When running a Shopify store, managing pre-orders and shipping is one of the most important challenges for many merchants. This guide walks you through, step by step, how to put shipments on hold using Shopify's "RuffRuff Pre Order" app.
The blog article below explains how to set the fulfillment status to on hold without using a Shopify app, as well as points to keep in mind when using the on-hold status. Please use it as a reference.
What Is Fulfillment Status?
Shopify's fulfillment status shows each stage an ordered item goes through until it is delivered to the customer. This allows store owners to accurately track the progress of each order and provide customers with the right information.
Fulfillment status includes the following:
- Unfulfilled
- Partially fulfilled
- Scheduled
- On hold
- Fulfilled
Properly managing these statuses can help streamline order processing and improve customer satisfaction.
Why Set the Fulfillment Status of Pre-Orders to On Hold
There are several important reasons for setting the fulfillment status of pre-orders to "On hold." The main ones are listed below.
The Product Is Not Yet Ready to Ship
Pre-order items are either not yet released or awaiting stock, so they are not physically ready to ship. Until the product arrives, shipping preparations such as packing and creating shipping labels cannot be done either.
To Prevent Misunderstandings With Customers
With the "Unfulfilled" status, customers may expect the product to ship right away. Setting it to "On hold" clearly communicates that the item is a pre-order and will take time to ship, preventing misunderstandings before they happen.
For Efficient Order Management
This clearly separates orders that shipping staff need to ship the same day (for example, those with "Unfulfilled" status) from pre-orders that do not (those with "On hold" status), preventing confusion during operations.
For these reasons, the "On hold" status plays a reasonable and important role in properly managing pre-orders and maintaining good communication with customers. Once the product arrives and is ready to ship, the status is appropriately updated to "Unfulfilled" or "Fulfilled."
A Recommended Shopify App for Putting Pre-Orders On Hold
If you are running pre-orders using RuffRuff Pre Order, you can automatically set pre-orders to the on-hold status with a simple configuration.
What Is RuffRuff Pre Order?
"RuffRuff Pre Order" is a Shopify app that makes it easy to run pre-orders on your Shopify store. By making good use of this app, you can also run a variety of sales such as "limited-time sales," "limited-time offers," "coming soon announcements," "recurring sales," "members-only sales," "VIP-only sales," and "deferred payment."
It also has many unique features not found in other pre-order apps, such as "deferred payment," which lets you collect payment before the product ships.
It has also earned "Built for Shopify," Shopify's official mark of the highest-quality apps that meet standards for speed, ease of use, and reliability.
How to Set the Fulfillment Status of Pre-Orders to On Hold
Preparation. Enable the App Embed
* If you have already completed the preparation for RuffRuff Pre Order, skip this preparation step and proceed to Step 1.
(1) Install RuffRuff Pre Order from the Shopify App Store
Search for "ruffruff" in the Shopify App Store to find "RuffRuff Pre Order."
(2) Open the app and select "Plans" from the left menu
(3) Review the Terms of Service and check "I agree to the Terms of Service"
(4) Click "Change Plan" for the plan you want to subscribe to
(5) Review the plan details and click "Approve"
(6) From the Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes
(7) Click "Customize" on the Shopify theme where you want to add the app
(8) Select "App embed" on the left side of the screen
(9) Enable the app embed named "RuffRuff Pre Order"
(10) Click "Save"
Step 1: Create a Pre-Order Rule
(1) Click "Pre-order rules" in the left menu
(2) From the Pre-order rules page, click "Create rule"
(3) From the pop-up that appears, select "Pre order with purchase options"
(4) Enter any name for the rule name
(5) Configure the following in Conditions
- Inventory condition: Leave blank
- Start date: A date in the past
- Frequency: Daily
ℹ️ With these conditions, the setting will always run as a pre-order.
(6) Configure the following in Actions (Pre-order)
- Cart button text: Pre-order
- Product message: Any text
- Order tag: Any text
ℹ️ Actions (Pre-order) configure how the product behaves while it is a pre-order.
(7) Configure the shipping hold setting in Purchase options
- Enable purchase options: Check the box
- Pre-order plan name: Enter any name
- Pre-order plan description: Enter any description
- Fulfillment status: Select "Set the fulfillment status at the time of order to 'On hold'"
(8) Configure Checkout validation
- Enable checkout validation: Check the box
- Out of conditions limit alert message: Any message
ℹ️ With this setting, if a pre-order item was not correctly added to the cart as a pre-order, an alert message will be shown on the checkout page and the purchase will be blocked.
(9) Click "Save"
Step 2: Apply the Pre-Order Rule to the Relevant Product
(1) Click "Products" in the left menu
(2) Check the products you want to apply the pre-order rule to
(3) Click "Apply rule"
(4) Select the rule you created in Step 1
(5) Click "Apply rule"
This completes the setup.
Step 3: Verify It's Working
(1) Visit the target product page and confirm that the pre-order is active
(2) Add the target product to your cart and place an order
(3) Confirm that the fulfillment status of the pre-order is "On hold"
In Closing
By using the "RuffRuff Pre Order" app, you can manage pre-orders and shipping on your Shopify store more smoothly. This leads not only to better service for your customers but also to greater operational efficiency for you as the store owner. We hope you'll use this guide as a reference to make the most of the app's features.
