In the world of e-commerce, order management is a critical aspect of running a successful online store. WooCommerce, one of the most popular e-commerce platforms for WordPress, offers a robust order management system out of the box. However, there are times when store managers require additional order statuses to accurately track and communicate the progress of orders. One such status that is often needed is “Shipped.” In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a custom “Shipped” order status in WooCommerce, allowing you to efficiently manage and communicate the shipping status of orders to your customers.
Why Create a Custom Shipped Order Status?
Before we dive into the technical details of creating a custom order status, let’s explore why having a “Shipped” status can be invaluable for your WooCommerce store:
- Improved Order Tracking: Adding a “Shipped” status provides a clear and specific step in the order fulfillment process. It helps store managers and customers alike track the progress of their orders more accurately.
- Enhanced Communication: The “Shipped” status can serve as an important communication tool. When an order is marked as shipped, customers receive a notification, which reassures them that their items are on the way. This reduces customer inquiries and increases trust.
- Efficient Workflow: With a dedicated “Shipped” status, store managers can better organize their order fulfillment workflow. It helps distinguish orders that have been prepared for shipping from those still awaiting fulfillment.
Now, let’s get into the step-by-step process of creating a custom “Shipped” order status in WooCommerce.
Creating the Shipped Order Status
To create a custom “Shipped” order status in WooCommerce, follow these steps:
1. Access Your WordPress Admin Dashboard
Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard, where you manage your WooCommerce store.
2. Open Your Child Theme’s Functions.php File
To create a custom order status without using a plugin, you can add code to your child theme’s functions.php file. This file is where you can insert custom code to modify your WordPress site’s functionality. Please make sure you are using a child theme to prevent your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.
3. Define the Shipped Order Status (Code Block Below)
In your child theme’s functions.php file, you’ll need to add custom PHP code to define the “Shipped” order status. Below is the code block you can use:
/**
* Add a custom "Shipped" order status to WooCommerce.
*/
function add_custom_order_status() {
register_post_status('wc-shipped', array(
'label' => _x('Shipped', 'Order status', 'woocommerce'),
'public' => true,
'exclude_from_search' => false,
'show_in_admin_all_list' => true,
'show_in_admin_status_list' => true,
'label_count' => _n_noop('Shipped (%s)', 'Shipped (%s)', 'woocommerce')
));
}
add_action('init', 'add_custom_order_status');
4. Save Your Changes
After adding the code block to your child theme’s functions.php file, save the file.
5. Implement Status Changes
With the “Shipped” status defined, you’ll need to implement changes to your order processing workflow to use this status appropriately. This might involve:
- Marking orders as “Shipped” when they are dispatched.
- Sending shipment tracking information to customers.
- Updating the order status to “Completed” once the customer receives the order.
Please note that the specific implementation may vary depending on your store’s needs and the plugins or tools you use for order fulfillment.
Conclusion
Creating a custom “Shipped” order status in WooCommerce can significantly enhance your order management and customer communication processes. This status allows you to track orders more accurately, reassure customers about their shipments, and improve overall workflow efficiency.
Whether you’re selling physical products, digital goods, or a combination of both, having a dedicated “Shipped” status ensures a smoother, more transparent, and customer-friendly shopping experience on your WooCommerce store.