- Short answer
- No — you can only delete a purchase order while it's a Draft; once Ordered, that can't be reversed, so you archive it instead.
- Linked transfer
- If the order has one, archiving doesn't close or cancel that transfer
- Archived order
- Stays on your purchase orders list, grayed out; Unarchive uses the same steps
- Editing after Ordered
- Most fields, including products, costs and supplier details; the linked transfer's origin and destination lock at Ready to ship
Why can't you delete a purchase order once it's Ordered?
Shopify ties Delete to the draft stage: "You can delete a purchase order while it's still a draft. If a purchase order is marked as Ordered, then you need to archive it instead." And the status is one-way: "Marking a purchase order as ordered can't be reversed."
This covers purchase orders in your Shopify admin, not Stocky, which is no longer available as of August 31, 2026.
What can you do with an Ordered purchase order instead?
Archive it: click the purchase order, click More actions, then click Archive. "Archived purchase orders are displayed as grayed out on your purchase orders list." To undo it, follow the same steps and click Unarchive.
"Archiving a purchase order doesn't close or cancel the linked inventory transfer." If that transfer is the problem, check whether unlinking is the right move.
Order real, details wrong? Edit it instead: "You can still edit most purchase order information after you mark it as ordered, including products, costs, and supplier details." The named exception is the linked transfer, which "can't have its origin or destination changed after it reaches the Ready to ship status."
This article was written entirely by AI under human editorial direction. The editor sets the topic and structure, runs multi-stage validation on facts, links, and interactive elements, and verifies the output is useful from a business perspective. All claims are checked against official Shopify sources. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
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