Goal: Configure Altera to export your Shopify data directly to a Google Drive folder on a schedule, enabling automatic backups and seamless integration with other systems that can access Google Drive.
Video walkthrough: Watch the step-by-step video
Prerequisites:
You have Altera installed on your Shopify store
You have a Google account
Step 1 - Create a Folder in Google Drive
Before setting up the export, create a folder in Google Drive where your exported files will be stored.
Go to Google Drive
Click New > Folder
Give the folder a descriptive name (e.g., "Order Exports")
Click Create
Step 2 - Create a Google Drive Connection
In your Shopify admin, open Apps > Altera, then:
Go to Settings in the left menu
Click on Remote Connections
Click New Connection
Step 3 - Connect Your Google Account
In the new connection dialog:
Select Google Drive as the connection type
Click Connect Google Account
A popup will appear to authenticate with Google
Sign in and grant Altera permission to access Google Drive
Note: Altera only has permission to access the specific folder that you grant access to. It does not have full access to your Google Drive.
Step 4 - Select Your Google Drive Folder
After authentication:
Click Select Folder
Choose the folder you created in Step 1 (e.g., "Order Exports")
Click Select
(Optional) Rename the connection to something descriptive (e.g., "Orders Google Drive")
Click Save
Step 5 - Create a New Export
Navigate back to the home page of the Altera app and click New Export.
Step 6 - Choose Data Type and Configure Options
Select what data you want to export:
Data Type: Choose from Products, Orders, Customers, Collections, etc.
File Format: For scheduled exports to Google Drive, select Single CSV (.csv) so each export creates one file.
Fields: (Optional) Select which fields to include in the export.
Step 7 - Configure Scheduling
To run this export automatically on a schedule:
Scroll to the Scheduling card
Toggle Run job on a schedule to Enabled
Set Repeat to your preferred frequency (e.g., Every hour)
Step 8 - Add Filters for Scheduled Exports
For recurring exports, add a filter to only export new data since the last run:
In the Filters section, click Add filter
Select Processed at and in the last X hours
Enter 1 in the value field
Tip: Use Processed at instead of Created at. The processed date is when the order was placed, while the created date is when it appears in Shopify's database. This prevents accidentally exporting historical orders that were imported with old processed dates.
Tip: Choose in the last 1 hour rather than in the last 60 minutes. The "1 hour" option exports orders from the last complete hour (e.g., 4:00–5:00 if running at 5:15), which prevents duplicate orders across scheduled runs. The "60 minutes" option exports a rolling 60-minute window up to the last whole minute.
Step 9 - Select Export Location
Scroll to the Export location card
Click the dropdown and select the Google Drive connection you created
(Optional) Enable Skip upload if export has no results to avoid uploading empty files when no new data matches your filters
Step 10 - Start the Export
Click Start Export to begin the export process.
The export will run immediately and upload the file to your Google Drive folder. If you enabled scheduling, the export will automatically run at your specified intervals.
Step 11 - Verify the Export
After the export completes:
Check the job detail page for the Remote Export section
Click on the folder name to open Google Drive, or click the file name to download the file directly
Verify your data appears correctly in Google Drive
Outcome
Altera creates CSV files containing your Shopify data and uploads them to your Google Drive folder. If you configured scheduling, new files will be automatically created at your specified intervals.
You can view completed exports on the home page under Recent Jobs.
Naming Your Export Jobs
For scheduled exports, rename the job to something descriptive so you can easily find it later:
Click on the export from the home page
Click More actions > Rename
Update the job name (e.g., "Export Orders to Google Drive")
Click Save
Triggering Manual Updates
You can manually run your export at any time:
Go to the export job on the home page
Click Run Again to trigger an immediate export
A new file will be uploaded to Google Drive
Example Use Cases
Order backups: Export orders every hour to maintain a running backup of your order data
Inventory reporting: Export inventory levels daily for analysis in Google Sheets or other tools
External system integration: Provide data to systems that can read from Google Drive
Data archiving: Maintain historical exports of your Shopify data for compliance or auditing
Important Notes
Scheduled exports will continue running until you disable them, archive the job, or delete it
You can create multiple Google Drive connections to different folders for different purposes
The downloadable export file is still available in Altera alongside the Google Drive version