Goal: Configure Altera to automatically export Shopify data to an FTP 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 server (hostname, username, password)
You have permission to write files to the FTP server

Step 1 - Create an FTP Connection

Before you can export to an FTP 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 FTP Connection Details

Enter your FTP server information:

Connection Name: Give your connection a memorable name (e.g., "Warehouse FTP Server")
Connection Type: Select FTP, FTPS, or SFTP depending on your server
FTP Server: Enter your FTP hostname (e.g., ftp.example.com)
Username: Your FTP username
Password: Your FTP password
Port: (Optional) Specify a custom port if not using the default
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 FTP 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 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 FTP 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 FTP server

Outcome

Altera will generate an export file with your selected data and upload it to your FTP 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 FTP 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 an FTP 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 FTP server - files are not overwritten unless they have the exact same filename
Ensure your FTP server has sufficient storage space for scheduled exports
You can create multiple export connections to different FTP 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