How to release scheduled preorder orders
When customers place preorders through STOQ, fulfillment is scheduled for a future date based on your selling plan settings. If you need to fulfill these orders earlier than planned, such as when stock arrives ahead of schedule, you can release the scheduled orders to change their status from Scheduled to Unfulfilled, making them available for immediate fulfillment.
You can release orders in bulk or release a specific order from Stoq > Reports > Preorders.
How Releasing Scheduled Orders Works
When a preorder is placed, Shopify sets the fulfillment status to Scheduled based on the fulfillment date configured in your selling plan. The order stays in this state until the scheduled date arrives, at which point Shopify automatically moves it to "Unfulfilled."
If you want to fulfill orders before the scheduled date, use the Open scheduled fulfillments action in STOQ. This changes the status from Scheduled to Unfulfilled, making the order available for immediate fulfillment, as if the scheduled date has already passed.
Release Orders in Bulk
When you need to release multiple preorder orders at once, such as an entire batch for a product that arrived early, use the bulk action from the reports table.
- In your STOQ dashboard, go to Reports > Preorders > Order.
- Select the orders you want to release by checking the boxes next to each order.
- To select all scheduled orders that match your current filters, use the Search and Filter option. Open the filter (F), then choose Fulfillment status and select Scheduled.
- After selecting all orders, click the More Actions (Three dot) at the top right side of the table
- Under the Fulfillment group, select Open Scheduled fulfillments.
- In the confirmation dialog, click Open fulfillments to confirm.
STOQ processes the orders in the background. A banner appears confirming your request is being processed. Click Refresh table to see updated fulfillment statuses.
Release a Single Order
You can also release an individual preorder order from the order detail page.
- In your STOQ dashboard, go to Reports > Preorders > Orders.
- Click on the order you want to release.
- Click the Fulfill order dropdown in the top bar.
- Select Open scheduled fulfillments.
- In the confirmation dialog, click Open fulfillments to confirm.
The fulfillment status changes from "Scheduled" to "Unfulfilled" and the order becomes available for fulfillment in Shopify.
What Happens After Releasing
Once you release a scheduled preorder order:
- The fulfillment status in Shopify changes from "Scheduled" to "Unfulfilled."
- The order appears in your Shopify Orders > Unfulfilled list, ready for fulfillment.
- You can then fulfill the order through Shopify as you would any regular order — pick, pack, and ship.
- STOQ automatically updates the order data in the background. Click Refresh table in STOQ to see the latest status.
Troubleshooting
Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
"Open scheduled fulfillments" action is not available | This action only applies to orders with a "Scheduled" fulfillment status. If the order is already unfulfilled or fulfilled, no action is needed. |
Bulk action shows "Processing in background" but status has not changed | Bulk operations are processed in the background and may take a few moments. Click Refresh table to see updated results. For large batches, allow a few minutes for all orders to be processed. |
Release action failed for an individual order | An error banner will appear with the failure reason. Common causes include the order being cancelled or already fulfilled. Try refreshing the page and checking the order status in Shopify admin. |
Release action requires an upgrade | Opening scheduled fulfillments is available on paid plans only. If you see an upgrade prompt when clicking the action, upgrade your STOQ plan to access fulfillment management features. |
Some orders in a bulk action failed while others succeeded | STOQ processes each order independently. Orders that were already unfulfilled, fulfilled, or cancelled are skipped. Successfully released orders will show their updated status after refreshing. |
FAQs
Q : Can I release only some orders from a preorder batch?
A : Yes. You can select specific orders in Reports > Preorders and release only those using the bulk action.
Q : Is there a limit to how many orders I can release in bulk?
A : Yes. You can process up to 5,000 orders at a time. For larger volumes, use filters and release orders in batches.
Q : Will releasing an order automatically fulfill it?
A : No. Releasing changes the status to Unfulfilled so it is ready for processing. You still need to fulfill the order in Shopify.
Q : Can I undo a release after opening a scheduled fulfillment?
A : No. Once released, it cannot be reverted to Scheduled. You can reschedule it to a new date if needed.
Q : Do customers get notified when I release their preorder?
A : No. Releasing does not send any notification. To notify customers, use STOQ emails or Shopify shipping notifications.
Q : What if I want to release orders that are on hold instead of scheduled?
A : Orders marked as On hold require a different process. Refer to the separate guide for handling on hold preorder orders.
Updated on: 17/04/2026
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