic originated
Common Session Activities
- Product page views
- Category browsing
- Search queries
- Cart additions
- Checkout attempts
- Account page visits
Analyzing Sessions
Use session data to:
- Identify products that interest customers but don’t convert
- Understand the path customers take before purchasing
- Spot potential issues in the checkout process
- Determine which traffic sources bring engaged visitors
Sessions from bots and admins can be filtered out in the General Settings. See the General Settings Guide for configuration options.
Search History
The Search History section tracks all search queries made by the customer on your store. This invaluable data reveals what customers are looking for.
Search Data Includes
- Search Date & Time: When the search was performed
- Search Keywords: Exact terms used
- Results Found: Whether the search was successful
Using Search History
Search history helps you:
- Identify products customers want but you may not carry
- Discover how customers describe your products
- Improve product descriptions with customer language
- Find gaps in your product catalog
- Optimize search functionality
Pay special attention to searches that return zero results. These represent missed opportunities and potential products to add to your inventory.
Most Viewed Products
This section displays which products the customer has viewed most frequently, ranked by view count.
Information Displayed
- Product Name: Clickable link to the product
- View Count: Number of times viewed
Strategic Insights
Use most viewed products data to:
- Re-marketing: Send targeted emails about products they’ve viewed
- Discount Offers: Provide special deals on highly-viewed items
- Stock Decisions: Understand customer interest vs. purchase behavior
- Product Recommendations: Suggest related items
If a customer has viewed a product multiple times without purchasing, this is a perfect opportunity for a targeted discount email or abandoned browse campaign.
Financial Summary
The Financial Summary provides a quick overview of the customer’s purchasing power and value to your business.
Key Metrics
- Total Orders: Number of completed purchases
- Pending Orders: Orders awaiting processing
- Pending Orders Amount: Value of unprocessed orders
- Refunded Orders: Number of returned purchases
- Refunded Orders Amount: Total refund value
- Orders Average: Average order value
- Total Spent: Lifetime customer value
Customer Value Segmentation
Use financial data to segment customers into:
- VIP Customers: High total spent, frequent orders
- Regular Customers: Moderate spending, repeat purchases
- One-time Buyers: Single purchase, potential for growth
- At-risk Customers: High refund rates, may need attention
Customer History includes automatic point-based categorization (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based on total spending. Learn more in our Customer Categories Guide.