---
title: "Ignore orders before a date or order number"
description: "Draw a line so Filemonk skips older orders instead of delivering to them."
url: https://help.filemonk.io/ignore-orders-before-a-date/
section: "Orders"
last_updated: 2026-09-08
---

# Ignore orders before a date or order number

> Draw a line so Filemonk skips older orders instead of delivering to them.

When you install Filemonk on a store with history, you rarely want it acting on old orders. Setting a cutoff tells Filemonk to skip download links and licence keys for anything before a date or an order number. It is the setting that stops a migration emailing customers who bought two years ago.

## Before you begin

- The cutoff prevents future processing. It does not undo anything already processed, so set it before you start rather than after.
- Use one or the other, or both. An order number is exact; a date is easier when you know when you switched over.

## Set it up

1. Click **Filemonk** in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
2. Click **Settings** in the app's menu, then open the **Orders** tab.
3. Find **Ignore old orders**.
4. Set either:
   1. **Ignore orders placed before this date**.
   2. **Ignore orders below this order number**.
5. Save.

Orders before the cutoff are skipped: no download links, no licence keys.

## Which to use

| Setting | Best when |
|---|---|
| Date | You know when you switched apps or started selling digital products |
| Order number | You want an exact boundary with no timezone ambiguity |

Setting both means an order has to clear both to be processed.

## Check your setup

Place a test order and confirm it is processed normally, since it is after your cutoff. Then check an older order is absent from your Orders list. See [Create a test order](https://help.filemonk.io/create-a-test-order/).

## Troubleshooting

### Old orders were processed anyway

They were processed before the cutoff was set. The setting cannot reach back. Disable access on those orders individually. See [Disable access to downloads for any order](https://help.filemonk.io/disable-access-for-any-order/).

### A recent order was skipped

Your cutoff is later than you think, most often a date set to today which excludes earlier orders from today. Check both fields, since a stale order number can also exclude new orders if it was set too high.

### I need one old order after all

Import it individually. The cutoff governs automatic processing, not deliberate imports. See [Troubleshoot a single order](https://help.filemonk.io/troubleshoot-an-order/).

### Customers from before the cutoff are asking for files

Import their orders one by one, or import everything and suppress emails. See [Process orders placed before you installed Filemonk](https://help.filemonk.io/process-orders-placed-before-install/).

## FAQ

### Does it affect orders already in Filemonk?

No. Existing orders keep working and customers keep their access. It only governs what is processed from now on.

### Can I remove the cutoff later?

Yes. Clear the fields and processing returns to normal. Orders skipped while it was set stay skipped until you import them.

### Should I use this or the import tool?

They are opposites. This one keeps old orders out; the import brings them in. Migrating stores often want the import; stores that simply do not want history want this. See [Switch from another app to Filemonk](https://help.filemonk.io/switch-from-another-app/).

### Does it save plan usage?

Yes, in the sense that skipped orders are not processed and so do not count.

## Related guides

- [Switch from another app to Filemonk](https://help.filemonk.io/switch-from-another-app/), where this decision usually comes up.
- [Process orders placed before you installed Filemonk](https://help.filemonk.io/process-orders-placed-before-install/), the opposite approach.
- [Import missing orders](https://help.filemonk.io/import-missing-orders/), if this setting skipped something it should not have.