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Tutorial: Create Your First Shopify Data Export

Build a complete export workflow to extract store data into spreadsheets for analysis, backup, or migration.

Updated today

What you'll build:
You'll create a customized data export that pulls specific information from your Shopify store into a downloadable file. By the end, you'll have exported data in your chosen format and understand how to configure exports for different business needs.

Who this is for:
Store owners, agencies, and developers who need to extract Shopify data for reporting, analysis, backup, or migration purposes.

Prerequisites

  • Altera app installed on your Shopify store

  • Basic familiarity with spreadsheets and data analysis

  • Estimated time to complete: 10 minutes


1. Configure Your Export Data

This phase covers selecting which types of data you want to export and choosing the specific fields to include.

Step 1 - Start a New Export

From your Altera home page, click New export.

You'll see the export configuration page where you can customize exactly what data to extract.

Step 2 - Select Data Types

Choose the data types you want to export by clicking on them:

  • Products for product catalog data

  • Orders for transaction information

  • Collections for product groupings

  • Customers for customer information

  • Files for media assets

Each selected data type will appear below the list for further customization.

Note: If you see "10,000+" items for a data type, the app will export all matching records - we're just unable to show the exact count beforehand due to Shopify API limitations that only provide precise counts up to 10,000 for some data types.

Step 3 - Choose Fields for Each Data Type

For each data type you selected:

  • Expand the field groupings like General, Metafields, or SEO

  • Check the boxes next to fields you want to include

  • Focus on essential fields for faster exports

Complex field groups like metafields will increase processing time, so only select what you need.


2. Customize Export Settings

This phase covers filtering your data and configuring the output file format and naming.

Step 4 - Add Filters (Optional)

If you want to export only specific records:

  • Click Add filter in any data type section

  • Set conditions like date ranges, product types, or customer segments

  • Multiple filters can be combined for precise data selection

Step 5 - Configure File Settings

Scroll to the bottom of the export page and set:

  • File name: Use placeholders like Product-Export-{shop_name}-%Y-%m-%d for dynamic naming

  • File format: Choose Excel (.xlsx) for formatted data or CSV for simple text format

Common placeholders:

  • {shop_name} - Your store name

  • %Y-%m-%d - Current date (2025-01-15)

  • %H-%M - Current time (14-30)


3. Generate and Download Your Export

This final phase covers running the export and accessing your data file.

Step 6 - Start the Export

Click Start export to begin data processing.

Altera will process your data in the background - you can navigate away and the export will continue running.

Step 7 - Monitor Export Progress

Watch the status on your export page. Processing time depends on:

  • Amount of data selected

  • Complexity of fields (metafields take longer)

  • Current system load

Step 8 - Download Your Data

Once processing completes, click the Download button that appears.

Save the file to your device and open it in your preferred spreadsheet application.


4. Verify the Results

  • Open your downloaded file and confirm it contains the expected data types

  • Check that field selections match what you configured

  • Verify any filters were applied correctly by reviewing the data contents

  • Ensure the file format (Excel/CSV) meets your needs


5. Recap

You successfully configured and generated a custom data export from your Shopify store. You learned how to select data types, choose specific fields, apply filters, and configure file settings - giving you a reusable process for extracting exactly the data you need.

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