How to process & fulfill an order
A step-by-step guide to reviewing, fulfilling, and completing customer orders in WooCommerce.
When a customer places an order, it lands in your WooCommerce dashboard waiting for action. This guide walks you through what to do with a new order — from reviewing it to marking it complete.
Quick summary
New orders arrive with a "Processing" status. Your job is to review the order, pack and ship the goods (or fulfill them digitally), add a tracking number if you have one, and then mark the order "Completed." WooCommerce sends the customer an automatic email at each key step.
What you'll need
Beginner 5–10 minutes per order- WordPress admin access
- The products ready to pack or fulfill
Step 1 — Review the new order
Go to WooCommerce → Orders. Log in to WordPress, then navigate to WooCommerce → Orders in the left-hand menu.
Find orders with "Processing" status. These are paid orders that need action. Click the filter button and select Processing to show only those orders.
Click the order number to open the full details.
Review the items and shipping address. Make sure the order makes sense. Check the items, quantities, and the address before you pack anything.
Step 2 — Fulfill the order
Pack the items and ship them using your preferred carrier (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.). Once shipped, come back to the order in WooCommerce to record the details.
WooCommerce handles digital product delivery automatically — the customer receives a download link by email immediately after payment. You usually don't need to do anything. Just verify the order looks correct and mark it Completed.
Step 3 — Add a tracking number (optional but recommended)
If you have a shipping tracking number, add it to the order so the customer can follow their package.
Open the order. Go to WooCommerce → Orders and click the order.
Find the "Order notes" box on the right side of the screen.
Type a note with the tracking number and carrier name. For example: "Your order shipped via USPS. Tracking: 9400111899223942801234."
Select "Note to customer" from the dropdown below the note box. This sends the customer an email with your note.
Click Add. The note is saved and the email is sent.
Tracking plugins
If you ship frequently, a tracking plugin (like Shipment Tracking by WooCommerce or ShipStation) can automate this process and display tracking directly on the customer's order page.
Step 4 — Mark the order as Completed
Once the order is shipped or fulfilled, update the status to let the customer know.
Open the order page.
Find the "Order status" dropdown near the top of the order detail section.
Select "Completed" from the dropdown.
Click Update (the blue button on the right side of the page). WooCommerce sends the customer a "Your order is complete" email automatically.
Done
The order is now marked Completed. The customer has been notified, and the order will move out of your active queue.
Common questions
Related guides
- Understanding orders
- Order statuses explained
- How to refund an order
- Store emails to customers explained
- Customizing your store emails
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