Guide for ecommerce operations teams
WooCommerce order handling workflow
A WooCommerce order handling workflow is a fixed daily routine for the order list. Ship Processing orders and mark them Completed. Confirm the payment of On hold orders. Decide on a follow-up for Failed orders. Check Cancelled orders for refunds. Track every case that needs more than one step as a WorkSuite task.
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What does each WooCommerce order status mean?
Pending payment means no payment yet. Processing means paid and waiting to ship. On hold means the payment needs to be confirmed. Completed means fulfilled. Failed, Cancelled and Refunded close the order without a sale.
| Status | What it means | What the team does |
|---|---|---|
| Pending payment | The order is received, but no payment has been made | Waits, or follows up if the order stays open |
| Processing | Payment is received, stock is reduced, and the order awaits fulfilment | Ships the order, then marks it Completed |
| On hold | Stock is reduced, and the payment must be confirmed | Confirms the payment, then changes the status |
| Completed | The order is fulfilled and complete | Nothing, unless the customer asks a question |
| Failed | The payment failed or was declined | Decides whether to contact the customer |
| Cancelled | An admin or the customer cancelled the order | Checks whether a refund is due |
| Refunded | The full order value was refunded | Nothing, unless the refund was manual |
What should the daily order check include?
The daily check opens the order list, filters it by status, and works through Processing, On hold, Failed and Cancelled orders in that order. Paid orders come first because customers are waiting for them.
- Filter by Processing. Pack and ship each order, then mark it Completed.
- Filter by On hold. Confirm each payment, then change the status.
- Filter by Failed. Decide whether to contact the customer.
- Filter by Cancelled. Check whether the order needs a refund.
- Create a WorkSuite task for any order you cannot finish now.
When should an order become a WorkSuite task?
Create a WorkSuite task when an order needs more than one step or more than one person. Examples are a payment you are still checking, a refund to approve, or an item that is out of stock.
A quick status change does not need a task.
Put the order number in the task title, so anyone can find the order.
Add a label for the type, such as refund or payment to confirm.
The service guide shows how to set up the Store operations project.
How do we keep the customer informed?
Use a note to customer in WooCommerce to tell the customer about their order, because WooCommerce emails it. Use a private note for your team. Answer longer questions as a WorkSuite ticket.
WooCommerce also sends order emails on its own, for example when an order is processing, completed or refunded.
You turn these emails on or off under WooCommerce > Settings > Emails.
Deleting a note to customer does not recall the email, so check it before you add it.
How should refunds be handled?
Decide who may approve a refund, then refund in WooCommerce. An automatic refund returns the money through the payment method the customer used. A manual refund only records it, and you pay the money back yourself.
Keep a refund task open until the money is back with the customer.
For a manual refund, note in the task how and when the money was paid back.
Can WooCommerce orders create tasks automatically?
Not with a ready-made Cloodo connector today. WooCommerce can send webhooks for order events, such as order created and order updated, to a delivery URL. A developer can point them at a tool that creates the tasks.
Webhooks are set up under WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Webhooks.
If you need help to build this, you can look for a provider on the Cloodo services page.
Frequently asked questions
Which WooCommerce orders do not need processing?
Orders in which every product is both virtual and downloadable. All other orders need processing, according to the WooCommerce documentation.
Does the customer see our order notes?
No. A private note is for your team only. A note to customer is sent to the customer by email and also shows in their account. Deleting a note to customer does not recall the email.
Does Cloodo sync WooCommerce orders into WorkSuite?
Not today. Cloodo has no ready-made WooCommerce connector. Your team creates the tasks, or a developer connects WooCommerce webhooks to a tool that creates them.
Where can we find more step-by-step tutorials?
The Cloodo tutorials page has step-by-step tutorials. Some of them include tasks you can apply in WorkSuite.
Sources
- WooCommerce documentation: Order Statuses, accessed 2026-11-13.
- WooCommerce documentation: Single Order Page and Manually Adding an Order, accessed 2026-11-13.
- WooCommerce documentation: Email Settings, accessed 2026-11-13.
- WooCommerce documentation: Refunding Orders in WooCommerce, accessed 2026-11-13.
- WooCommerce documentation: Webhooks, accessed 2026-11-13.
- Froiden, Worksuite documentation: Tasks, accessed 2026-11-13.
- Froiden, Worksuite documentation: Tickets, accessed 2026-11-13.