Goal: Add new line items to existing orders without manually editing each order individually, useful for adding forgotten items, custom charges, or services to completed orders.
Prerequisites:
You have Altera installed on your Shopify store
Orders already exist in your Shopify store
You know which products or custom items to add to which orders
Step 1 - Export Your Orders
In your Shopify admin, open Apps > Altera, then click New Export.
In Data types, select Orders.
In Fields, select General at minimum (to get order IDs and names).
(Optional) In Filters, apply any criteria to export only the orders you need to update.
Click Start Export and download the file when ready.
Step 2 - Prepare the Spreadsheet
Open the exported file and keep only the columns needed to identify orders:
ID (preferred for accuracy)
Name (order number, can be used instead of ID if needed)
Add these new columns for the line items you want to add:
Line: Type - set to
Line Itemfor all rowsLine: Command - set to
MERGEto add new items without replacing existing onesLine: Quantity - enter the quantity to add
Then add columns to either link to existing products or create custom line items:
For linking to existing products, include at least one identifier:
Line: Variant ID (most accurate)
Line: SKU
Line: Product Handle + Line: SKU (for products with variants)
For custom line items, use instead:
Line: Title (name of the custom charge or item)
Line: Price (price per unit)
Delete all other columns to simplify the file.
Step 3 - Fill in Line Item Data
For each order that needs a new line item:
Keep the order's ID or Name value
Set Line: Type to
Line ItemSet Line: Command to
MERGEEnter the Line: Quantity for the item to add
Fill in either:
Product identifiers (Variant ID, SKU, etc.) to link to an existing product, OR
Line: Title and Line: Price to create a custom line item
Leave identifier columns blank for orders that don't need updates, or remove those rows entirely.
Step 4 - Import the Updated File
Return to Altera and go to Upload file.
Select your edited spreadsheet.
Review the analysis preview to confirm the order count and line item additions.
Click Start import to apply the changes.
Outcome
Altera processes the spreadsheet and adds the specified line items to each order. The app automatically handles archived orders by temporarily unarchiving them, adding the items, then re-archiving them. You can verify the additions by opening the updated orders in your Shopify admin.
Example - Adding Product Line Items
ID | Line: Type | Line: Command | Line: Quantity | Line: SKU |
123456 | Line Item | MERGE | 2 | GIFT-CARD-50 |
789012 | Line Item | MERGE | 1 | SHIP-INSUR |
Example - Adding Custom Line Items
ID | Line: Type | Line: Command | Line: Quantity | Line: Title | Line: Price |
234567 | Line Item | MERGE | 1 | Rush Processing Fee | 15.00 |
345678 | Line Item | MERGE | 1 | Custom Engraving | 25.00 |
Important Notes
Using Line: Command set to
MERGEis critical - this tells Altera to add items rather than to skip them.The app automatically handles closed/archived orders - they'll be temporarily unarchived, updated, then re-archived.
You can add multiple line items to a single order by creating multiple rows with the same order ID.
If a product identifier isn't found, Altera will create a custom line item if you've provided a title and price.
Custom line items won't be linked to inventory and won't affect stock levels.