Ignore orders before a date or order number
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
- Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
- Click Settings in the app's menu, then open the Orders tab.
- Find Ignore old orders.
- Set either:
- Ignore orders placed before this date.
- Ignore orders below this order number.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, where this decision usually comes up.
- Process orders placed before you installed Filemonk, the opposite approach.
- Import missing orders, if this setting skipped something it should not have.
