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# Ignore orders before a date or order number

Filemonk can skip older orders so they don't get download links or licence keys. You set a cutoff date, a cutoff order number, or both, and Filemonk ignores any order placed before that point.
This is built for merchants moving to Filemonk from another app or platform, where older orders were already delivered and shouldn't be sent again.
### Why use an order cutoff

* **Avoid sending old orders again:** customers who bought before you switched apps don't get a second download email.
* **Keep your Orders list clean:** older orders don't clutter your Filemonk Orders list.
* **Protect your licence keys:** new licence keys aren't used up on old orders that already have keys from your previous app.

### Setting up the cutoff

##### Step 1: Open the setting

1. Open the Filemonk app from your Shopify admin and click **Settings**.
2. Open the **Orders** tab.
3. Scroll to the **Ignore old orders** section.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/2/4/f/7/24f71cce258b5000/image_1181y0p.png)
![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/2/4/f/7/24f71cce258b5000/image_pm0nnz.png)
##### Step 2: Set your cutoff

Fill in one or both fields:
* **Ignore orders placed before this date:** pick the date you started using Filemonk. Orders placed before this date are skipped.
* **Ignore orders below this order number:** enter the Shopify order number without any prefix. For example, enter 88984 for order #SM88984. Orders with a lower number are skipped.
Leave a field blank to turn that rule off.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/2/4/f/7/24f71cce258b5000/image_msisjv.png)
##### Step 3: Save

Click **Save**.

If you fill in both fields, Filemonk skips an order that is before either cutoff.
### Which cut off to use

| **Use** | **When** |
| ---- |
| **Date** | You know the date you switched to Filemonk |
| **Order number** | You know the last order your previous app delivered and want an exact boundary |

### What happens to skipped orders

* Filemonk doesn't create download links or assign licence keys for them.
* They don't appear in your Filemonk Orders list.
* They can't be brought in with Import orders either, because the cutoff applies to imports too.

The cutoff doesn't change orders that are already in Filemonk. Customers keep their access and their download links keep working.

### Troubleshooting

| **Symptom** | **Likely cause** | **Fix** |
| ---- |
| Old orders still got download emails | They were processed before you set the cutoff | The cutoff only applies to orders Filemonk receives afterwards. To stop access on those orders, see **Disable access to downloads for any order** |
| A new order didn't get download links | The cutoff date or order number is set too late | Check both fields in **Ignore old orders**. Correct the value and click **Save** |
| An old order won't import | The order is before your cutoff | Clear or lower the cutoff, click **Save**, import the order, then set the cutoff again |
| An order number cutoff doesn't seem to work | The number was entered with its prefix | Enter only the digits, for example `88984` instead of `#SM88984` |

### FAQ

**Q: Does the cutoff remove access for orders already in Filemonk?** 
A: No. It only affects orders Filemonk receives after you set it. Existing orders and their download links aren't changed.

**Q: Can I remove the cutoff later?** 
A: Yes. Clear both fields and click **Save**. Orders skipped while the cutoff was on aren't processed automatically, so import any you need.

**Q: What's the difference between this and importing orders?**
A: They do opposite jobs. Importing brings older orders into Filemonk so customers can download. The cutoff keeps older orders out. See Import orders.

**Q: I'm moving from another app. Where do I start?** 
A: See Switch from another app to Filemonk, then set the cutoff to the date you switched.