Sync Preorders with Third-Party Fulfillment Services like ShipStation and ShipBob
When managing preorders in Shopify, syncing them with third-party fulfillment platforms like ShipStation and ShipBob requires a clear understanding of how order statuses affect visibility. Unlike standard orders, preorders are often intentionally delayed using statuses like Scheduled or On Hold. These statuses directly control whether orders are pushed to your fulfillment partner.
This article explains exactly how each status behaves in both platforms, and how you can control when your preorder orders are released for fulfillment.
Why Preorders Don’t Sync Automatically
Both ShipStation and ShipBob are designed to only act on fulfillable orders.
Orders that are not ready for fulfillment (Scheduled / On Hold) are either hidden completely or segregated from active fulfillment queues. This ensures warehouses don’t accidentally ship items before they are available.
ShipStation Behavior
Scheduled Orders
- Orders in Scheduled status do not appear in ShipStation
- Scheduled orders are treated as not ready for fulfillment
- They will only appear once the status changes to Unfulfilled
Orders in Scheduled status do not appear in ShipStation because they are not mapped to the 'Awaiting Shipment' status, which is required for orders to be imported. Since Scheduled orders are not considered ready for fulfillment, they are excluded from syncing. Once the order status is updated to something that indicates it is ready to ship - such as **Unfulfilled - **the order becomes eligible to sync and will appear in ShipStation after the usual import delay.
On Hold Orders
- Orders set to On Hold do sync, but they appear in a separate “On Hold” section. They do not show in the main orders list
Unfulfilled Orders
- Orders in Unfulfilled status sync normally.
- New orders may still take up to 2 hours to appear.
ShipStation Summary
- Scheduled → Not visible
- On Hold → Visible (separate section)
- Unfulfilled → Visible (with delay)
Recommended Workflow for ShipStation
- To show orders : Set them to Unfulfilled
- To delay visibility : Keep them as Scheduled, then switch to Unfulfilled when ready (allow up to 2 hours for sync)
- To temporarily hold orders : Use On Hold (they will appear in a separate section)
ShipBob Behavior
Scheduled Orders
- Orders in Scheduled status do not appear
- Changing to Unfulfilled → Syncs instantly.
On Hold Orders
- Orders on hold do not appear. Once you release the hold, they sync and appear
Unfulfilled Orders
- Orders in Unfulfilled status sync immediately without issues
Recommended Workflow for ShipBob
- To show orders: Set them to Unfulfilled
- To hide orders: Keep them as Scheduled or On Hold
- To release orders for fulfillment: Change to Unfulfilled or remove hold
Key Differences
Feature | ShipStation | ShipBob |
|---|---|---|
Sync Type | Delayed (polling) | Real-time |
Scheduled Orders | Not visible | Not visible |
On Hold Orders | Visible (separate section) | Not visible |
Unfulfilled Orders | Visible (up to 2h delay) | Visible (instant) |
FAQs
Q: Why is my preorder not showing in ShipStation?
A: Orders in Scheduled status won’t appear. Change them to Unfulfilled, and they’ll sync (may take up to 2 hours).
Q: Why is my order not showing in ShipBob?
A: Only Unfulfilled orders show in ShipBob. Scheduled or On Hold orders are not synced.
Q: I changed the order to Unfulfilled. Why is it still not visible?
A: In ShipStation, syncing is delayed (up to ~2 hours) unless you manually import. In ShipBob, it should appear instantly if all conditions are met.
Q: How can I control when preorders are sent to fulfillment?
A: Keep orders Scheduled (or On Hold) to hold them back, and switch to Unfulfilled when you're ready to release them.
Updated on: 27/04/2026
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