How to Add Order Status in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide

WooCommerce is a powerful, flexible eCommerce platform that powers millions of online stores across the globe. One of its key features is the ability to manage orders efficiently. However, there might be situations where the default order statuses don’t perfectly fit your business needs. In such cases, adding a custom order status in WooCommerce can be incredibly Learn more about How To Add Products To Shop Page In Woocommerce beneficial. This guide will walk you through the process of how to add order status in WooCommerce.

Understanding WooCommerce Order Status

Before diving into the technical aspects, it’s essential to understand what order statuses are and their role in WooCommerce. Order statuses in WooCommerce help you track the progress of an order, from the moment a customer places it to when it is completed. WooCommerce comes with several default order statuses such as Pending, Processing, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled, Refunded, and Failed.

Why Add Custom Order Status?

There are many reasons you might want to add a custom order status:

• **Business-Specific Needs**: Different businesses have unique requirements. Custom order statuses can be tailored to fit specific workflows.
• **Better Order Management**: By defining additional statuses, you can manage orders more effectively and keep your customers informed.
• **Improved Communication**: Custom order statuses can enhance communication between your store and your customers by providing more detailed information about the order process.

Steps to Add Discover insights on How To Use Woocommerce Shortcodes Order Status in WooCommerce

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to add a custom order status in WooCommerce:

Step 1: Install a Plugin (Optional but Recommended)

While it’s possible to add custom order statuses manually, using a plugin can simplify the process significantly. One popular plugin is the “Custom Order Status for WooCommerce.”

• **Navigate to Plugins > Add New** in your WordPress dashboard.
• Search for **”Custom Order Status for WooCommerce”**.
• Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**.

Step 2: Create a Custom Order Status

If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can add a custom order status using code. Below is an example of how to do this:

 // Add custom order status function register_custom_order_status() { register_post_status('wc-awaiting-shipment', array( 'label' => _x('Awaiting Shipment', 'Order status', 'textdomain'), 'public' => true, 'exclude_from_search' => false, 'show_in_admin_all_list' => true, 'show_in_admin_status_list' => true, 'label_count' => _n_noop('Awaiting Shipment (%s)', 'Awaiting Shipment (%s)', 'textdomain') )); } add_action('init', 'register_custom_order_status'); 

// Add to list of WC order statuses

function add_custom_order_status($order_statuses) {

$new_order_statuses = array();

// Add new order status after processing

foreach ($order_statuses as $key => $status) {

$new_order_statuses[$key] = $status;

if (‘wc-processing’ === $key) {

$new_order_statuses[‘wc-awaiting-shipment’] = _x(‘Awaiting Shipment’, ‘Order status’, ‘textdomain’);

}

}

return $new_order_statuses;

}

add_filter(‘wc_order_statuses’, ‘add_custom_order_status’);

Step 3: Display Custom Status on the Orders Page

Once the custom order status is created, you can set it for individual orders. Navigate to WooCommerce > Orders, select an order, and choose your custom status from the “Status” dropdown.

Step 4: Notify Customers

Ensure that your customers are notified when their order status changes. You can customize email notifications by going to WooCommerce > Settings > Emails and configuring the settings for your custom status.

Best Practices for Custom Order Status

• **Use Clear Names**: Choose descriptive names for your statuses to avoid confusion.
• **Limit the Number of Statuses**: Too many statuses can complicate order management.
• **Test Thoroughly**: Ensure that your new statuses work seamlessly with other WooCommerce features.

Conclusion

Adding a custom order status in WooCommerce can significantly enhance your store’s order management capabilities. Whether you choose to use a plugin or manually add the status via code, the process is straightforward and offers substantial benefits. By implementing custom order statuses, you can tailor the order process to meet your specific business needs, improve customer communication, and streamline operations.

Remember, always back up your site before making significant changes and test your new custom order statuses thoroughly to ensure everything functions as expected. Happy selling!