⌘K

Order Management

Efficiently process and fulfill orders that include product customizations.

Understanding Order Structure

When a customer completes checkout with customized products, the order contains:

  • Main product line items - With customization properties
  • Add-on line items - From linked products
  • Properties - Metadata showing selections

Viewing Orders

In Shopify Admin

  1. Go to Orders
  2. Select an order
  3. View line items with their properties
  4. Click on a line item for full details

Order Details Include

Element Description
Product Name Main product purchased
Variant Selected variant (if any)
Properties Customization selections
Add-on Items Separate line items for linked products
Prices Individual and total pricing

Line Item Properties

Visible Properties

Properties visible to customers:

  • Appear in order confirmation emails
  • Shown on packing slips
  • Visible in customer's order history
  • Display in cart and checkout
Color: Navy Blue
Size: Large
Engraving: "Happy Birthday"

Hidden Properties

Properties starting with underscore are merchant-only:

  • Not visible to customers
  • Visible in admin order view
  • Useful for internal tracking
_uplift_group: color-options
_uplift_linked_product: 12345678
_uplift_option_id: abc123

Fulfillment Workflow

Standard Process

  1. Review order - Check all customizations
  2. Prepare main product - Apply customizations
  3. Gather add-ons - Collect linked products
  4. Quality check - Verify against order properties
  5. Pack and ship - Include packing slip with details
  6. Mark fulfilled - Update order status

Partial Fulfillment

If items ship separately:

  1. Select specific line items to fulfill
  2. Enter tracking for that shipment
  3. Repeat for remaining items
  4. Order shows partial status until complete

Packing Slips & Invoices

Displaying Customizations

By default, visible properties appear on packing slips. To enhance this:

  1. Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery
  2. Edit packing slip template
  3. Ensure properties are displayed clearly

Template Enhancement

{% for line_item in line_items %}
  {{ line_item.title }}
  {% for property in line_item.properties %}
    {% unless property.first contains '_' %}
      {{ property.first }}: {{ property.last }}
    {% endunless %}
  {% endfor %}
{% endfor %}

Refunds & Cancellations

Full Refund

  1. Open the order
  2. Click Refund
  3. Select all items (including add-ons)
  4. Process refund

Partial Refund (Add-ons Only)

  1. Open the order
  2. Click Refund
  3. Select only the add-on line items
  4. Adjust quantity if needed
  5. Process partial refund
💡 Tip: You can refund individual add-on products without refunding the main product.

Inventory on Refund

  • Choose whether to restock items
  • Inventory updates for add-on products
  • Consider condition of returned items

Editing Orders

What Can Be Edited

  • Add or remove add-on line items
  • Adjust quantities
  • Add new products
  • Apply discounts

Limitations

  • Cannot change customization properties directly
  • To change customizations: cancel/refund and re-order
  • Or manually adjust and note changes

Reporting & Analytics

Shopify Reports

Use Shopify's built-in reports for:

  • Sales by product (includes add-on products)
  • Revenue from add-on products
  • Popular product combinations

Tracking Add-on Performance

Key metrics to monitor:

Metric What It Tells You
Add-on attachment rate % of orders with add-ons
Average add-on value Revenue per add-on
Most popular add-ons Top-selling options
Add-on revenue Total from linked products

Order Automation

Shopify Flow (Plus)

Automate based on customizations:

  • Tag orders with specific options
  • Route to specialized fulfillment
  • Send notifications for custom orders
  • Auto-apply discounts

Third-Party Integrations

Uplift data works with:

  • Fulfillment services (ShipStation, etc.)
  • ERPs and inventory systems
  • Print-on-demand services
  • Custom webhooks

Troubleshooting

Properties not showing in order

  • Verify cart had properties before checkout
  • Check theme is passing properties through
  • Test with a fresh order

Add-ons missing from order

  • Check inventory wasn't depleted during checkout
  • Verify product links are correct
  • Review cart contents before order

Wrong pricing in order

  • Check linked product prices at time of order
  • Verify no discount code conflicts
  • Review cart calculations

Best Practices

  • Clear internal processes - Document how to handle customized orders
  • Train your team - Ensure staff understands order structure
  • Quality control - Double-check customizations before shipping
  • Customer communication - Confirm complex orders if needed
  • Track metrics - Monitor add-on performance regularly

Next Steps