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How to view and manage orders

View and update your WooCommerce orders directly from the WooDonkey dashboard. Shoppers continue to complete their purchases and manage their orders on your WooCommerce storefront.

What it is

The Orders section, found under the Store group in the sidebar, provides a list view of all your WooCommerce orders and a detailed page for each. The list displays customer names as First name and Last name columns. You can perform bulk actions like changing status or deleting multiple orders, or manage individual orders on their detail page. Status changes and deletions, whether bulk or single, write directly to WooCommerce. Internal notes, however, are specific to WooDonkey and are not synchronized with your WooCommerce store.

How it helps you

Orders helps you efficiently manage your store’s sales. You can quickly find specific orders using search and filters, update order statuses individually or in bulk, and add private internal notes for your team. The export feature allows you to download order data for reporting or other uses. You can also gain insights into how customers found your store through the order source details. Internal notes are for dashboard use only and are never emailed to customers, ensuring your communications remain private while order status changes reflect directly on your WooCommerce store.

What is included

  • No Store Connected: If no store is connected, a card displays ‘No store connected’ with a link to Connect a store, which directs you to the onboarding process.
  • Empty List State: When no orders match the current filters, the list displays ‘No orders found’ in the table cell or mobile cards.
  • Search: A search field with the placeholder ‘Search by order number, name, email…’ allows you to find orders. On phones, a Search icon toggles the field. It matches order number, customer name, and customer email on the local order copy. It does not search phone numbers, cities, or line items. The search input is limited to 100 characters.
  • Status Filter: A Select dropdown filters orders by status. The first option is All statuses, followed by seven WooCommerce core statuses: Pending Payment, Processing, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled, Refunded, and Failed. Plugin custom statuses are not included. The default selection is All statuses.
  • Date Filter: The date filter uses the shared DateRangePicker. The trigger displays the active preset name, such as All Time or Custom Range. Presets include Today, Yesterday, This Week, This Month, Last 30 Days, Last 60 Days, This Quarter, This Year, Last Year, and All Time. A separator precedes Custom Range. The default is All Time. Picking a preset applies it immediately and closes the menu. Custom Range provides From date and To date fields. Date windows follow the store’s timezone, and This Week starts on Sunday.
  • Columns (Desktop Only): The Columns button opens a menu titled ‘Shown columns’. Checkboxes allow you to select which columns appear in the list, and your choices persist in the browser. Default visible columns are Order, First name, Last name, Status, Items, Total, Date, Payment method, and Shipping method. Email, Phone, Billing city, Country, Customer note, and ID are hidden by default. First name and Last name are derived from WooCommerce billing details.
  • Sortable Columns: You can sort the list by clicking the headers for Order, First name, Status, Items, Total, Date, and Payment method. Clicking a sortable header toggles between ascending and descending order. The default sort is Date descending. Last name and Shipping method are not sortable.
  • Phone View: On phones, there is no Columns button. Order cards display the order number, status, combined first and last name, total, item count, and date.
  • Row Selection and Bulk Actions: On desktop, a checkbox column allows row selection, with a Select all checkbox in the header. On phones, a Select all label with a checkbox appears, along with individual checkboxes on each card. When at least one row is selected, a sticky bar appears showing ‘N selected’, a Clear button, and an Actions menu. The Actions menu includes Change status and Delete. Selection persists across pagination but clears if search, status, or date filters change. Bulk actions are capped at 100 orders.
  • Bulk Change Status: Selecting Change status from the Actions menu opens a dialog titled ‘Change status’. The body states, ‘This action will apply to N selected orders.’ A Status Select dropdown offers the same seven core WooCommerce statuses, with Processing as the default in the dialog. Buttons are Cancel and Apply. Success toasts include ‘Action completed (N orders)’ or ‘N orders updated, N failed’. This action writes to WooCommerce and updates the local copy.
  • Bulk Delete: Selecting Delete from the Actions menu opens a dialog titled ‘Delete N orders?’. The body warns, ‘This permanently deletes the selected orders from WooCommerce – it cannot be undone.’ Buttons are Cancel and Delete. Success/fail toasts are similar to bulk status changes. This is a permanent WooCommerce force delete.
  • Export CSV: The Export CSV button (icon only on phone) opens a dialog titled ‘Export to CSV’. Helper text explains, ‘Choose which columns to include in the file. The filters currently active on the list will be applied to the export.’ It includes Select all / Clear all options and shows ‘N of M selected’. Buttons are Cancel and Download file. A toast ‘Exported N rows’ confirms success, or ‘Export failed’ for errors. Export CSV uses the active list filters (search, status, date) and does not export only the checked rows. Default-selected export columns are ID, Order Number, Status, Date, Customer Name, Email, Item Count, Total. Optional columns include Phone, Billing City, Country, Payment Method, Item Details, Subtotal, Shipping, Tax, Currency, Customer Note. The export uses a combined ‘Customer Name’ column.
  • Pagination: Pagination displays ‘Page N of M’. You can choose to show 50, 100, 200, or 500 orders per page, with 50 as the default. Previous and Next buttons navigate pages. The URL page parameter is capped at 500.
  • Data Source: The order list first reads from a local copy (mirror). If the local copy is empty, it falls back to the live WooCommerce REST API. A missing recent order typically indicates a sync lag. You can refresh the local copy from Settings, then Store data sync, using the Sync Orders button or Sync changes / Sync everything. The Sync Orders button is not present on the Orders page itself.
  • Order Detail Header: The detail page header includes a Back to orders link, the title ‘Order #N’, the created datetime, and a status badge. A Status Select dropdown offers the same seven core statuses. Changing the status here writes to WooCommerce immediately without confirmation. A ‘Status updated’ toast appears. A trash icon (aria ‘Delete order’) allows you to delete the order. This opens a confirmation dialog ‘Delete order #N?’ with the body ‘This permanently deletes the order from WooCommerce – it cannot be undone.’ Buttons are Cancel and Delete order. A ‘Order deleted’ toast appears, and you are returned to the list. Deletion is permanent (WooCommerce force delete). A ‘Loading order…’ state is shown while the order loads.
  • Items Card: The Items card lists products in the order. Each item shows an image or placeholder, the product name (linked to the product editor if a product ID exists), SKU, quantity (e.g., ‘xN’), and line total. If discounted, a struck-through subtotal and ‘Discount: -amount’ are shown. The footer summarizes Subtotal, Discount (with coupon codes as chips), Shipping (with method title), Tax, and Total.
  • Internal Notes Card: The Internal notes card allows you to add private notes for your team within WooDonkey. These notes are not WooCommerce order notes, are not emailed, and are never seen by the customer. A placeholder reads ‘Add an internal note (not sent to the customer)…’. The Add button is disabled until text is entered (max 2000 characters). If empty, it shows ‘No notes yet’. Each note has a Delete option, which has no confirmation and does not affect WooCommerce.
  • Activity Log Card: The Activity log card appears only when WooCommerce returns order notes. Both WooCommerce private notes and customer-facing notes are displayed here. Customer-facing notes are identified by a ‘Note to customer’ badge. If your store blocks the notes endpoint, this card will not appear.
  • Customer Card: This card displays the customer’s billing name, email (as a mailto link), and phone number. If the phone number can be parsed, it may appear as a WhatsApp link with the title ‘Send WhatsApp message’. Otherwise, it is plain text.
  • Customer History Card: This card appears only if the order has an email address and the local copy contains matching orders. It shows Total orders (capped at 1000 matching emails), Total spent, and Avg order value. Total spent and average order value only count orders with Completed, Processing, or On Hold statuses.
  • Address Cards: Separate cards display the Billing address and Shipping address.
  • Additional Details Card: This card appears only if extra fields from Checkout Fields exist in the additional section.
  • Payment Card: This card shows the payment method title and, if paid, ‘Paid on the date’. It also indicates whether the customer was a Guest or Registered customer.
  • Order Source Card: This card appears only if attribution or IP data exists for the order. It includes rows for Source, Device, Page views, and Customer IP. WooDonkey maps source values to Direct, Organic search, Referral, Web admin, or a UTM source. Device values can be Mobile, Desktop, or Tablet.
  • Customer Note Card: This card displays the note left by the shopper during checkout, if present. This is distinct from internal notes.
  • Features Not on This Page: The Orders page does not include functionality to create new orders, process refunds, edit line items, edit addresses, print invoices or packing slips, send WooCommerce customer emails, add WooCommerce order notes visible to the shopper, filter by custom plugin statuses, or filter by payment method or shipping method. Customer management is handled on the Customers page, and Checkout Fields are configured under Advanced Tools.

How to turn on and manage each capability

Open Orders

  1. From the sidebar, click Store.
  2. Click Orders.

Search for Orders

  1. In the search field, enter an order number, customer name, or email address.
  2. Click the Search button.

Filter Orders by Status

  1. Click the All statuses dropdown.
  2. Select the desired status (e.g., Processing) to filter the list.

Filter Orders by Date

  1. Click the date filter dropdown (e.g., All Time).
  2. To use a preset, select an option like This Month. The filter applies immediately.
  3. To use a custom range, select Custom Range. Then, use the From date and To date fields to select your desired date range.

Manage Visible Columns (Desktop Only)

  1. Click the Columns button.
  2. Check or uncheck the boxes next to column names to show or hide them.

Perform a Bulk Status Change

  1. Check the box next to each order you want to modify, or check the Select all box.
  2. Click the Actions button in the sticky bar.
  3. Select Change status.
  4. In the ‘Change status’ dialog, choose the new status from the Status Select dropdown.
  5. Click Apply.

Perform a Bulk Delete

  1. Check the box next to each order you want to delete, or check the Select all box.
  2. Click the Actions button in the sticky bar.
  3. Select Delete.
  4. In the ‘Delete N orders?’ dialog, click Delete to confirm the permanent deletion.

Export Orders to CSV

  1. Apply any desired search, status, or date filters to the order list.
  2. Click the Export CSV button.
  3. In the ‘Export to CSV’ dialog, select the columns you wish to include in the file.
  4. Click Download file.
  • View Order Details: Click the order number link (e.g., #N) in the list.

Change Order Status on Detail Page

  1. On the order detail page, click the Status Select dropdown next to the status badge.
  2. Select the new status. The change applies immediately.

Add an Internal Note

  1. On the order detail page, scroll to the Internal notes card.
  2. Type your note into the text field.
  3. Click the Add button.

Delete an Internal Note

  1. On the order detail page, locate the note you wish to delete in the Internal notes card.
  2. Click the Delete button next to the note.
  • Read Order Source Information: On the order detail page, scroll to the Order source card to view details like Source, Device, Page views, and Customer IP.

Delete an Order from the Detail Page

  1. On the order detail page, click the trash icon (aria ‘Delete order’) in the header.
  2. In the ‘Delete order #N?’ dialog, click Delete order to confirm the permanent deletion.
  • Synchronize Order Data: If you notice missing or outdated orders, you can manually sync data. Go to Settings, then Store data sync, and click the Sync Orders button or Sync changes / Sync everything.
  • Manage Customers: Customer-specific management, beyond what is shown on the order detail page, is handled on the Customers page, found under Store in the sidebar.

What to know before you start

  • Default Date Filter: The default date filter for the order list is All Time.
  • Available Statuses: Only the seven core WooCommerce statuses (Pending Payment, Processing, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled, Refunded, Failed) are available in status filters and selectors.
  • Single Order Status Change: Changing an order’s status on its detail page applies immediately without a confirmation dialog.
  • Bulk Status Change Confirmation: Bulk status changes require confirmation via an Apply button in a dialog.
  • Internal Notes are Private: Internal notes are for WooDonkey dashboard use only. They are not WooCommerce order notes and are never emailed to customers.
  • Permanent Deletion: Deleting an order, whether individually or in bulk, is a permanent action in WooCommerce and cannot be undone.
  • Local Data Copy: The order list primarily displays a local copy of your WooCommerce data. Sync lags can cause recent orders to appear missing.
  • Selection Clears on Filter Change: Any selected rows will be cleared if you change the search, status, or date filters.
  • Bulk Action Limit: Bulk actions (change status, delete) are capped at 100 orders per operation.
  • Export CSV Behavior: The Export CSV function exports orders based on the currently active list filters (search, status, date), not just the rows you have checked for bulk actions.
  • Missing Order Management Features: This page does not support creating new orders, processing refunds, editing line items, or modifying billing/shipping addresses.
  • Companion Not Required: The WooDonkey Companion plugin is not required to access or manage orders.
  • No Shortcode: There is no shortcode associated with the Orders functionality.

Problems you may hit, and how to fix them

  • Symptom: The Orders page shows a ‘No store connected’ card. Fix: You need to connect your WooCommerce store to WooDonkey. Click the Connect a store link on the card to begin the onboarding process.
  • Symptom: The order list displays ‘No orders found’ even though you expect orders to exist. Fix: Check your active search, status, and date filters. If filters are too restrictive, they might hide orders. Reset filters to All statuses and All Time. If orders are still missing, your local data copy might be out of sync. See ‘Recent order is missing from the list’.
  • Symptom: A recent order from WooCommerce is not appearing in the WooDonkey Orders list. Fix: This is usually due to a sync lag. Manually refresh your local data copy by navigating to Settings, then Store data sync, and clicking the Sync Orders button or Sync changes / Sync everything.
  • Symptom: Searching for an order by phone number, city, or product SKU does not return results. Fix: The search function only matches order number, customer name, and customer email. It does not search phone numbers, cities, or line item details.
  • Symptom: A custom order status from a plugin is not available in the status filter or status dropdowns. Fix: The Orders page only supports the seven core WooCommerce statuses: Pending Payment, Processing, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled, Refunded, and Failed. Custom plugin statuses are not integrated into these lists.
  • Symptom: I changed an order’s status on the detail page, and there was no confirmation dialog. Fix: Changing an order’s status on the detail page applies immediately to WooCommerce without a confirmation step. A ‘Status updated’ toast confirms the change.
  • Symptom: An internal note I added in WooDonkey is not visible in WooCommerce (WordPress admin). Fix: Internal notes are specific to WooDonkey and are not synchronized with WooCommerce. They are for dashboard use only and are not visible on your WordPress site.
  • Symptom: The ‘Activity log’ card is missing from an order’s detail page. Fix: The Activity log card only appears if WooCommerce returns order notes for that order. If your store’s WooCommerce setup blocks the notes endpoint, or if there are no notes for the order, the card will not be displayed.
  • Symptom: The ‘Customer history’ card is missing from an order’s detail page. Fix: The Customer history card only appears if the order has an email address and if WooDonkey’s local copy contains other orders matching that email address.
  • Symptom: I checked specific rows for bulk actions, but the Export CSV file contains orders not selected. Fix: The Export CSV function exports orders based on the currently active list filters (search, status, date), not on the rows you have individually checked for bulk actions. To export specific orders, you must filter the list to show only those orders before exporting.
  • Symptom: The date range filter results seem incorrect, or ‘This Week’ starts on an unexpected day. Fix: Date windows follow your store’s timezone, not your browser’s timezone. ‘This Week’ always starts on Sunday.
  • Symptom: I am looking for the old two-month calendar date filter or a ‘Clear’ / ‘Close’ button in the date menu. Fix: The date filter uses the DateRangePicker. There is no two-month calendar, and no ‘Clear’ or ‘Close’ buttons within the menu. Selecting a preset applies it immediately. For custom ranges, use the From date and To date fields.
  • Symptom: A bulk action (e.g., change status, delete) only processed 100 orders, even though I selected more. Fix: Bulk actions are capped at 100 orders per operation. If you need to process more, you must perform multiple bulk actions on smaller batches of orders.
  • Symptom: I deleted an order, and it’s completely gone from WooCommerce. I need to recover it. Fix: Deletion of orders, whether individually or in bulk, is a permanent WooCommerce force delete and cannot be undone. There is no recovery option within WooDonkey or WooCommerce for deleted orders.

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