How to process & fulfill an order
A step-by-step guide to processing a Shopify order from payment received to shipped, including adding tracking numbers.
When a customer places an order, it shows up in your Shopify admin waiting for action. This guide walks you through processing that order from start to shipped.
Quick summary
Processing an order means marking it as fulfilled once you have shipped (or handed off) the items. Open the order, create a fulfillment, add a tracking number if you have one, and click Fulfill. Shopify will send the customer a shipping confirmation email automatically.
What you'll need
Beginner 5 minutes per order- Admin access to your Shopify store
- The order to be fulfilled (paid and ready to ship)
- A tracking number from your carrier (optional but recommended)
Step 1 — Find the order
Go to Orders. From your Shopify admin, click Orders in the left sidebar.
Find orders that need action. New orders that have been paid but not shipped show as Unfulfilled. You can click the Unfulfilled filter tab to see only those.
Open the order. Click the order number to open it.
Step 2 — Review the order
Before fulfilling, take a moment to review:
- Is payment confirmed? The order should show Paid at the top.
- Is the shipping address correct?
- Are all items in the order what you expected?
- Are there any customer notes (visible in the order, often in a yellow box)?
Check for fraud risk alerts
If the order has a red or orange Risk badge, Shopify's fraud analysis flagged something unusual. Review it before shipping. You can see the details by clicking on the risk indicator. It is your decision whether to proceed — but it is better to check than to ship to a fraudulent address and lose both the goods and the payment.
Step 3 — Fulfill the order
Scroll to the Unfulfilled section. You will see a section listing the items ready to be fulfilled.
Click Fulfill items. A fulfillment panel opens.
Add a tracking number (optional but recommended). Enter the tracking number from your carrier. Select the carrier from the dropdown (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.). If your carrier is not listed, you can enter it manually.
Check "Send shipment details to your customer." This is usually on by default. It sends the customer a shipping confirmation email with their tracking link.
Click Fulfill items. The order status changes to Fulfilled.
You're done
The order is now marked as fulfilled. The customer receives a shipping confirmation email with the tracking number (if you added one). You can find the fulfilled order in your Orders list with a green Fulfilled badge.
Fulfilling only part of an order
If you are shipping items in multiple shipments — for example, one item is back-ordered — you can fulfill a partial order:
Open the order. Find and open the order in your Orders list.
Click Fulfill items. In the fulfillment panel, uncheck the items you are not shipping yet.
Fulfill only the ready items. The order will show Partially fulfilled. You can come back and fulfill the remaining items later.
Auto-fulfillment for digital products
If you sell digital products or gift cards, Shopify can fulfill them automatically — no manual action needed. Make sure your product is set up as a digital product in Shopify and that the correct fulfillment service is selected.
Using fulfillment apps
If you use a fulfillment service (like Fulfillment by Amazon, ShipBob, or a 3PL), Shopify can send orders to them automatically. These are set up via Settings → Shipping and delivery → Fulfillment services. Ask us for help if you are setting up a fulfillment integration for the first time.
Printing a packing slip
To print a packing slip to include in your shipment:
Open the order.
Click Print. Look for a Print option in the top-right area of the order page (or via the More actions menu).
Select Packing slip. Print from your browser.
Common questions
Related guides
- Understanding orders in Shopify
- How to refund an order in Shopify
- Setting up shipping zones & rates
- Understanding the Shopify cart & checkout
- Troubleshooting Shopify problems
Need a hand?
Learn more
Understanding orders in Shopify
Learn how Shopify orders work, what the different order statuses mean, and where to find everything you need to manage your sales.
How to refund an order in Shopify
Step-by-step instructions for issuing full or partial refunds in Shopify, including what happens to inventory and when money reaches the customer.