You’ve got customers saving products to their wishlists, but what does that data actually tell you? SaveTo Wishlist Pro’s Analytics dashboard breaks your store’s wishlist activity into five modules, so you can spot your most-wanted products, understand buyer behavior, and time your campaigns for maximum impact.
If you use the free SaveTo Wishlist Lite with the Independent Analytics plugin, you can also see wishlist saves and removals in your Independent Analytics reports. That part is covered in Tracking wishlist events in Independent Analytics.
Prerequisites
- SaveTo Wishlist Pro installed and activated, for the Analytics dashboard (sections 1 to 5 below).
- SaveTo Wishlist Lite 1.1.7 or later and Independent Analytics installed and activated, for the Independent Analytics integration. This part does not need SaveTo Wishlist Pro.
- WooCommerce installed and activated.
Accessing and filtering your data dashboard
Accessing your data takes just a few clicks, and you have full control over the timeframes you want to analyze.
- Navigate to your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to SaveTo Wishlist → Analytics.
- Pick a timeframe with the toggle next to a module’s chart, such as 7 Days / 30 Days on Product Insights, or 7D / 30D / 90D / 1Y on Time-Based Trends → Saves Over Time. The chart updates immediately.
💡 Tip:
Make it a habit to review these numbers on the 1st of every month. Comparing performance month-over-month is the best way to spot seasonal trends!
Analytics results are saved for about one hour. After that, the next time you open the Analytics screen, the numbers are worked out again. To see the impact of a change right away, such as a new sale or a fixed setting, click Update Now in the toolbar at the top of the Analytics screen. The button changes to Updating… while it works.
Next to the button, Last updated: shows how long ago the data was refreshed, for example “5 minutes ago”. You can click Update Now again after 30 seconds.
1. Uncovering bestsellers with Product Insights
Product Insights covers three subsections to tell you exactly which individual items are catching your customers’ eyes.
What it tracks: Total wishlist adds, removals, and successful conversions (when a user moves an item from their wishlist to the cart).
A. Most Popular Products
This shows the products that have been added to wishlists the most over time. These are your highest-demand products. Customers are clearly interested, even if they haven’t purchased yet.
How to use it:
- Identify products with high wishlist counts but low sales
- Highlight these products in promotions or homepage sections
- Use them in email campaigns or retargeting ads
B. Trending Products
This shows products that are gaining popularity over the last 7 or 30 days. These products are currently “hot” and gaining attention quickly.
How to use it:
- Capitalize on trends early by promoting these items
- Increase stock before demand peaks
- Feature them in “Trending Now” sections
C. Recently Added Products
This shows products customers are actively saving right now. These products reflect current browsing behavior and immediate interest.
How to use it:
- Monitor what customers are engaging with today
- Use for flash sales or quick campaigns
- Spot sudden spikes in interest
2. Spotting store-wide patterns with Category & Brand Insights
Sometimes looking at individual products isn’t enough; you need the big picture. The Category & Brand Insights module aggregates wishlist data across your entire WooCommerce taxonomy.
What it tracks: Which specific product categories (e.g., “Summer Dresses”) or brands are generating the most saves.
📌 Tip:
For this data to be accurate, ensure your products are correctly assigned to WooCommerce Categories and Tags.
A. Most Popular Categories
It shows categories ranked by total wishlist saves. These categories attract the most attention across your store.
How to use it:
- Feature top categories prominently on your homepage
- Focus marketing campaigns on these categories
- Expand product offerings in high-interest areas
B. Most Popular Brands
It shows brand-level ranking based on wishlist engagement. These brands generate the most customer interest.
How to use it:
- Prioritize these brands in promotions
- Strengthen partnerships with high-performing brands
- Create brand-focused campaigns
C. Category Distribution and Brand Distribution
This is a visual breakdown of interest across your store. It shows how customer interest is spread across categories and brands.
How to use it:
- Identify underperforming segments
- Rebalance your catalog or marketing focus
- Spot gaps or opportunities in your product mix
D. Key Insights
This section highlights your strongest category and brand for quick reference.
How to use it:
- Use these insights for fast decision-making
- Align homepage, ads, and campaigns with top performers
3. Optimizing sales with Engagement & Conversion Insights
Understanding how wishlist items actually perform at checkout is critical. This module tracks the success rate of your saved items.
A. Conversion metrics
Four cards at the top of this module show how well wishlisted products turn into sales. Each card counts products, not customers.
| Card | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Overall Conversion Rate | The share of wishlisted products that customers went on to buy. It is Purchased from Wishlist divided by Wishlisted Products, shown as a percentage. |
| Wishlisted Products | The number of different products that sit on at least one wishlist. Large numbers are shortened, for example 1.2k. |
| Purchased from Wishlist | How many of those products a customer bought after they were added to a wishlist. Only orders with the status Completed, Processing, or On hold count. |
| Avg. Time to Purchase | The average number of days between adding a product to a wishlist and buying it, for example 61 days. Only purchases made within 90 days of the save count. |
Under the percentage on the Overall Conversion Rate card, a line such as 5% vs last period shows the trend. It compares the conversion rate of products added to wishlists in the last 30 days with products added in the 30 days before that. The number is the percentage change in the rate, not a gain in percentage points.
The line is green with an up arrow when the rate is the same or higher, and red with a down arrow when it is lower. It reads 0% vs last period when the earlier 30 days had no purchases to compare with.
How to use it:
- Watch Overall Conversion Rate after a price change or a promotion
- Check vs last period to see whether the last 30 days are better or worse than the 30 days before
- Time reminder emails to match Avg. Time to Purchase
B. High Wishlist / Low Sales Products
Customers are interested but not purchasing yet. This usually points to pricing issues or stock availability problems.
How to use it:
- Review pricing and shipping costs
- Improve product pages (images, reviews, descriptions)
- Add urgency with discounts or limited-time offers
C. High Sales / Low Wishlist Products
These products sell well without wishlist consideration. They are impulse buys.
How to use it:
- Analyze what makes them effective (pricing, messaging, placement)
- Apply those strategies to other products
D. Top Converters
These are your best-performing products, the ones with the highest ratio of wishlist saves to actual purchases
How to use it:
- Use them as benchmarks for optimization
- Feature them in ads and promotions
- Replicate their success across similar products
E. Wishlist Conversion Funnel
The funnel has two cards. Step 1: Wishlist Saves is the base of the funnel. It reads 100% as soon as anything in your store has been wishlisted, and 0% when nothing has. Step 2: Purchases shows the share of those wishlisted products that customers went on to buy, which is your overall conversion rate.
There is no product views step. SaveTo Wishlist does not track product views, so the funnel starts at the first action it can measure, which is a save.
How to use it:
- Track how much of your wishlist demand turns into revenue
- Watch the purchase share after a price change or a promotion
- Pair a low purchase share with the High Wishlist / Low Sales table to find what is holding buyers back
4. Anticipating peaks with Time-Based Trends
The Time-Based Trends module gives you a visual timeline of your store’s performance.
What it tracks: Daily, weekly, or monthly line charts showing peaks and valleys in wishlist activity.
💡 Tip:
Monitor this chart leading up to major shopping events like Black Friday or Valentine’s Day. By identifying exactly when “pre-holiday” interest spikes, you know exactly when to start sending your promotional emails.
A. Saves Over Time
This chart tracks peak activity periods and trends. It shows how wishlist activity grows or declines over time.
How to use it:
- Prepare inventory before peak periods
- Align campaigns with seasonal demand
- Plan promotions ahead of time
B. Peak Activity Time
This data helps you identify when customers are most active on your store.
How to use it:
- Schedule campaigns during peak activity times
- Optimize email or ad timing
- Ensure site performance during high-traffic periods
C. Trend Insights
This shows how wishlist activity changes during certain times.
How to use it:
- Measure the impact of campaigns
- Identify growth trends or drops
- Adjust strategy based on performance
D. Wishlist Age Analysis
This data helps you see how long items remain in wishlists. It reveals how long customers keep items before buying or abandoning them.
How to use it:
- Trigger reminders or promotions based on wishlist age
- Identify products that need stronger incentives
- Reduce long delays in conversion
5. Measuring buyer intent with Customer Behavior
Are people just window shopping, or are they actively planning a purchase? The Customer Behavior module answers this by tracking individual shopper habits.
What it tracks: How many wishlists are being created and the ratio of items being moved directly to the checkout.
A. Customer Behavior & Engagement
This data shows how long customers take to make a decision.
How to use it:
- Time follow-up emails or reminders effectively
- Introduce urgency if decision time is too long
- Optimize conversion timing
B. Top Wishlisters – VIP Candidates
This section identifies high-value customers perfect for loyalty programs. It automatically assigns VIP Statuses (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) based on how many wishlists they have and how much they have spent in your store. A customer needs both numbers to reach a status:
| VIP status | Wishlists | Total spent |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 8 or more | 1500 or more |
| Gold | 5 or more | 800 or more |
| Silver | 3 or more | 400 or more |
| Bronze | 2 or more | 200 or more |
Everyone else shows as Regular. Admin and shop manager accounts are automatically excluded from this ranking, so it reflects genuine customer activity only.
How to use it:
- Reward loyal customers with exclusive perks or early access
- Build targeted loyalty or VIP programs
- Prioritize high-value customers for special campaigns
C. Customer Segments
This section groups your logged-in customers who have at least one wishlist into four segments. Guests are not counted. Each segment is a card with three figures: its share of your customers, shown as a percentage with the label of customers, the number of Customers in it, and their Avg. Value. A bar under the figures shows the share. Avg. Value is the average total spent per customer, based on orders with the status Completed, Processing, or On hold.
Below the cards, the Recommended Strategies by Segment panel suggests how to approach each group.
| Segment | Who is in it | Recommended strategy |
|---|---|---|
| VIP Customers | 5 or more wishlists and total spending of 800 or more | Exclusive previews, early access, personalized service, loyalty rewards |
| Active Buyers | 2 to 4 wishlists and total spending of 200 or more | Regular engagement, product recommendations, bundle offers |
| Window Shoppers | Total spending under 200 or no orders, and fewer than 5 wishlists | Conversion campaigns, time-limited offers, social proof, reviews |
| Inactive Users | Wishlists that are empty or hold items added more than 90 days ago | Re-engagement campaigns, win-back offers, survey feedback |
The wishlist counts are the number of wishlists a customer has, not the number of products they saved. A customer can fit more than one segment, and some customers fit none, so the percentages do not always add up to 100.
How to use it:
- VIP Customers: Offer early access to new or limited products
- Active Buyers: Promote bundles or cross-sell related items
- Window Shoppers: Send time-limited discounts or incentives
- Inactive Users: Launch win-back or re-engagement campaigns
Tracking wishlist events in Independent Analytics
Independent Analytics is a free analytics plugin for WordPress. When it is active, SaveTo Wishlist records wishlist activity as events in your Independent Analytics reports. You can then read wishlist demand next to the rest of your store traffic.
This integration is part of SaveTo Wishlist Lite, so it works with or without SaveTo Wishlist Pro. There is no SaveTo Wishlist setting to turn on. It starts as soon as both plugins are active and the Independent Analytics setting below is on.
Step 1: Turn on tracking for logged-in users
Independent Analytics does not track logged-in visitors by default. Wishlist events come from logged-in customers, so nothing is recorded until you turn this on.
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Analytics → Settings. This is the menu that Independent Analytics adds, not SaveTo Wishlist → Analytics.
- Turn on Track logged in users.
- Click Save Settings.
Step 2: Find wishlist events in your reports
- Go to Analytics (the Independent Analytics menu). The Pages report opens by default. On a fresh install, Independent Analytics first shows an opt-in screen, which you can skip.
- Look in the Title column for rows named Wishlist added: and Wishlist removed: .
- Sort the report by Visitors or Views to see which products shoppers save most often.
The Page Type column shows Wishlist event for these rows, so they are easy to spot.
To show only one kind of wishlist event:
- Click + Add Filter.
- Pick the Title column and Contains.
- Enter “Wishlist added” or “Wishlist removed”.
- Click Apply.
A filter on the word “Wishlist” alone also shows your store’s own Wishlist page, which has the Page Type Page. You can see that row at the top of the screenshot below.
What gets recorded
A save is recorded when a logged-in customer adds a product with the wishlist button. A removal is recorded when a customer removes a product with the wishlist button, from the wishlist page, or automatically after adding it to the cart. For a variable product, the event is recorded under the parent product.
These actions are not recorded: saves by guests (guest wishlists are kept in the shopper’s browser), removals on the SaveTo Wishlist → All Wishlists admin screen, saving the whole cart to a wishlist, and deleting a whole wishlist.
Independent Analytics’ own rules also apply. Visitors it ignores, such as bots, blocked IP addresses, and blocked user roles, do not create wishlist events.
How to read the numbers
Independent Analytics only stores page views, so each wishlist event is stored as a view. Every save or removal adds one view to your totals, and the event counts as the last page of that visit.
Saving a product again counts again. To see how many different shoppers want a product, read the Visitors column instead of Views.
If you remove SaveTo Wishlist, the wishlist events already recorded stay in your Independent Analytics data.
Wishlist demand widget
When Independent Analytics is active, SaveTo Wishlist also adds a Wishlist demand widget to the main WordPress Dashboard screen. It lists up to 10 products saved to the most wishlists, with a Product column and a Wishlists column. The list refreshes every 15 minutes.
With SaveTo Wishlist Pro active, the widget uses the same data as Most Popular Products in Product Insights. Only users who can manage WooCommerce, such as administrators and shop managers, see the widget.
Troubleshooting common analytics issues
1. Why is my data completely empty?
Analytics reads the wishlists your store already has, including wishlists saved before you installed SaveTo Wishlist Pro. So the modules are only empty when no customer has saved a product yet. If you know customers have saved products, click Update Now to refresh the saved results.
2. The charts aren’t loading properly
If you use a caching or optimization tool, clear your site cache. Ensure that the SaveTo Wishlist scripts are excluded from minification if you have manual settings. For detailed caching exclusion steps, see How to Use SaveTo Wishlist with Caching Plugins.
3. No wishlist events appear in Independent Analytics
Go to Analytics → Settings in Independent Analytics and turn on Track logged in users. Events are recorded from that point on. Earlier wishlist activity is not added.
If the setting is already on, check these points:
- Test with a logged-in customer account. Guest saves are not recorded.
- Make sure Independent Analytics does not block the user role or IP address you test with.
- Browse the store before you save a product. A wishlist event is only recorded for a visitor that Independent Analytics has already tracked in the same visit.
4. The Wishlist demand widget is missing from the Dashboard
Make sure Independent Analytics is active. The widget only shows when it is. Then click Screen Options at the top of the Dashboard and check that Wishlist demand is ticked. Your user account also needs permission to manage WooCommerce.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the funnel not show product views?
SaveTo Wishlist does not record product views, so a views figure would be a guess. The funnel starts at wishlist saves instead, which is the first step it can measure accurately.
Is this data GDPR compliant?
The Analytics dashboard data is stored in your own WordPress database and is not shared with any third parties. Independent Analytics also stores its data in your own WordPress database, so wishlist events recorded there stay on your site too. That said, some views, such as Top Wishlisters, display individual customer information (name, email, and purchase history) visible only to store admins. Because the plugin processes personal customer data, you should ensure your store’s privacy policy covers wishlist activity and purchase behavior tracking. Consult a GDPR advisor if you need guidance specific to your jurisdiction.
Turn wishlist insights into income
You now have the tools to stop guessing and start growing your business with confidence. By tracking product popularity, monitoring buyer behavior, and spotting trends, you can craft marketing campaigns that practically sell themselves.
Your dashboard is ready and waiting. Head over to SaveTo Wishlist → Analytics, find your top three “Most Wanted” products right now, and consider running a flash sale to turn those wishlists into paid orders today!
Help & Support
We have a dedicated support team for SaveTo Wishlist Pro for WooCommerce who knows our products, WooCommerce, and the industry very well. You’re welcome to make use of their expertise at any time, worldwide.
- Premium users: Open a support ticket
- Free users: Visit our community forum
