- Short answer
- Open the order in Orders, choose Mark as on hold, pick a reason (plus items on desktop). Up to 10 manual holds per fulfillment; Flow can automate it.
- Second hold
- Click Add hold in the On hold section.
- Why it can read Unfulfilled
- An order that also contains an unfulfilled fulfillment displays Unfulfilled, not On hold.
- Many orders
- In Orders, select them and use Mark as > On hold.
- Automation
- Shopify Flow has a Hold fulfillment order action; Flow is free on the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans.
How do you put one order on hold?
- Go to Orders and open the order.
- In its Unfulfilled or In progress section, open the menu (on Unfulfilled, beside Mark as fulfilled) and choose Mark as on hold.
- On desktop, select the items to hold.
- In Hold reason (Select the reason for holding in the Shopify app), select a reason. With Other selected, our test form on November 6, 2026 also showed a Note box (up to 255 characters).
- Click Mark as on hold.
- Orders
- Order details
- Unfulfilled section
- Mark as on hold
- Orders
- Order details
- Mark as on hold
Shopify's Marking your order as on hold page says Mark as on hold; the pre-orders guide says Hold fulfillment. In our development store on November 6, 2026, the menu showed Mark as on hold; follow your menu's label.
What does a hold change on the order?
The held fulfillment's status becomes On hold. Inventory can be reserved, but fulfillment is blocked, and an order whose status is On hold drops out of the Unfulfilled list.
You can't mark a held order or fulfillment as fulfilled or in progress until you release all holds.
An order that also contains an unfulfilled fulfillment displays as Unfulfilled instead of On hold. Check the order's sections for what is held.
In one test order in our development store on November 6, 2026 (one fulfillment group), holding part of it kept the badge Unfulfilled, with separate Unfulfilled and On hold sections.
- Orders
- Order details
To add another hold, click Add hold in the On hold section. You can add up to 10 manual holds to a fulfillment.
- Orders
- Order details
Use Release hold to lift one, or see releasing a fulfillment hold.
Holding a pre-order? Tell the customer its status; see pre-order holds.
How do you hold several orders or automate holds?
To hold several, select them in Orders, choose Mark as > On hold, and pick a Hold reason.
- Orders
- Mark as
- On hold
To automate it, Shopify Flow, a free app on the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans, has a Hold fulfillment order action.
- Apps
- Flow
- Create workflow
- Hold fulfillment order
For risky orders, see holding a high-risk order.
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