---
title: Retention and Cohorts
description: "The Retention & Cohorts report answers one question: do customers come back after their first order? Go to **WooCommerce → Deep Insights → Retention & Cohorts**. [![Monthly retention cohorts](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/13142838/deep-insights-docs-retention.png)](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/13142838/deep-insights-docs-retention.png) Table of Contents [Toggle](#) - [How to read the grid](#How_to_read_the_grid) -…"
url: "https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/deep-insights-retention-and-cohorts/"
updated: "2026-11-13"
category: Deep Insights for WooCommerce
---

# Retention and Cohorts

The Retention & Cohorts report answers one question: do customers come back after their first order?

Go to **WooCommerce → Deep Insights → Retention & Cohorts**.

[![Monthly retention cohorts](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/13142838/deep-insights-docs-retention.png)](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/13142838/deep-insights-docs-retention.png)

Table of Contents

 [Toggle](#)

- [How to read the grid](#How_to_read_the_grid)
- [Views](#Views)
- [Cohorts by first purchase](#Cohorts_by_first_purchase)
- [Cohort summary](#Cohort_summary)

## How to read the grid

- Each row is a **cohort**: the customers whose first order was in that month (or quarter).
- **M0** is the month of the first order, so it is always 100%.
- **M1**, **M2** and so on are the months after that.
- Darker cells mean a higher share.

The selected date range decides which cohorts appear. Activity after the cohort month is tracked up to today. Choose **All time** to see every cohort.

Blank cells are months that have not happened yet. A dashed cell is the current month, which is still in progress.

## Views

- **Active in period**: the share of the cohort that ordered in that month.
- **Ever returned**: the share of the cohort that has placed a second order by the end of that month.
- **Cumulative revenue / customer**: total net sales per customer up to that month.

Switch between **Monthly** and **Quarterly** cohorts with the toggle on the left.

## Cohorts by first purchase

Use **Cohorts by first purchase of** to compare customers by what they bought first. You can limit cohorts to customers whose first order contained a product or a category, or who came from a country.

## Cohort summary

The summary table lists, for each cohort, the number of customers, average orders, repeat revenue and average lifetime revenue.