How to release 'on hold' orders in Bulk

When you've placed preorder fulfillments on hold and are ready to ship, STOQ allows you to release multiple orders at once using bulk actions. Instead of releasing each order individually in Shopify admin, you can select multiple orders in STOQ's Reports section and release them all with a single action. This saves significant time when processing large batches of preorders.

Accessing the Preorders Report

The bulk release feature is available in STOQ's Reports section where you can view and manage all your preorder orders.

Navigating to Reports

1. From your Shopify admin, open the STOQ app.
2. Click Reports in the left navigation menu.
3. Click Preorders to access the preorder orders list.

Setting Up for Bulk Release

Before releasing orders in bulk, configure your view to work efficiently with large batches.

Adjusting Rows Per Page

Bulk actions apply to the orders currently displayed on the page. To process more orders at once:

1. In the Reports section, look for the rows per page selector.
2. Change the value to 100 to display the maximum number of orders per page.
3. The table will refresh to show up to 100 orders.

Filtering Orders

You can use filters to narrow down which orders appear in the list. This is especially useful when you only want to release orders for specific products or offers.

Filtering by Fulfillment Status

To show only orders that are on hold:

1. Click on the Filters option in the Reports section.
2. Find the Fulfillment status filter.
3. Select On hold to show only orders with held fulfillments.

Filtering by Product

If you only want to release orders for specific products:

1. Click on the Filters option.
2. Find the Product filter.
3. Search for and select the specific product(s) you want to filter by.
4. Only orders containing those products will appear in the list.

Filtering by Preorder Offer

To release orders from a specific preorder offer:

1. Click on the Filters option.
2. Find the Preorder offer or Selling plan filter.
3. Select the specific offer you want to filter by.
4. Only orders from that offer will appear.

Combining Filters

You can combine multiple filters to precisely target the orders you want to release:

• On hold fulfillment status + Specific product = Only held orders for that product
• On hold fulfillment status + Specific offer = Only held orders from that preorder offer
• Date range + On hold status = Only held orders from a specific time period

Releasing Orders in Bulk

Once you've configured your view and filters, you can release multiple orders at once.

Step 1: Select Orders

You have two options for selecting orders:

Select All on Page:

1. Click the checkbox in the table header to select all orders on the current page.
2. All visible orders (up to 100) will be selected.

Select Specific Orders:

1. Click the checkbox next to each order you want to release.
2. Only the selected orders will be affected by the bulk action.

Screenshot:

Step 2: Access Bulk Actions

1. After selecting orders, click on 3-dots (more actions button)on the screen.
2. Look for the Fulfillment section in the actions menu.
3. Click to expand the fulfillment options if needed.

Step 3: Release Held Fulfillments

1. Click Release "On hold" fulfillments from the bulk actions menu.
2. A confirmation dialog appears explaining the action.
3. Review the confirmation message: "This action will release fulfillments that are currently 'On hold', allowing them to be fulfilled immediately."
4. Click Release fulfillments to confirm.

Step 4: Wait for Processing

1. STOQ processes the release request in the background.
2. A banner appears confirming: "Your request to release 'On hold' fulfillments is being processed."
3. Click Refresh table to see updated results after processing completes.

Processing Multiple Pages

If you have more orders than can fit on one page, repeat the process for each page.

Workflow for Large Batches

1. Set rows per page to 100.
2. Apply your filters (e.g., On hold status, specific product).
3. Select all orders on the current page.
4. Click Release "On hold" fulfillments.
5. Wait for processing to complete.
6. Click Refresh table.
7. Navigate to the next page of results.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 until all orders are released.

Using "Apply to All Matching" Option

For even faster processing, STOQ offers an option to apply the action to all orders matching your current filters, not just the selected ones on the current page.

How It Works

1. Apply your filters to show only the orders you want to release.
2. Select at least one order to enable bulk actions.
3. Look for the Apply to all matching option in the bulk action dialog.
4. When enabled, the action applies to ALL orders matching your filters across all pages.

This is especially useful when you have hundreds of orders to release and don't want to process page by page.

Best Practices

Follow these recommendations for efficient bulk release operations.

Plan Your Release

• Review your filters before releasing to ensure you're targeting the correct orders.
• Start with a small batch to verify the process works as expected.
• Check that inventory is available before releasing fulfillments.

Use Filters Strategically

• Filter by product when only certain items are ready to ship.
• Filter by date to release older orders first (FIFO approach).
• Combine filters to precisely target orders for specific shipments.

Monitor Progress

• Refresh the table after each bulk action to see updated statuses.
• Check Shopify admin to verify fulfillments are released correctly.
• Review any orders that didn't release successfully.

Coordinate with Warehouse

• Communicate with your fulfillment team before releasing large batches.
• Ensure they're ready to process the orders once released.
• Consider releasing in batches that match your warehouse capacity.

Paid Feature Note

Bulk actions including "Release On hold fulfillments" are available on paid STOQ plans. If you're on a free plan, you'll see an upgrade prompt when trying to use bulk actions.

Known Limitations

The bulk release feature has some constraints to be aware of.

• Bulk actions process one page at a time (up to 100 orders). For larger batches, use the "Apply to all matching" option or repeat the process for each page.
• Processing happens in the background and may take a few minutes for large batches.
• Orders must have "On hold" fulfillment status to be released. Orders with other statuses are not affected.
• The action releases ALL held fulfillments in an order, not individual line items.
• You cannot undo a bulk release. Once fulfillments are released, they're ready for fulfillment.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with bulk release, use this guide to identify and resolve common problems.

FAQs

Q: Can I release orders from multiple preorder offers at once?

A: Yes, if you don't filter by a specific offer, the bulk release action will apply to all selected orders regardless of which preorder offer they came from. Just make sure all selected orders have a "On hold" fulfillment status.

Q: What happens to orders that aren't on hold when I use bulk release?

A: The bulk release action only affects orders with "On hold" fulfillment status. Orders with other statuses (like "Unfulfilled" or "Fulfilled") are not affected by this action.

Q: Can I schedule a bulk release for a future date?

A: The bulk release action releases fulfillments immediately. If you want to schedule fulfillments for a future date, use the "Reschedule fulfillment" bulk action instead, which lets you set a specific date.

Q: How do I know when the bulk release is complete?

A: STOQ shows a banner indicating the request is being processed. Click "Refresh table" to see updated results. You can also check individual orders in Shopify admin to verify their fulfillment status has changed from "On hold" to "Unfulfilled" (ready to fulfill).

Q: What if I accidentally release the wrong orders?

A: Released fulfillments cannot be automatically put back on hold through STOQ. You would need to manually update the fulfillment status in A: Shopify admin if needed, or simply not fulfill those orders until you're ready.

Q: Is there a limit to how many orders I can release at once?

A: When using page-by-page selection, you can release up to 100 orders per action (the maximum rows per page). When using "Apply to all matching," there's no practical limit—the action applies to all orders matching your filters.

Updated on: 13/03/2026