How to Export Orders Programmatically in Magento 2?

In this guide, we'll walk you through a simple 3-step process to export orders from Magento 2 into a CSV file programmatically.

Yes! You can programmatically export orders in .csv format using Magento 2's order repository and a small custom module — in just a few easy-to-follow steps.

Let's get started!

Why Export Orders Programmatically?

Before we jump into the steps, here's a quick look at why you might want to export orders using code:

• Automate order reporting or backups.
• Feed order data into third-party tools like accounting or fulfillment systems.
• Customize exports beyond what the built-in admin grid export offers.

Now, onto the how. Here are the steps to programmatically export orders to CSV in Magento 2.

3 Steps to Export Orders to CSV Programmatically in Magento 2

Step 1: Set Up a Custom Module

First, we'll create a basic module that Magento can recognize.

Create module.xml

Path: app/code/Custom/Module/etc/module.xml

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:Module/etc/module.xsd">
    <module name="Custom_Module" setup_version="1.0.0"/>
</config>

Create registration.php

Path: app/code/Custom/Module/registration.php

<?php

\Magento\Framework\Component\ComponentRegistrar::register(
    \Magento\Framework\Component\ComponentRegistrar::MODULE,
    'Custom_Module',
    __DIR__
);

With that, your module is now registered. Don't forget to run:

php bin/magento module:enable Custom_Module
php bin/magento setup:upgrade

Step 2: Set Up a Route for the Module

Next, let's define a custom route so you can trigger the export from your browser.

Create routes.xml

Path: app/code/Custom/Module/etc/frontend/routes.xml

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:App/etc/routes.xsd">
    <router id="standard">
        <route frontName="custom" id="custom">
            <module name="Custom_Module"/>
        </route>
    </router>
</config>

Now, when you access yourstore.com/custom/index/exportorders, Magento knows what to do.

Important — read before you deploy this anywhere public: a frontend route like this has no authentication. Anyone who discovers the URL can download your entire order history, customer emails included. Treat this setup as a local/development convenience only. For anything production-facing, put the controller behind the admin (an adminhtml route with an ACL resource, like any admin controller), or remove the module once you've pulled your export.

Step 3: Create a Controller That Generates the CSV File

We'll fetch the order data through the order repository and stream it into a CSV file.

Create ExportOrders.php

Path: app/code/Custom/Module/Controller/Index/ExportOrders.php

<?php

namespace Custom\Module\Controller\Index;

use Magento\Framework\App\Action\Action;
use Magento\Framework\App\Action\Context;
use Magento\Framework\App\Filesystem\DirectoryList;
use Magento\Framework\App\Response\Http\FileFactory;
use Magento\Sales\Api\OrderRepositoryInterface;
use Magento\Framework\Api\SearchCriteriaBuilder;

class ExportOrders extends Action
{
    protected $fileFactory;
    protected $orderRepository;
    protected $searchCriteriaBuilder;
    protected $_filesystem;

    public function __construct(
        Context $context,
        FileFactory $fileFactory,
        OrderRepositoryInterface $orderRepository,
        SearchCriteriaBuilder $searchCriteriaBuilder,
        \Magento\Framework\Filesystem $filesystem
    ) {
        $this->fileFactory = $fileFactory;
        $this->orderRepository = $orderRepository;
        $this->searchCriteriaBuilder = $searchCriteriaBuilder;
        $this->_filesystem = $filesystem;
        parent::__construct($context);
    }

    public function execute()
    {
        $searchCriteria = $this->searchCriteriaBuilder->create();
        $orders = $this->orderRepository->getList($searchCriteria)->getItems();

        $csvData = [];
        $csvData[] = ['Order ID', 'Customer Email', 'Order Total'];

        foreach ($orders as $order) {
            $csvData[] = [
                $order->getEntityId(),
                $order->getCustomerEmail(),
                $order->getGrandTotal()
            ];
        }

        $fileName = 'orders.csv';
        $filePath = 'export/' . $fileName;
        $directory = $this->_filesystem->getDirectoryWrite(DirectoryList::VAR_DIR);
        $stream = $directory->openFile($filePath, 'w+');

        foreach ($csvData as $rowData) {
            $stream->writeCsv($rowData);
        }
        $stream->close();

        $content = [
            'type'  => 'filename',
            'value' => $filePath,
            'rm'    => true   // delete the file from var/ after it's sent
        ];

        return $this->fileFactory->create($fileName, $content, DirectoryList::VAR_DIR);
    }
}

How to Export Additional Order Data in the CSV

Let's say you also want to include the order status in the export. Easy fix — just tweak this part:

$csvData = [];
$csvData[] = ['Order ID', 'Customer Email', 'Order Total', 'Order Status'];

foreach ($orders as $order) {
    $csvData[] = [
        $order->getEntityId(),
        $order->getCustomerEmail(),
        $order->getGrandTotal(),
        $order->getStatus()
    ];
}

You can customize the CSV columns however you like: billing info, shipping address, payment method, and more.

How to Export Only a Date Range (Recommended on Real Stores)

As written, the empty search criteria fetches every order in the database — on a store with tens of thousands of orders, that's a slow request and a lot of memory. Filter the criteria instead; for example, only orders placed since June 1st:

$searchCriteria = $this->searchCriteriaBuilder
    ->addFilter('created_at', '2026-06-01 00:00:00', 'gteq')
    ->create();

$orders = $this->orderRepository->getList($searchCriteria)->getItems();

The same pattern works for any order field — filter by status, store_id, or a from/to pair of created_at filters for a fixed window.

How to Access the Exported Orders CSV

Once everything is set (finish with php bin/magento cache:flush), simply visit: {your-base-url}/custom/index/exportorders

Your CSV file downloads automatically with all the order data.

Need an Easier Way?

The controller above is a solid starting point, but real export workflows grow fast: more fields, custom filters per export, scheduled runs, sending files to FTP or email instead of a browser download — and each of those is more custom code to write and secure. If you'd rather have all of it from the admin panel, the Export Order extension for Magento 2 is built exactly for that: flexible field selection, filtering, scheduled automatic exports, and no unauthenticated routes to worry about.

Wrapping Up!

We hope this guide gave you a clear and actionable way to export orders programmatically in Magento 2 to a .csv file — and the two guardrails that matter on a live store: filter your criteria, and never leave the export route publicly reachable. If you're stuck or need help customizing the export, our Magento experts are just a message away.