Orders are created when a customer completes the checkout process, and they are visible only to users with Admin and Shop Manager roles. Each order is given a unique Order ID.
Orders can have different statuses depending on their position in the order lifecycle. These statuses help you manage, track, and filter orders as they move from creation to completion.
Pending payment: Order received but no payment initiated. It’s waiting for the customer to pay.
Processing: Payment received and the stock has been reduced. This status is used for all orders that require shipping and need to be fulfilled manually. Orders will stay in this status until you mark them as completed.
On hold: Awaiting payment – stock is reduced, but you need to confirm payment.
Completed: Order fulfilled and complete – requires no further action.
Cancelled: Cancelled by an admin or the customer – stock is increased, no further action required.
Refunded: Refunded by an admin – no further action required.
Failed: Payment failed or was declined (unpaid). It might be due to a declined transaction or authentication issue.
Custom order statuses:
Some plugins or themes may add additional statuses for special workflows. For example, you might see statuses like:
Awaiting shipment
In production
Shipped
Delivered
Ready for pickup
These can vary based on how your store is set up.
Changing order status:
To change an order’s status:
Go to WooCommerce > Orders.
Click on the order you want to update.
Use the Status dropdown on the right-hand side of the order edit screen.
Choose the new status and click Update.
You can also use bulk actions to update the status of multiple orders at once from the Orders page.