How to Backfill Historical Data

Backfilling historical data allows you to import older order and sales data beyond what was included in your initial sync. This guide explains what backfilling does, when to use it, and what to expect.

What Is Backfilling?

Backfilling is the process of importing historical data from before your initial PayHelm connection. When you first connect your store, PayHelm imports data based on your plan's limits:

• Free plan: Last 90 days
• Pro & Business plans: Last 2 years
• Enterprise plan: Last 5+ years

Backfilling lets you go further back to import older data if you've upgraded your plan or need access to earlier records.

What Backfilling Includes

When you run a backfill, PayHelm imports:

Order Data

• Historical orders from your specified date range
• Order line items and products purchased
• Order totals, subtotals, and taxes
• Discounts and coupon codes used
• Order statuses (fulfilled, cancelled, refunded)

Customer Information

• Customer names and email addresses
• Order history per customer
• Customer lifetime value calculations
• First purchase dates

Product Data

• Historical product performance
• Products that are now archived or deleted
• Previous product prices
• Historical SKU information

Transaction Details

• Payment methods used
• Gateway fees (if available)
• Refund history
• Shipping costs charged

What Backfilling Does NOT Include

Backfilling has some limitations:

Does NOT Import

Historical inventory levels: Only current inventory syncs Price history: Only current prices, not past price changes Deleted customer data: Customers removed from your platform Modified order data: PayHelm imports the current state of historical orders Platform-specific analytics: Only order data, not platform metrics

Does NOT Change

Existing data: Backfilling adds data, it doesn't modify what's already imported Your store: Backfilling only reads data from your store, never modifies it Current metrics: Real-time metrics remain focused on recent activity Plan limits: You can only backfill within your plan's historical data limits

When You Should Backfill Historical Data

Good Reasons to Backfill

1. You upgraded your plan
• You started on Free (90 days) and upgraded to Pro (2 years)
• Now you want access to the additional historical data your new plan allows

2. You need year-over-year analysis
• Comparing this year's Q4 to last year's Q4
• Analyzing seasonal trends across multiple years
• Tracking long-term growth patterns

3. You're moving from another analytics tool
• You want all historical data in one place
• Consolidating multiple tools into PayHelm

4. You need complete customer lifetime value
• Accurate LTV requires full customer purchase history
• Understanding long-term customer behavior

5. Tax or compliance requirements
• Need access to older transaction data
• Historical reporting for audits

When You Shouldn't Backfill

1. You're on the Free plan
• Free plan is limited to 90 days—backfilling won't extend this
• Upgrade first, then backfill

2. You just connected your store
• Wait 24 hours for initial sync to complete
• Backfilling during initial sync can cause conflicts

3. You don't need the data
• Backfilling uses processing resources
• Only backfill if you'll actually use the historical data

4. Your store is very new
• If your store is only a few months old, you already have all data
• No need to backfill what doesn't exist

How to Backfill Historical Data

Step 1: Verify Your Plan Allows It

1. Go to Settings → My Plan
2. Check your historical data limit:
- Free: 90 days (no backfilling beyond this) - Pro/Business: 2 years - Enterprise: 5+ years
3. Upgrade if needed: How to Upgrade Your Account

Step 2: Access Backfill Settings

1. Navigate to Integrations
2. Find your connected store
3. Click Settings or the gear icon
4. Look for Backfill Historical Data option

Step 3: Choose Your Date Range

1. Select the start date for your backfill
- This is how far back you want to go - Must be within your plan's limits
2. The end date is typically when you first connected PayHelm
3. Review the estimated number of orders to import

Step 4: Start the Backfill

1. Click Start Backfill or Import Historical Data
2. Confirm the date range
3. Click Confirm to begin the process
4. You'll see a progress indicator

Step 5: Monitor Progress

1. The backfill runs in the background
2. Check progress in the Integrations page
3. You'll receive a notification when complete
4. Typical timeframes:
- Small stores (< 1,000 orders): 1-3 hours - Medium stores (1,000-10,000 orders): 3-12 hours - Large stores (> 10,000 orders): 12-24 hours

What Happens During Backfilling

Processing Order

PayHelm imports data in this sequence:

1. Orders: Oldest to newest from your selected date range
2. Products: Associated with imported orders
3. Customers: Linked to imported orders
4. Transactions: Payment and shipping details

Real-Time Store Data

During backfilling:

• Your store's real-time data continues syncing normally
• New orders still appear within 5-15 minutes
• Backfill and regular sync run simultaneously
• No interruption to your current data flow

Dashboard Display

As data imports:

• New orders appear in your reports
• Historical metrics update automatically
• Date ranges expand to include older data
• Charts and graphs extend back further

After Backfilling Completes

Verify the Import

1. Check your Dashboard's date range
2. Verify the oldest order date matches your backfill start date
3. Review total order count for accuracy
4. Spot-check a few historical orders

Update Your Reports

With more historical data:

1. Re-run year-over-year reports
2. Update custom date ranges
3. Refresh saved reports to include new data
4. Update any scheduled reports

Analyze Extended Trends

You can now:

• Compare multiple years
• Identify long-term patterns
• Calculate accurate customer lifetime values
• Analyze seasonality across years
• Track product performance over time

Managing Backfilled Data

Can You Remove Backfilled Data?

Yes, but:

• You need to contact PayHelm support
• Data removal is permanent
• Typically used if incorrect data was imported
• Most users don't need to remove backfilled data

Can You Backfill Multiple Times?

Yes:

• If you upgrade again (e.g., Business to Enterprise)
• PayHelm won't duplicate existing data
• Only new historical ranges are imported

Does Backfilling Cost Extra?

No:

• Backfilling is included in your plan
• No additional fees for importing historical data
• Only limitation is your plan's time range

Backfilling for Multiple Stores

If you have multiple stores connected:

1. Backfill each store separately
2. Go to each store's settings in Integrations
3. Choose date ranges independently
4. Each store can have different historical depths

Troubleshooting Backfill Issues

Backfill Fails to Start

If backfilling won't initiate:

• Ensure your initial sync is complete (wait 24 hours after connecting)
• Check that you're on a plan that supports backfilling
• Verify your store connection is active
• Try again in a few minutes

Backfill Takes Too Long

If backfilling seems stuck:

• Check progress indicator for updates
• Large imports can take 24 hours or more
• Ensure your store's API is responsive
• Contact support if no progress after 48 hours

Missing Orders After Backfill

If orders are missing:

• Check if they're within your selected date range
• Verify orders exist in your platform
• Test/draft orders may not import
• Some platforms exclude certain order types

Data Seems Incorrect

If backfilled data looks wrong:

• Compare a sample order in PayHelm vs. your platform
• Check if order modifications in your platform happened after the order date
• Remember: PayHelm imports the current state of historical orders
• Contact support with specific order numbers that seem incorrect

Best Practices for Backfilling

Before You Backfill

1. Clean your store data: Fix any data issues in your platform first
2. Upgrade if needed: Get the plan tier that covers your desired time range
3. Wait for initial sync: Let your first sync complete fully
4. Choose the right range: Only backfill what you'll actually use

During Backfilling

1. Don't disconnect: Keep your store connected throughout
2. Don't modify lots of old orders: Let the backfill complete first
3. Monitor but be patient: Check progress occasionally, but give it time

After Backfilling

1. Verify accuracy: Spot-check historical data
2. Update reports: Refresh saved reports with new date ranges
3. Document: Note when you backfilled and what range for future reference

Getting Help

If you need assistance with backfilling:

• Check your plan's historical data limits first
• Contact support through the in-app chat
• Provide your store platform and desired date range
• Note any error messages from the backfill attempt

Backfilling gives you access to your complete historical data within your plan's limits, enabling deeper analysis and more accurate long-term insights.