Archiving Order History
Last Updated: June 03, 2026
Table of Contents
Overview
UltraCart retains one year of order history at no charge. Data beyond that threshold incurs a fee of $7 per month per additional year retained online. If you reduce your retention period, orders older than the new threshold are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
This tutorial walks through the full archive workflow: creating reusable export mappings for XML, CSV, and Google Sheets, then running the export to produce files suitable for offline storage or delivery to a CPA.
Warning: Once order data is deleted by the system, it cannot be recovered. Complete all archive exports before reducing your retention period setting.
Prerequisites
Before starting, confirm the following:
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You can log in to your UltraCart account.
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Your user account has the Edit Settings permission (required to create export mappings).
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Your user account has the Access Accounts Receivables permission (required to run exports).
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You know the date range of the order history you need to archive (for example, a full prior fiscal year).
Why Archive Before Reducing Retention
UltraCart processes deletions on a monthly calendar, meaning the oldest month's data is purged at the beginning of each new month. You will receive an email notification 30 days before any order older than your retention threshold is scheduled for deletion.
Purged Order Email Notification:
If no user has the “Edit Service Plan” permission, all users receive billing-related email notifications, including order purge alerts. If one or more users have this permission, only they receive the order purge notifications.
For CPA and tax purposes, retain archived export files for at least seven years in accordance with standard recordkeeping guidance. Store files in at least two locations (for example, a local drive and cloud storage).
Part 1: Create an Export Mapping
An export mapping defines the file format and the fields included in every export you run. You must create at least one mapping before you can perform an export. Create a separate mapping for each format you intend to use.
Navigation: Home → Configuration → Exporting Orders
Step 1: Open the Export Mappings screen
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Log in to your UltraCart account.
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Navigate to
Home→Configuration→Exporting Orders. -
If no mappings exist, the screen displays: No mappings are configured.
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Click New to open the Export Order Mapping editor.
Step 2: Name the mapping
Enter a descriptive name in the Name field so you can identify the mapping when running exports later.
Suggested names for a CPA archive scenario:
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Annual Archive - XML -
Annual Archive - CSV -
Annual Archive - Google Sheets
Step 3: Select the export file format
Choose one format per mapping. The table below summarizes the options relevant to archiving.
| Format | Best For | Item Detail Included |
| Location | Description |
|---|---|
| Pre-ordered | Orders placed but not yet processed |
| Accounts Receivable | Orders awaiting payment processing |
| Filter | Effect |
|---|---|
| Exclude Recurring Auto Orders (Original Order Included) | Omits recurring charge records; retains the original signup order |
| Include Only Auto Orders (Original Order and Regular Orders Excluded) | Exports only recurring charge records |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Type | Creation Date |
| From | 01/01/2024 00:00:00 |
| To | 12/31/2024 23:59:59 |
Step 8: Run the export
Click Export. UltraCart generates the file based on your criteria.
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XML and CSV formats download directly to your browser.
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Google Sheets format writes the data to a new spreadsheet in the connected Google Drive account.
Store the downloaded files in a secure location. For CPA delivery, XML files serve as the authoritative record and CSV or Google Sheets files serve as the human-readable summary.
Export Format Reference
| Format | Full Line-Item Detail | Record Limit | Delivery Method | Recommended Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XML (DTD) | Yes | None | Browser download | Authoritative archive, non-Microsoft tools |
| XML (W3C Schema) | Yes | None | Browser download | Authoritative archive, Microsoft tools |
| CSV | No (summary only) | None | Browser download | CPA review, import into accounting software |
| Microsoft Excel (.xls) | No (summary only) | 20,000 records | Browser download | Spreadsheet review; use batched date ranges for large volumes |
| Google Sheets (Beta) | No (summary only) | None documented | Google Drive | Shared CPA access, collaborative review |
Recommended Archiving Schedule
| Frequency | Action |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Export the prior month's completed orders in XML and CSV formats. Store in dated folders. |
| Annually | Export the full prior year before January 31. Deliver CSV or Google Sheets to your CPA. |
| Before reducing retention | Export all years that fall outside the new retention threshold before saving the change in Order Retention settings. |
For Excel exports, if the date range contains more than 20,000 orders, break the range into quarterly or monthly batches and export each batch separately.
Troubleshooting
The Export Orders screen shows "No export mappings have been defined."
No mappings have been saved yet. Navigate to Home → Configuration → Exporting Orders and create at least one mapping. A direct link appears inside the warning message on the Export Orders screen.
The Export button produces no file.
Verify that at least one Order Location checkbox is selected and that both the From and To date fields are populated. All three are required for the export to run.
The Google Sheets export fails or the spreadsheet does not appear.
Confirm that your Google account is connected by returning to Configuration → Exporting Orders, editing the Google Sheets mapping, and clicking Connect again. Also verify that the New
Google Spreadsheet
Name field was filled in before clicking Export.
The Excel file is missing orders.
Excel exports are limited to 20,000 records per file. Reduce the date range to a smaller interval (monthly or quarterly) and run multiple exports to cover the full period.
A user cannot run the export.
The user requires two permissions: Edit Settings (to manage export mappings) and Access Accounts Receivables (to run the export from Order Management). A system administrator must grant these under user login permissions.
F.A.Q.
Question: How do I export my order history from previous years? Follow the tutorial, making sure to set the creation date begin and creation date end to the specific period you wish to export.
Related Documentation
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Order Retention - Configure how many years of order history UltraCart retains online
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Back Office - Exporting Orders - Reference for all export mapping configuration options