Goal: Configure Altera to automatically export Shopify data to an FTP or SFTP server at regular intervals, enabling seamless integration with warehouse systems, ERP platforms, or other business tools.

Prerequisites:

You have Altera installed on your Shopify store
You have access credentials for your FTP or SFTP server (hostname, username, password)
You have permission to write files to the server

Step 1 - Create an FTP or SFTP Connection

Before you can export to a remote server, you need to create a connection.

In your Shopify admin, open Apps > Altera, then:

Go to Settings in the left menu
Click on Remote Connections
Click New Connection

Step 2 - Configure Connection Details

Enter your server information:

Connection Name: Give your connection a memorable name (e.g., "Warehouse SFTP Server")
Connection Type: Select FTP, FTPS, or SFTP depending on your server
FTP - Standard File Transfer Protocol (default port 21)
FTPS - FTP with SSL/TLS encryption (default port 21)
SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol (default port 22)
Host: Enter your server hostname (e.g., ftp.example.com or sftp.example.com)
Username: Your server username
Password: Your server password
Port: (Optional) Specify a custom port if not using the default (21 for FTP/FTPS, 22 for SFTP)
Remote Directory: Enter the directory path where files should be uploaded (e.g., /exports/orders)

Step 3 - Test and Save Connection

Click Test Connection to verify Altera can connect to your server.

If the test is successful, click Save to store the connection for future use.

Step 4 - Create a New Export

Navigate back to the home page and click New Export.

Step 5 - Choose Data Type and Configure Fields

Select what data you want to export:

Data Type: Choose from Products, Orders, Customers, Inventory, etc.
Fields: Select which fields to include in the export file
Filters: (Optional) Apply filters to export only specific records (e.g., orders from the last 24 hours, products with specific tags)
Format: Choose your preferred file format (CSV, Excel, etc.)

Step 6 - Select Export Location

Scroll down to the Export Location section:

Click the Export Location dropdown
Select the FTP or SFTP connection you created earlier
(Optional) Check Skip upload if export has no results to avoid uploading empty files when a scheduled export returns no data
Altera will upload the export file to the directory you specified when creating the connection

Step 7 - Configure Scheduling (Optional)

To run this export automatically on a schedule:

Scroll to the Scheduling section
Enable Repeat this export
Choose your preferred frequency
Set the specific time or hours when the export should run

Step 8 - Start the Export

Click Start Export to begin the export process.

The export will run immediately and upload the file to your remote server
If you enabled scheduling, the export will automatically run at the specified intervals
Each export will generate a new file and upload it to your server

Outcome

Altera will generate an export file with your selected data and upload it to your remote server. If you configured scheduling, new exports will be automatically created and uploaded at your specified intervals.

You can monitor the status of your scheduled exports on the home page under Recent Jobs.

Example Use Cases

Order exports to warehouse: Export new orders every hour to an SFTP server where your warehouse management system picks them up for fulfillment
Daily inventory updates: Export complete inventory levels every night for your ERP system to sync stock across all channels
Customer data for marketing: Export customer information weekly to a remote server for your email marketing platform to process
Product catalog sync: Export your full product catalog daily for marketplaces or comparison shopping sites

Important Notes

Each export creates a new file on the remote server - files are not overwritten unless they have the exact same filename
Ensure your server has sufficient storage space for scheduled exports
You can create multiple connections to different servers for different purposes
Scheduled exports will continue running until you disable them, archive the job, or delete the scheduled job
Archiving a scheduled job will stop it from running automatically
If a scheduled export is still running when the next run is due, the new run will be skipped to prevent overlapping operations
SFTP provides secure SSH-based authentication - recommended for sensitive data transfers