Understanding Order Holds in AfterShip Order Edits

Overview

AfterShip Order Edits give shoppers a short window to update their orders after checkout. During this time, shoppers can edit shipping addresses, swap products, adjust item quantities, or accept upsell offers, etc. However, many warehouses, ERPs, and 3PL systems start importing immediately after the Shopify order is created. If an order gets edited after that, the information in downstream systems may become outdated. 

The AfterShip Order Hold feature helps resolve the issue by delaying order processing until the editing window closes. This gives shoppers enough time to complete changes before fulfillment begins.

AfterShip Order Edits currently supports two types of order holds:

• Fulfillment hold: Prevents orders from being marked as ready to fulfill.
• Auto-payment capture: Delays orders from being marked as paid until the editing window closes.

Scenario 1: Downstream systems already import orders with a delay

Some downstream systems automatically wait before importing Shopify orders. For example, orders may sync after 15 or 30 minutes instead of immediately after checkout.

In this case, the existing delay already gives shoppers enough time to edit their orders.

Recommended setup

Set the Order Edits time window equal to or shorter than the existing downstream import delay. Further, no order hold configuration is required.

Example:

If the downstream system imports Shopify orders after 15 minutes of order creation, configure the order editing window to 10 minutes or less.

This ensures edits are completed before the order reaches fulfillment systems.

Scenario 2: Downstream systems import orders based on Shopify fulfillment status

Some ERP / WMS and 3PL systems import Shopify orders only when they are marked as Unfulfilled. For example, ShipBob, ShipHero, etc.

Recommended setup

Enable Shopify fulfillment hold. 

When enabled: 

• New Shopify orders are automatically placed on hold
• Downstream system treats the order as not ready for fulfillment
• AfterShip automatically releases the hold once the editing window ends 

The order then moves to the ‘Unfulfilled’ status for fulfillment processing.

How to enable fulfillment hold

1. Go to Order Edits > Settings.
2. Navigate to Order Hold.
3. Turn on Shopify fulfillment hold.

Scenario 3: Downstream systems import orders based on finanical status

Some downstream systems, commonly ERP and accounting integrations, import Shopify orders only after the payment status becomes Paid. For example, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Shipstation, etc.

Recommended setup

• Enable Auto payment capture.

This setup has two core steps:

Step 1: Change Shopify payment capture to manual

Before enabling Auto payment capture, Shopify payment capture must be updated to Manual:

1. In Shopify admin, go to Settings > open Payments.
2. Locate the payment capture method.
3. Select Manually.

Without this change, Shopify captures payments immediately after checkout, and downstream systems may process the order before edits are completed.

Step 2: Enable Auto payment capture in Order Edits

1. Go to AfterShip Order Edits.
2. Open Rules.
3. Navigate to Order Hold.
4. Switch the Auto payment capture to On.

What happens after the editing window closes

With Auto payment capture enabled:

• Orders stay in Authorized status during the editing window.
• AfterShip captures the final order amount automatically once the window closes.
• Then updates the financial status to Paid.

This helps avoid unnecessary refunds or payment adjustments while shoppers continue editing their orders.

Find your integration

Search this list for your downstream system to see which scenario applies.

Still not sure which setup fits?

Every downstream system syncs orders from Shopify differently, and the built-in order hold options may not fit every setup. If you have any questions about how your orders sync, we're here to help.

Contact the AfterShip support team for setup guidance and Shopify Flow recommendations that match your downstream system’s behaviour.

Using Order Holds with complex integrations

For most payment-based systems like NetSuite, our standard recommended approach is to keep orders in the Authorized state during the editing window and let AfterShip automatically capture payment when the window closes. This ensures that only finalized orders are synced to downstream systems.

However, some other environments with custom integrations may require a different configuration. For example:

• If NetSuite setups with third-party payment or fraud-prevention apps automatically capture payment on your orders, AfterShip Auto-payment capture at the end of the Order edit window could conflict with that workflow.
• On the other hand, if your Shopify-to-NetSuite connector, such as Celigo or integrator.io, can delay order imports by a configurable period from order creation, you may be able to use that delay instead and keep your existing payment capture settings.

The right setup depends on how your specific systems import and capture orders.

If you have a customized setup or aren't sure which approach is right for you, our technical team can work directly with your IT team to review your configuration, recommend the best approach, and validate it in a sandbox environment before you go live.

Reach out to AfterShip support team or your AfterShip account contact to schedule a working session.

Additional resources

• Getting Started with AfterShip Order Edits
• Customize Shopper Actions
• Configure Order Edit Rules
• Order Edits Analytics

Updated on: 15/06/2026