Export Shopify orders to a CSV file
The bookkeeper needs the orders in a spreadsheet, not on a screen. Exporting orders downloads them as a CSV file, with one row per line item. This tutorial exports the 62 orders from last week by date.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Orders exported | 62 |
| Paid orders | 40, $1,240.00 |
| Unpaid orders | 15, $310.00 |
| Refunded orders | 7, $96.00 |
| Total value | $1,646.00 |
Download the export summary: export-summary.csv (75 bytes).
The three groups in the export, with order counts and values. The counts add to 62 orders and the values add to $1,646.00.
1Sort and filter the orders first
From your Shopify admin, go to Orders. Sort and filter your orders before you export: set the date range to last week. The export takes the orders that match your filter, so a wrong filter exports the wrong week.
2Click Export
From the Orders page, click Export. The Export orders window opens with the choices for what to export.
3Choose Orders by date
Select the option for the orders that you want to export. To export your orders by date, select Orders by date and set the start and end dates for the orders that you want to export. Sixty-two orders fall in last week.
4Choose what the file holds
Under Export as, select a file format. If you want to download all information about your orders, click Export orders. If you want to download your transaction information only, click Export transaction histories. The transaction history in the file contains only captured payments data: authorization data is not included.
5Wait for the file, then check the counts
If you export up to 50 orders or the current page of orders, the CSV file downloads to your device. If you export more than 51 orders or export by date, the CSV file is emailed to you and the store owner. This export is 62 orders, so it arrives by email. Open it and check the counts: 40 paid at $1,240.00, 15 unpaid at $310.00, and 7 refunded at $96.00, for $1,646.00 in total.
The arithmetic
| Group | Orders | Total value |
|---|---|---|
| Paid | 40 | $1,240.00 |
| Unpaid | 15 | $310.00 |
| Refunded | 7 | $96.00 |
| Total | 62 | $1,646.00 |
The order counts add to 62: 40 plus 15 plus 7. The values add to $1,646.00: $1,240.00 plus $310.00 plus $96.00.
Held at the counter
More than 51 orders means email, not a download. If you select to export up to 50 orders or the current page, the file downloads at once. If you select more than 51 orders or export by date, the file is emailed to you and the store owner. Do not sit waiting for a download that is coming by email instead.
One order with three items exports as three rows. In your order CSV file, orders with multiple line items display their additional line items on separate lines, with many fields left blank. Do not count rows to count orders: count the order numbers.
A big export takes time. An export with fewer than 100,000 items might complete in under an hour, whereas an export with 400,000 items might take around 4 hours. If the export fails, you receive an email with that information.
Sources
- Exporting orders — Shopify's help pages: exporting orders to CSV, the export options, when the file downloads and when it is emailed, and the CSV columns.