Receipts
How to verify any number MarginEngine shows you.
Every number has a receipt
MarginEngine doesn't ask you to trust it. Every emphasized number — in your Briefing, in Signals, in simulations — comes with a receipt.
Receipts answer: Where did this number come from? Can I verify it?
Receipt levels
| Level | What you see | Time to check |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt line | Always visible under the number: basis + date range + source | 0.5 seconds |
| Receipt panel | One click: full breakdown + exclusions + Fog coverage | 3 seconds |
| Row drilldown | Two clicks: the actual orders/campaigns/items behind the number | 10 seconds |
Example receipt line: "142 orders · Jan 1–30 · Shopify · Definition v1 · 3 variants fog"
What receipts include
- Basis count: how many orders, days, or items the number covers
- Date range: the exact period, in your store's timezone
- Source: where the data came from (Shopify, Meta, manual entry)
- Definition version: which calculation formula was used
- Fog coverage: what percentage of the data has unknown costs
- Truth status: clear, estimated, fog, or stale
Truth status meanings
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clear | All inputs are known. The number is fully calculated. |
| Estimated | The number uses explicit assumptions (e.g., simulations). |
| Fog | Some required inputs are unknown. The number is incomplete. |
| Stale | The data is older than expected. A sync may be in progress. |
Why receipts matter
Most business tools show you a number and expect you to trust it. When the number seems wrong, you have no way to investigate.
MarginEngine shows you the math. If a number looks off, you can trace it back to the specific orders, costs, and calculations that produced it — in two clicks.
This is how trust compounds. You check a few receipts, they match reality, and you start trusting the system. But the option to verify is always there.