# Adjustments

Adjustments are arbitrary objects that can be used to change the total amount of an order by any value, either greater or lower than zero.

To add an adjustment to an order, you first need to create the adjustment and then create a line item that references it.

Unless you set the `distribute_discount` attribute to `false` (default is `true`) at the single adjustment level, negative adjustment amounts are distributed as discounts on all the [taxable items](/core-api-reference/orders.md#taxable-items) of the order based on the ratio between the line item amount and the sum of the amounts of all the line items involved.

{% hint style="info" %}
For negative adjustment amounts to be effective, they must be added to an order that already has a total amount greater than zero (i.e. after having added one or more line items of type `skus` and/or `bundles`).
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Negative adjustment amounts are applied **before** any kind of [promotion](/core-api-reference/promotions.md) and/or [gift cards](/core-api-reference/gift_cards.md) used to pay for the associated order (e.g. if you add an adjustment that brings the total order amount to zero, no promotion will have any effect).
{% endhint %}


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