---
title: Track Product Cost History with the Cost Archive
description: Keep a dated history of WooCommerce product costs with the cost archive, saved each time a cost changes. Free.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-cost-history-archive/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: How to
---

# Track Product Cost History with the Cost Archive

The cost archive saves a dated snapshot of a product's cost every time that cost changes, so you keep a running history of what each item cost you over time. It is a free feature of [Cost of Goods: Product Cost & Profit Calculator for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/cost-of-goods-for-woocommerce/).

![Cost archive meta box on the product edit screen listing dated cost entries](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/product-cost-history-archive-1.png)

## Turn it on

1. Go to **WPFactory > Cost of Goods** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Cost of Goods**).
2. On the **Products** sub-tab, find the **Cost archive** group.
3. Tick **Save cost archive** to start recording history.
4. Optionally tick **Meta box** to show the history in a box on the product edit screen.
5. Click **Save changes**.

From then on, each time a product's cost is updated the plugin writes a new dated entry. Nothing is recorded retroactively, so history starts from the moment you enable the feature.

## Options reference

| Label | Option ID | Default | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost archive | `alg_wc_cog_save_cost_archive` | No | Saves a history entry whenever a product cost changes. |
| Meta box | `alg_wc_cog_cost_archive_metabox` | No | Shows a cost archive meta box on the product edit screen. |
| Date format | `alg_wc_cog_save_cost_archive_date_format` | `Y-m-d` | The date format used for each archived entry. |
| Date order | `alg_wc_cog_cost_archive_date_order` | Descending | Whether the newest or oldest entry is listed first. |
| MySQL | `alg_wc_cog_save_cost_archive_mysql_regexp_substr` | Yes | Uses the MySQL `REGEXP_SUBSTR` function to read dates. Turn off if your database does not support it. |
| Last update date | `alg_wc_cog_last_update_date_as_cost_input_desc_on_admin_product_page` | No | Shows the date the cost was last changed as a description under the cost field. |
| Last update date template | `alg_wc_cog_last_update_date_template` | `Last update date: %last_update_date%` | The wording of that description. `%last_update_date%` is replaced with the date. |

## Reading the history

With the **Meta box** option on, open any product and the cost archive box lists each recorded cost with its date, ordered as set by **Date order**. This gives you a clear record of price rises from suppliers, which is useful when reviewing margins or explaining a change in profitability.

## Cost archive and Add stock

The cost archive and the [Add stock feature](https://wpfactory.com/docs/cost-of-goods-for-woocommerce/) complement each other. Add stock keeps a single up-to-date average cost, while the cost archive keeps the full trail of every value that cost has held. You can use either or both.

## Get more from Cost of Goods

The cost archive is free. [Cost of Goods: Product Cost & Profit Calculator for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/cost-of-goods-for-woocommerce/) Pro adds cost and profit in WooCommerce Analytics, order-email cost and profit, and multicurrency support. [See what Pro unlocks](https://wpfactory.com/item/cost-of-goods-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [Import Product Costs From Another Meta Key](https://wpfactory.com/docs/import-product-costs-from-meta/)
- [Import and Export Product Costs via CSV](https://wpfactory.com/docs/import-export-product-costs-csv/)
- [Bulk Edit Product Costs](https://wpfactory.com/docs/bulk-edit-product-costs/)
- [How to Track Cost of Goods and Profit in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/use-cost-of-goods-plugin2/)
- [Show Product Cost and Profit with Shortcodes](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-shortcodes-cost/)