---
title: "Hold the entire order"
description: "Hold every item in an order that contains a preorder, including in-stock items, until you manually release it."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/place-entire-order-on-hold/
product: "Preorders"
section: "Fulfillment and shipping / Holds and splits"
last_updated: 2026-10-27
---

# Hold the entire order

> Hold every item in an order that contains a preorder, including in-stock items, until you manually release it.

Use this guide if you want nothing in an order to ship until its preorder item is ready, including any in-stock items in that same order. By the end, every fulfillment in orders that contain a preorder will be held after checkout until you release them.

This is different from the **On hold** fulfillment status, which holds only the preorder items and lets in-stock items ship. Hold all fulfillments holds the whole order.

## Before you begin

| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paid plan | Available on Lite and above |
| Fulfillment status | Hold all fulfillments appears only when the offer's fulfillment status is set to **Unfulfilled** or **On hold** |
| Release | Held fulfillments are released by you, not automatically |

> **Warning**
>
> **Test with your fulfillment provider before you turn this on.** Some warehouse and 3PL/WMS systems import only **Unfulfilled** orders, so held fulfillments may not sync until you release them.

## What customers will see

Every fulfillment in the order, preorder and in-stock alike, is held after checkout, so nothing ships until you release it. The reason note you add appears on the held fulfillment in Shopify admin so your team can see why the hold was placed, but it's never shown to the customer.

## Set it up

1. **Open the Shipping section**

   1. In the left menu bar, click **Preorders**.
   2. Click the **Offers** tab.
   3. Click the offer you'd like to edit. Its **Overview** tab opens, showing the **Customize** button, a live preview, and the offer's **Products** section.
   4. Click the **Customize** button to open the editor.
   5. In the sidebar, click **Shipping**.

   [Image: Preorders Offers tab in the STOQ app](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/r1.png)

   [Image: The offer Overview tab with the Customize button](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/r2.png)

   [Image: The Shipping section in the offer editor](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/s1.png)

2. **Set the fulfillment status**

   Under **Fulfillment status**, select **Unfulfilled** or **On hold**.

   [Image: The fulfillment status options](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/f2.png)

3. **Enable Hold all fulfillments**

   Under **Fulfillment options**, click **Configure** to expand the options, then check **Hold all fulfillments**. Turning it on turns off Split fulfillments and Separate orders, which are mutually exclusive.

   [Image: The Configure link under Fulfillment options](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/g8.png)

   [Image: The Hold all fulfillments checkbox unchecked under Fulfillment options](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/h7.png)

4. **(Optional) Add a reason note**

   Add a **Reason note** (default "Order contains preorder item"). This note is internal to Shopify: it appears on the held fulfillment in Shopify admin so your team can see why the hold was placed, and is never shown to the customer.

   [Image: The Reason note field for the hold](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/h9.png)

5. **Save changes**

   Click **Save changes** at the top right of the editor. The setting applies to orders placed afterward.

### Hold an order that's already placed

To hold one existing order by hand, whatever its offer's settings:

1. In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click **Reports**, then click **Preorders**, then the **Orders** tab.
2. Click the order to open it.
3. At the top of the order page, click **Fulfill order**, then click **Hold fulfillments**.
4. Optionally, enter a **Reason (optional)** note. It shows on the hold in Shopify; leave it empty to use the default hold note.
5. Click **Hold fulfillments** to confirm.

Every open or scheduled fulfillment in the order is held, preorder and in-stock items alike. To hold several orders at once, check them in the **Orders** list and use the **Hold fulfillments** bulk action, listed under **Fulfillment**. Cancelled and fully fulfilled orders can't be held.

### Release the hold

When you're ready to ship, release the held fulfillments:

- **In STOQ:** Reports → Preorders → Orders → open the order → click **Release "On hold" fulfillments** in the **Fulfill order** dropdown. You can also select multiple orders and release in bulk. (For a single offer's orders: **Preorders** in the left menu → **Offers** tab → open the offer → its **Orders** tab.)
- **In Shopify admin:** open the order → fulfillment section → **Release hold**.
- **With Shopify Flow:** automate it with a release-fulfillment-hold action.

## Check your setup

Place a test order with an in-stock item and a preorder item. In Shopify, confirm the **entire order is held** (both items), then release it and confirm everything becomes fulfillable.

## Troubleshooting

### In-stock items aren't shipping

That's expected. **Hold all fulfillments** holds the entire order, including in-stock items, until you release it. If in-stock items should ship right away, use the On hold status or Split fulfillments instead.

### Held fulfillments aren't syncing to your fulfillment provider

Some warehouse and 3PL/WMS systems import only **Unfulfilled** orders, so a held fulfillment may not sync until you release it. Test this with your provider before launch.

### You can't turn on Hold all fulfillments alongside Split fulfillments or Separate orders

They're mutually exclusive. Turning on **Hold all fulfillments** turns the other two off automatically.

### You can't find where to release a hold

See Release the hold above, releases are available in STOQ, Shopify admin, or Shopify Flow.

## FAQ

### Does turning on Hold all fulfillments affect orders already placed?

No. The setting applies only to orders placed after you save. Existing orders keep the fulfillment behavior they were created with. To hold one of them, use **Hold fulfillments** on the order (see [Hold an order that's already placed](#hold-an-order-that-s-already-placed)).

### How is this different from the On hold status?

The On hold status holds only the preorder items; in-stock items still ship. Hold all fulfillments holds the entire order, including in-stock items.

### Does the reason note show to the customer?

No. The reason note is internal: it appears in Shopify admin on the held fulfillment, not to the customer.

### Does Hold all fulfillments need the Shopify purchase option?

No. It's a fulfillment hold, so it works with or without the purchase option, which is why it's the way to hold preorders when the purchase option is off.

### How do I release a Hold-all order?

Release it like any held order: from Reports → Preorders → Orders, open it and click **Release "On hold" fulfillments** (or select several and release in bulk); this releases the whole order, in-stock items included. See [Release held fulfillments](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/release-held-preorder-fulfillments/).

## Related guides

- [Choose a fulfillment setup](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/choose-preorder-fulfillment-setup/): Decide which fulfillment status and option to use.
- [On hold: setup and flow](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/on-hold-preorder-fulfillments/): Hold only the preorder items, not the whole order.
- [Split fulfillments for preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/split-fulfilment-for-preorders/): Ship in-stock items while the preorder waits.
- [Handle orders after inventory arrives](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/handle-orders-after-receiving-preorder-inventory/): Release and fulfill once stock is in.