Order
Quick Definition
An order in WooCommerce is a record of a customer purchase containing product details, shipping address, payment information, and a status that tracks fulfillment progress — from Pending Payment through Processing to Completed.
What Is an Order?
In WooCommerce, an order is created when a customer completes checkout. It records products, quantities, addresses, payment method, coupons, tax, and fulfillment status.
Order Status Lifecycle
| Status | Meaning | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Pending Payment | Created, no payment yet | Customer pays |
| On Hold | Stock reduced, awaiting manual payment confirmation | Confirm payment |
| Failed | Payment declined | Retry or cancel |
| Processing | Paid, awaiting shipment | Ship, then mark Completed |
| Completed | Fulfilled and delivered | Done |
| Cancelled | Cancelled before fulfillment | Stock restored |
| Refunded | Refund issued | Funds returned |
WooCommerce does NOT auto-complete orders. You must mark Completed after shipping. Digital products can auto-complete.
What an Order Contains
- Order number, products, quantities, prices
- Customer name, email, addresses
- Payment method, totals, tax, shipping, discounts
- Order notes and status timestamps
Managing Orders
- Auto emails on status changes
- Bulk status updates
- Search by name, email, order number
- Custom statuses via plugins
Why It Matters
Understanding statuses prevents mistakes — forgotten Completed marks, missed Failed payments. Good order management keeps customers informed and reduces support load.
Sources: WooCommerce, WPDesk
Related Terms
CheckoutThe checkout page is where customers enter their shipping address, billing details, and payment information to complete a purchase. In WooCommerce, optimizing your checkout can increase conversions by 20-40%.Payment GatewayA payment gateway is the service that securely processes credit card and digital wallet payments on your WordPress store. Popular options for WooCommerce include Stripe (2.9% + 30 cents per transaction), PayPal, and WooPayments.WooCommerceWooCommerce is a free, open-source WordPress plugin that turns any WordPress site into a fully functional online store. It powers over 6.5 million stores worldwide and holds about 33% of the global e-commerce market share.
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