The album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending 14 June 2003 at number 1, with sales of 154,000 copies. It remained on the chart for 16 weeks. It was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on 30 June 2003.How the West Was Won received an overall score of 97 by review site Metacritic.

The songs from the two shows underwent extensive editing and audio engineering by Page at Sarm West Studios in London before being released on the album. Some songs which were played at the concerts, such as "Communication Breakdown", "Tangerine", "Thank You" and a rare version of "Louie Louie" from the 25 June show, were left off the album.

The album was remastered and reissued on March 23, 2018 in many formats, including 3CD, 4LP, Blu-Ray Audio and a Super Deluxe Edition box set. For unknown reasons, the "Whole Lotta Love" medley was edited to remove "Hello Mary Lou"