How to export Shopify orders for a label run

Before you start

• Staff access to Orders in the Shopify admin
• A filter or search that isolates the orders you are shipping
• A spreadsheet app that opens CSV files
• Access to the inbox of the account you are signed in as

Steps

1. Open the order list

   In your Shopify admin, go to Orders.

   You should see the order list with the search and filter row above it.

2. Narrow the list to today's batch

   On the Orders page, filter or search until the list holds only the orders you intend to ship.

   You should see a shorter list and a count of matching orders.

3. Select the orders you want in the file

   In the narrowed list, select the orders you want to export.

   You should see a selection count above the list.

4. Open the export dialog

   On the Orders page, select Export.

   You should see a dialog offering Current page of orders, All orders, Selected orders and Orders by date.

5. Choose Selected orders

   In the export dialog, choose Selected orders so the file matches what you picked.

   You should see Selected orders chosen instead of All orders.

6. Choose the CSV format

   Under Export as, choose the CSV option your spreadsheet app opens.

   You should see a format chosen and the export buttons ready.

7. Run the export

   In the export dialog, select Export orders.

   You should see either a CSV saved by your browser or a message that the file is on its way by email.

If it goes wrong

Nothing downloaded and the dialog closed

Shopify splits delivery by size. Its rule reads: "If you select to export up to 50 orders or the current page of orders, then the CSV file is downloaded to your device. If you select to export more than 51 orders or to export orders by date, then the CSV file is emailed to you and the store owner." Above that line, check your inbox, and expect the store owner to have a copy of your customer addresses.

The file has more rows than orders

Shopify writes one row per line item: "orders with multiple line items display their additional line items on separate rows." A 40 order file can run to 90 rows, and every extra row repeats the recipient. Treat one order as one parcel until you have decided otherwise.

The export never arrives

Large exports queue. Shopify says an export with fewer than 100,000 items might complete in under an hour, and one with 400,000 items might take around 4 hours. Export the day, not the year.

Orders by date ignored your filter

Orders by date builds its own scope from the dates you type, and All orders takes the whole store. Only Selected orders is tied to the rows you picked, so select first and export second.

What happens next

You have a CSV whose row count is line items, not orders, and whose delivery route was decided by the number 50. Next comes mapping: the shipping block is 10 columns and sits next to a near identical billing block. Map the wrong one and the parcel goes to whoever paid rather than to whoever is waiting.