Quick checks
Run through these common causes before diving into the detailed steps below.
Check | Fix |
The editing window has closed | Customers can only edit until the window closes. Check the length in Settings. |
Order Editing is in draft or test mode | Open App Status and set the app live for customers. |
The order is fulfilled, cancelled, or archived | These orders can't be edited. This is expected. |
Your fulfillment provider has locked the order | Once a 3PL starts picking, editing stops. Resolve it in that system. |
The order has a tag that blocks editing | Remove the tag, or update your restricted-tag setting. |
The change you want isn't turned on | Enable the matching block in App Blocks. |
The editing window has closed
This is the most common reason. The editing window is the time after checkout when a customer can change their order. Editing is available straight away after checkout and stays open until the window closes. There's no waiting period before it starts.
Once the window closes, the editing options disappear for the customer and the order locks.
- Go to Settings in the Order Editing app.
- Check your editing window length. You can set it to anything from a few minutes to several months after the order is placed.
- If you need longer, increase the window. Future orders will use the new length.
ℹ️ Note: Changing the window length doesn't reopen orders that have already closed. It only applies to orders placed afterwards.
If you use editing rules or service level agreements to set different windows for different orders, those can also close an order earlier or later than your default. For more on the window, see Editing Deadline.
Order Editing is in draft or test mode
If the app is still in draft or test mode, customers won't see the editing options on their order, even though everything looks right to you.
- Open the App Status window in the Order Editing app.
- Check whether the app is set to live or draft.
- Set it to live so customers can edit their orders.
The order is fulfilled, cancelled, or archived
Some order states stop editing automatically. You can't change these from the Order Editing settings.
Fulfilled orders. Once an order is marked as fulfilled, it can no longer be edited. The order has already been sent to ship.
Cancelled orders. A cancelled order can't be edited, whatever the cancellation reason.
Archived orders. By default, archiving an order closes it to editing. If you need to edit it, un-archive the order first.
A fulfillment provider has locked the order
If you use a third-party logistics provider (3PL) such as ShipHero or ShipBob, that system can lock an order once it starts processing it. After the lock, Order Editing can't change the order.
The order locks as soon as the provider starts picking, packing, or batching it. The customer will see that the order can no longer be edited.
A provider can also place a fraud hold or a hold until a set date. Both block editing until they're cleared in that system.
To resolve a lock, you'll need to release or cancel the order inside your provider's system, not in Order Editing. For more on how providers handle this, see Order Editing and 3PLs.
You've chosen to stop editing after payment is captured
Order Editing has an optional setting that closes editing once a payment is captured, even if the window is still open. If a customer can't edit a paid order, check whether you've turned this on.
- Go to Settings in the Order Editing app.
- Look for the option to disable editing after a payment is captured.
- Turn it off if you want paid orders to stay editable until the window closes.
The order has a tag that blocks editing
You can set Order Editing to restrict editing on orders that carry certain tags. If an order has one of those tags, the customer's editing options are limited or removed.
Check your restricted-tag setting in the app, and review the order's tags on its order detail page. Remove the tag, or update your setting, if the order shouldn't be restricted.
A return has been started on the order
If a return has been opened on the order, for example through a returns app, Order Editing closes editing on it. This avoids changes clashing with the return that's in progress.
Editing stays closed while the return is active. This happens automatically and isn't something you configure.
The change you want isn't turned on
Sometimes the order is editable, but the specific change a customer wants to make isn't available. Each type of edit is a separate block you switch on in App Blocks.
Some blocks are off by default, including order cancellations, switching payment methods, and removing products for a refund. If a customer can't make a particular change, check that its block is enabled.
Customer wants to | Turn on this block |
Change their shipping address | |
Switch a size, colour, or product | Switch Product Variants |
Change quantities | |
Add more products | Product Catalog |
Remove a product for a refund | Order downgrades (in Settings) |
Switch their payment method | Switch Payment Methods |
Cancel the order | Order Cancellations |
For more on enabling and configuring these, see Understanding App Blocks.
Order Editing is loading or temporarily unavailable
Now and then, editing is briefly unavailable while Order Editing checks an order or waits on Shopify. The customer may see a loading state or a "try again" message.
This is temporary and clears on its own. Ask the customer to wait a moment and refresh the page, then try the edit again.
Still not working?
A few less common causes can also block editing, such as the app missing an order permission, a Shopify Flow step failing during the edit, or a customer's editing link being too old to use. These usually need a closer look.
To check exactly what happened on a specific order, look at its timeline in the Shopify admin. See Understanding Order Editing Timeline Events.
Start a live chat from within the Order Editing app. Include your store URL, the order number, and a description of what the customer is seeing.
