Shopify Order Status: How to Check & Manage Your Orders

The Shopify order status page confirms payment, tracks shipping, and builds customer trust. For merchants, it’s also a tool to manage orders and improve the post-purchase experience.

That’s the focus of this tutorial. In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What Shopify order status means in the admin
• How the order status page works for customers
• How to access and manage it in Shopify admin
• How customers view order updates
• Ways to customize the order status page
• How to fix common issues

Let’s dive in!

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What Shopify Order Status means in the Admin

When you manage orders in Shopify admin, you will see several types of statuses. Each type highlights a different part of the order process and guides the next action you need to take.

The table below lists the main order status categories, their sub-statuses, what triggers them, and how to manage each. This will help you avoid confusion between payments, fulfillment, and returns:

Status type	Examples	What it means for you
Order status	Open, Archived, Canceled	Shows whether the order is active, closed, or canceled. Open orders still require action.
Payment status	Authorized, Paid, Pending, Refunded, Expired	Tells you if payment has been validated, captured, delayed, or returned.
Fulfillment status	Unfulfilled, Fulfilled, Partially fulfilled, Scheduled, On hold	Tracks whether items have been shipped. Unfulfilled orders still need to be processed.
Return status	Return requested, Return in progress, Returned, Inspection complete	Indicates whether a return needs approval, is being processed, or is complete.

Here’s what each Shopify order status means in detail:

Order Status

Shopify uses three main order statuses:

• Open: The order is placed and still needs action.
• Canceled: The order is canceled. If not fully refunded, actions may remain.
• Archived: Orders are removed from the active list, either manually or automatically. Canceled orders are often archived.

Merchant actions:

• Review open orders daily and fulfill or refund.
• For canceled orders, confirm refunds are complete.
• Archive to keep your order list organized.

Payment Status

Shopify shows nine common payment statuses:

• Pending: Payment started (or manual method) but not guaranteed. Inventory is reserved.
• Authorized: Approved but funds not yet captured (manual capture).
• Expiring: Appears ~2 days before the authorization deadline.
• Expired: Authorization expired or payment failed.
• Paid: Full payment captured.
• Partially Paid: Only part of the total captured.
• Refunded / Partially Refunded: Payment fully or partly returned.
• Voided: Unpaid order canceled or authorization voided.
• Unpaid: Any status where full payment isn’t secured.

Merchant actions:

• Watch pending orders, especially with manual payments.
• Capture authorized payments before expiry.
• Check refunds to keep accounting and inventory accurate.

Fulfillment Status

Shopify has five fulfillment statuses:

• Unfulfilled: No items shipped. Default after order is placed (unless auto-fulfill applies).
• Partially Fulfilled: Some items shipped, others pending. Common for split shipments or backorders.
• Fulfilled: All items shipped.
• Scheduled: For prepaid subscriptions or future-dated orders. Moves to Unfulfilled on the set date.
• On Hold: Manually paused (e.g. waiting for stock or upsell). Inventory reserved but not fulfilled.

Merchant actions:

• Check unfulfilled orders daily and ship promptly.
• For partial shipments, send tracking updates and timelines.
• Prepare stock in advance for scheduled orders.
• Resolve “On hold” issues quickly (stock, payment, or upsell).

Return Status

Shopify has four return statuses:

• Return Requested: Customer started a return, needs approval.
• Return in Progress: Approved or created manually; items inbound or awaiting inspection.
• Inspection Complete: Items reviewed; decide refund, restock, or reject.
• Returned: Return fully processed; refund/restock complete.

Merchant actions:

• Respond quickly to requests to build customer trust.
• Track return shipments and keep customers updated.
• After inspection, process refunds and restock promptly.
• Analyze return data to spot product or sizing issues.

These statuses guide your operations, showing when to capture payments, fulfill shipments, or process returns. Many delays happen because merchants confuse Payment vs. Fulfillment status. Checking all four status types regularly keeps operations smooth.

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What the Shopify Order Status Page Does for Your Customers

The order status page is the final screen that a customer sees after completing checkout in your Shopify store. Although it may look like a simple confirmation page, it plays an important role in the customer experience.

Customers can land on the order status page in three main ways:

• From the Thank You page right after completing checkout
• Through a post-purchase app extension, if you are using one
• By clicking a link in a transaction notification such as an order confirmation email or SMS

On this page, customers can:

• Check the progress of their order without contacting you
• See real-time tracking updates if you ship with a supported carrier
• Opt in to receive updates by email if they checked out with a phone number
• Return to your online store to keep shopping

For merchants, the key difference is that the Thank You page is a single moment, while the order status page is a touchpoint customers revisit multiple times. That makes it one of the most valuable places to reinforce trust, answer questions proactively, and even encourage repeat purchases.

We encourage merchants to treat the order status page as part of the customer journey, not just a receipt. Done right, it becomes a silent support tool that reduces tickets, builds loyalty, and strengthens your brand every time a customer checks their order.

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How to Access and Manage the Shopify Orders

The Shopify order status page lets customers track purchases, shipping, and delivery. Merchants can use it in Shopify admin to monitor payments, fulfillment, and returns. Knowing how to manage this page helps you resolve issues faster and give accurate updates:

Step 1: Access Orders in Shopify Admin

Sign in to your Shopify admin dashboard. From the left-hand menu, click Orders in your Shopify admin to view all customer orders and their Shopify order status.

Step 2: Find the Order You Want to Manage

Now, you’re in the Orders section. Here you will see a list of all orders your customers have placed, including details such as order number, date, customer name, total, payment status, and fulfillment status.

You can use the search bar at the top right to quickly find a specific order by entering the order number, customer name, email address, or phone number. This makes it easy to locate recent purchases or resolve customer inquiries without scrolling through the entire list.

Step 3: View Order Details Page

Once you find the order you want to manage, click on the order to open the order details page.

Here, you’ll see the customer’s information, their payment method, and the order’s fulfillment status. If you’re using Shopify Payments, these details also connect directly to your setup, letting you track payout schedules, authorization holds, or pending verifications.

Step 4: Access the Order Status Page

In the order details screen, open the More actions menu and select View order status page. This shows you exactly what the customer sees, including tracking numbers and shipping carrier updates. 

You can use this view to confirm that customers are receiving the right information and to troubleshoot if they report missing updates. 

From our experience, merchants who regularly check this view can identify gaps before customers complain, which saves time and improves satisfaction.

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How Your Customers See Order Updates

In Shopify admin, you manage orders with detailed statuses like Authorized, Unfulfilled, or Return Requested. Customers, however, see a simpler version on their order status page, giving them clear updates without exposing internal terms:

Customer-facing status	What it means
Confirmed	The order was created but not yet shipped.
On its way	The order was fulfilled in Shopify admin and is moving through the carrier’s network.
Out for delivery	The shipment has arrived in the customer’s area and will be delivered soon.
Delivered	The shipment reached the customer.
Attempted delivery	The carrier tried to deliver the order but was not successful.

Clear, simplified updates on the order status page keep customers informed and confident, while reducing support requests for your store.

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How to Customize the Order Status Page on Shopify

The order status page cannot be edited directly from the theme editor. Instead, you manage its look and functionality through your checkout settings, carrier setup, and customer notifications. We often combine these adjustments with branding elements so the page feels seamless with the rest of your store.

1. Customize through the Checkout editor

The order status page inherits styles from your checkout, including logos, colors, and typography. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Checkout (1) → Customize (2).

In the editor, you can add a logo, upload a banner or background image, and set your brand’s color palette. These design choices will carry through to the order status page, giving customers a consistent experience.

Note: To ensure your logo, banners, and background images display clearly on the order status page, make sure they follow Shopify’s recommended dimensions. You can refer to this detailed guide on Shopify Image Sizes.

Because the order status page itself cannot be previewed in the editor, you should send a test email from Settings → Notifications to see how your changes will look.

2. Add tracking numbers and use Shopify-supported carriers

Every order you fulfill should include a tracking number. When you do this, Shopify can automatically display shipment updates on the order status page. 

If you use a Shopify-supported carrier such as USPS, UPS, DHL Express, or FedEx, customers will even see their delivery progress on a real-time map. 

If you work with a carrier that Shopify does not support, you can still provide a tracking link. In this case, customers will click the tracking number in their order confirmation email and be taken to the carrier’s website for updates.

3. Capture customer emails for updates

The order status page is only useful if customers know how to access it. Shopify automatically includes a link in order and shipping emails, but updates are sent by email only, not SMS. 

To make sure customers receive these links, set Email as the required contact method in Settings → Checkout, and also require a phone number for delivery purposes.

Your customer notification emails (Order confirmation, Shipping confirmation, Out for delivery, Delivered) all include a link to the order status page. 

From Settings → Notifications (1) → Customer notifications (2), you can edit the copy and design of these emails so the link is clear and the message matches your brand. 

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Troubleshooting Common Shopify Order Status Issues

Even with the right setup, merchants may face issues that affect how the order status page works. Below are the most common scenarios, grouped into five categories, with causes, solutions, and sample customer communication.

1. Payment status problems

Payments may sometimes get stuck or fail to update properly. If a payment shows as “Pending” for days, the cause is often bank delays, payment method verification, or fraud detection. You must now contact the payment processor directly and reassure customers: “Our payment processor is verifying your payment. We’ll update you within 24-48 hours.”

2. Fulfillment and tracking issues

Orders can get stuck as “Unfulfilled” even though they were shipped. This usually means the order was not marked fulfilled in the admin. Manually add tracking and mark it fulfilled so customers receive updates.

Tracking problems are also common. If a wrong tracking number is entered, you should update the fulfillment record and resend the notification: “We’ve updated your tracking information. Please check the latest email for details.” 

If tracking shows “Label created” but no updates, confirm with the carrier that the package has been picked up and inform the customer that updates may take 24-48 hours to appear.

3. Customer-facing display problems

In other cases, real-time tracking may not display correctly for supported carriers due to API downtime or incorrect formats. You should verify the tracking number, check the carrier’s system status, and provide a backup manual link if needed: “Please check tracking directly with [Carrier] using number [XXXXX].”

4. Notification and access issues

If customers report that they are not receiving order updates, the cause may be email deliverability problems, disabled notifications, or SMS not enabled. Now, let’s check notification settings, test with sample orders, and advise customers to check spam folders: “Please add us to your contacts so you don’t miss future updates.”

Sometimes customers say they cannot access the order status page. This may be due to email changes or expired links. In this case, send them the direct order status link from your admin and verify their details. Clear communication reassures customers while you fix the root issue.

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Shopify Order Status: FAQs

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Final Words

The Shopify order status page begins as a simple confirmation for the customer, but it can become much more. It reassures buyers that payment went through, it shows them when to expect their delivery, and it gives you a chance to keep communication clear. 

When you take the time to add tracking numbers and personalize the page with helpful messages, you reduce confusion and support requests. Over time, these small improvements build trust and bring customers back.