Order Status & Workflow

Orders move through different statuses as they progress from creation to shipment. Understanding order statuses helps you track order progress, identify bottlenecks, and manage your fulfillment workflow effectively.

Quick Reference

Order statuses appear in the Status column of the Orders list. Each status has a visual indicator (badge) to help you quickly identify order state at a glance.

Why Understand Order Statuses?

Track Order Progress

Know exactly where each order is in your fulfillment process. See if orders are waiting, being processed, or already shipped.

Identify Issues Quickly

Spot problems early by monitoring status changes. Orders stuck in error states or held statuses need attention.

Optimize Workflow

Analyze status patterns to find bottlenecks and improve processing times. See which statuses take longest.

Make Informed Decisions

Understand what actions are possible at each status. Some actions only work for specific statuses.

Main Order Statuses

These are the primary statuses orders move through during fulfillment:

Pending

Orders waiting to be processed. Ready for fulfillment once inventory is available and validated. Orders automatically move from Pending to Processing when conditions are met.

Processing

Orders actively being picked, packed, and prepared for shipment in the warehouse. Inventory is allocated and items are being gathered.

Shipped

Orders that have been shipped to customers with tracking numbers assigned. Final status for successfully fulfilled orders.

Backorder

Orders with items out of stock. These orders wait for inventory to be replenished before they can be processed.

Hold

Orders temporarily paused from processing. Can be released when ready to resume. Inventory may be reserved depending on hold type.

Stand By

Long-term hold status that does not reserve inventory. Used for orders waiting for specific conditions before processing.

Cancelled

Orders that have been cancelled and will not be fulfilled. Cancelled orders cannot be restored.

Divided

Orders split into multiple shipments when items are fulfilled from different locations or at different times.

Additional Status Types

The system also tracks these specialized statuses:

Incomplete

Orders missing required information or failing validation. Must be completed before processing can begin.

Low Balance

Orders on hold due to insufficient account balance. Add funds to your account to release these orders.

Editing

Orders currently being edited by a user. Prevents other users from editing simultaneously.

Dropship

Orders fulfilled by dropshipping partners. Managed through dropship workflow.

Return by Carrier

Shipments returned by the carrier. Requires review and potential reprocessing or refund.

Order Status Workflow

Standard Workflow Path

1. Order Created

   When an order is created (manually or imported), it starts in Pending status. The order is validated and ready for processing.

   • Shipping method is configured

2. Pending to Processing (Automatic)

   The system automatically moves orders from Pending to Processing when:

   • Inventory is available for all items
   • Order validation passes
   • No holds or errors exist

3. Processing

   In Processing status, warehouse staff:

   • Pick items from bins
   • Pack orders
   • Prepare for shipment
   • Generate shipping labels

4. Shipped

   Once shipping label is printed and tracking assigned, order moves to Shipped status. This is the final status for successfully fulfilled orders.

Alternative Workflow Paths

Orders don’t always follow the standard path. Here are common alternatives:

Pending → Backorder:

• Occurs when items are out of stock
• Order waits for inventory replenishment
• Automatically moves to Processing when inventory becomes available

Pending → Hold:

• Manual action to pause processing
• Used when waiting for payment, customer confirmation, or special instructions
• Can be released to resume normal workflow

Pending → Error:

• Occurs when processing fails
• System reverts order to Pending or sets Error status
• Requires manual review and correction

Processing → Divided:

• Happens when order must be split into multiple shipments
• Can occur due to inventory location, weight limits, or shipping rules
• Creates multiple child orders for fulfillment

Automatic Status Transitions

ShipEdge automatically changes order statuses based on conditions:

Pending to Processing

The system automatically moves orders from Pending to Processing when:

Requirements:

• Order status is Pending
• Inventory is available for all items
• Shipping method is configured
• Account has sufficient balance

Process:

1. System checks order eligibility
2. Validates inventory availability
3. Selects bins for items
4. Allocates inventory
5. Updates order status to Processing
6. Triggers webhooks (orders/processing)
7. Updates integrated platforms (e.g., Magento)

Timing: This happens automatically through background jobs that process pending orders continuously.

Error Handling

When processing fails, orders may:

• Revert to Pending: If error is recoverable, order returns to Pending for retry
• Set Sub-Status: Some errors set sub-statuses like “Break_Required” while keeping Pending status

Manual Status Changes

You can manually change order statuses through various actions:

From Orders List

Put on Hold:

• Select orders and choose “Put on Hold” from Actions menu
• Changes status to Hold

Release Hold:

• Select held orders and choose “Release Hold/Stand By”
• Returns orders to previous status (usually Pending)

Cancel Orders:

• Select orders (Pending, Backorder, Submit (incomplete), Error, Returned by carrier, Network Backorder, Hold, Low balance) and choose “Cancel Orders”
• Changes status to Cancelled
• Cannot be undone

Apply Alternatives:

• For backorders, applies alternative products
• May change status from Backorder to Pending if alternatives are available

From Order Edit

Edit Order:

• Editing an order changes status to Editing
• Inform other users from editing simultaneously
• Returns to original status after saving

Complete Edit:

• Finishing edits restores original status
• Or moves to next appropriate status based on changes

Status Restrictions

Some statuses prevent certain actions:

Cannot Edit:

• Processing - Order is being fulfilled
• Shipped - Order already shipped

Cannot Cancel:

• Processing
• Shipped
• Orders already in cancel process

Cannot Release:

• Orders not in Hold or Stand By status
• Orders with missing shipping method information

Sub-Statuses

In addition to main statuses, orders can have sub-statuses that provide more detail:

Common Sub-Statuses:

• Ready to Process: Order is ready but waiting for processing
• On Delivery: Order is in transit to customer
• Delivered: Order has been delivered
• Failed Delivery: Delivery attempt failed

Sub-statuses appear alongside main status and provide additional workflow information.

What Triggers Status Changes

Automatic Triggers:

• Inventory availability
• System validation checks
• Background job processing
• Shipping label generation
• Tracking number assignment

Manual Triggers:

• User actions (hold, release, cancel)
• Order editing
• Bulk operations
• Status updates via API

💡 Best Practices

Monitor Status Changes

Regularly review orders in different statuses to identify bottlenecks. Use status filters to focus on specific workflow stages.

Address Errors Quickly

Check Error status orders daily. Fix issues promptly to keep orders moving through the workflow.

Review Hold Orders

Check Hold status orders regularly. Release them promptly once issues are resolved to maintain workflow efficiency.

Track Backorders

Monitor Backorder status closely. Coordinate with inventory team to prioritize replenishment for backordered items.

Understand Restrictions

Know which actions work for which statuses. Trying to edit or cancel orders in wrong statuses causes errors.

Use Status Filters

Combine different status can be help to quickly access, “All Pending Orders” or “Orders on Hold” with one click.

Troubleshooting

Order Stuck in Pending

Problem: Order remains in Pending status and doesn’t move to Processing.

Possible Causes:

• Insufficient inventory
• Missing shipping method
• Account balance too low
• Order validation errors
• Procedures blocking processing (No Mix, etc.)

Solution:

• Check inventory levels for order items
• Verify shipping method is configured
• Review account balance
• Check for error messages or validation issues
• Review order details for missing information

Order Status Changed Unexpectedly

Problem: Order status changed without manual action.

Possible Causes:

• Automatic processing job ran
• Background workflow executed
• System validation triggered status change
• Another user performed action

Solution:

• Check order activity history
• Review recent system actions
• Verify automatic processing settings
• Check with team members about manual changes

Cannot Change Status

Problem: Unable to change order status manually.

Possible Causes:

• Order is in status that doesn’t allow that action
• Order is being processed by system
• Insufficient permissions
• Order locked by another user

Solution:

• Verify order is in correct status for desired action
• Wait for automatic processing to complete
• Check user permissions
• Ensure no other user is editing the order

Status Not Updating

Problem: Status doesn’t update after action.

Solution:

• Refresh the page to see latest status
• Wait a few seconds for system to process
• Check for error messages
• Verify action completed successfully
• Review order activity log

Related Documentation

• Orders Overview - Learn how to view and navigate orders
• Editing Orders - Edit orders in specific statuses
• Managing Orders - Bulk actions that change statuses
• Creating Orders - Orders start in Pending status

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Next Steps: After understanding order statuses, learn about Managing Orders to perform bulk actions that change order statuses efficiently.