--- title: "Unfulfilled fulfillments" description: "Use the Unfulfilled status so preorder items are fulfillable right away." url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/unfulfilled-preorder-fulfillments/ product: "Preorders" section: "Fulfillment and shipping / Choose a setup" last_updated: 2026-09-28 --- # Unfulfilled fulfillments > Use the Unfulfilled status so preorder items are fulfillable right away. Use this guide if you can ship preorders as soon as you're ready and don't need to delay or hold them. By the end, preorder items from this offer are fulfillable right away in Shopify, the same as any normal order, while in-stock items in the same order ship right away too. ## Before you begin - Unfulfilled is the default fulfillment status and needs no extra setup. It works with or without the Shopify purchase option (selling plan), and with both **Same timeline for all products** and per-product timelines. > **Warning** > > Nothing stops a preorder from being fulfilled before your stock arrives. If you need to prevent early fulfillment, use **On hold** or **Scheduled** instead. ## Choose your setup | Use Unfulfilled when | Use a different status when | |---|---| | You have the stock, or you'll manage shipping timing yourself | You need preorders held until you release them → [On hold](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/on-hold-preorder-fulfillments/) | | You want in-stock items to ship now and preorders to follow | You want preorders to release on a set date → [Scheduled](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/scheduled-preorder-fulfillments/) | Unfulfilled is also the only status that lets you add **Split fulfillments for preorders**: it splits a mixed order into separate fulfillments so in-stock items ship immediately while the preorder waits for you. Without it, the whole order is one fulfillment that you fulfill when ready. See [Split fulfillments for preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/split-fulfilment-for-preorders/). ## What customers will see Unfulfilled has no storefront presence of its own: the fulfillment status is a Shopify admin/backend setting, not something displayed on the product page or at checkout. A customer buying a preorder under this status has the same experience as buying an in-stock item, with one optional exception: | Where | What customers see | |---|---| | Product page | The normal preorder button/badge and terms, same as any preorder offer. If **Show shipping timeline** is enabled, your shipping message (e.g. "Shipping: as soon as possible") appears (this comes from the Shipping section, not from the fulfillment status itself) | | Checkout | A normal checkout. Nothing indicates the order will be delayed or held | | Right after purchase | The order is fulfillable immediately: there is no on-screen or email cue to the customer that fulfillment is being held back, because nothing is | ## Set it up On a phone, this menu is collapsed. In the **Shopify mobile app**, tap the **STOQ** logo at the top of the screen to open it, then choose the section named below. There is no hamburger icon. See [Finding the STOQ menu](https://help.stoqapp.com/general/getting-started-with-stoq/#finding-the-stoq-menu). 1. **Open the offer's Shipping section** 1. In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, 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 offer editor sidebar with the Shipping option selected](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/s1.png) 2. **Set the fulfillment status** Under **Fulfillment status**, select **Unfulfilled**. A note confirms the fulfillment will appear as Unfulfilled and be available for fulfillment right away. [Image: The Unfulfilled fulfillment status selected](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/d1.png) 3. **(Optional) Ship in-stock items separately** Under **Fulfillment options**, click **Configure** to expand the options, then enable **Split fulfillments for preorders** so in-stock and preorder items become separate fulfillments and the in-stock items can ship immediately. This option requires a paid plan (Lite and above). See [Split fulfillments for preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/split-fulfilment-for-preorders/). [Image: The Configure link under Fulfillment options](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/d2.png) [Image: The Split fulfillments for preorders checkbox under Fulfillment options](https://help.stoqapp.com/images/general/f1.png) 4. **Save changes** Click **Save changes** at the top right of the editor. The status applies to orders placed after you save, not to existing orders. ## Check your setup Place a test order with a preorder item from this offer (a 100% discount code or Shopify's Bogus Gateway avoids a real charge). In Shopify admin, confirm the preorder item's fulfillment shows as **Unfulfilled** and is ready to fulfill, the same as any in-stock items in the order. Then check STOQ under **Reports → Preorders → Orders**, where you can filter by fulfillment status, or open the offer's own **Orders** tab (**Preorders** in the left menu → **Offers** tab → open your offer → **Orders**). ## Troubleshooting ### An order shipped before your stock arrived **Unfulfilled** doesn't hold anything back, so nothing blocks early fulfillment. Switch to **On hold** or **Scheduled** to prevent that. ### You want in-stock items to ship now while the preorder waits Enable **Split fulfillments for preorders** under **Fulfillment options** (paid plan, Lite and above). See [Split fulfillments for preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/split-fulfilment-for-preorders/). ### You can't find your Unfulfilled orders Go to **Reports → Preorders → Orders** in STOQ and filter by fulfillment status. ## FAQ ### Will preorders ship immediately with Unfulfilled? They become fulfillable immediately, but they only ship when you fulfill them. If you want to stop preorders from being fulfilled before your stock arrives, use On hold or Scheduled. ### Does Unfulfilled need the Shopify purchase option? No. Unfulfilled works with or without the purchase option. Turning the purchase option off resets the status to Unfulfilled. ### Does changing to Unfulfilled affect orders I've already placed? No. The status applies only to orders placed after you save; existing orders keep the fulfillment status they were created with. ### What's the difference between Unfulfilled and On hold? Unfulfilled and On hold differ in when the preorder item can be fulfilled: 1. **Unfulfilled** is fulfillable right away. 2. **On hold** holds the preorder item until you release it, manually or on a date you set. 3. In both cases, in-stock items in the same order ship right away. ### Can I still take a deposit with Unfulfilled? Yes. Fulfillment status and payment are separate settings, so Unfulfilled works with: 1. Full payment. 2. A deposit. 3. Partial payment (deposits need the Shopify purchase option and Shopify Payments). ### Does Unfulfilled work with a different timeline per product? Yes. Unlike Scheduled, Unfulfilled is available with both Same timeline for all products and per-product timelines. ## Related guides - [Choose a fulfillment setup](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/choose-preorder-fulfillment-setup/): Decide between Unfulfilled, Scheduled, and On hold. - [Split fulfillments for preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/split-fulfilment-for-preorders/): Ship in-stock items while the preorder waits. - [On hold: setup and flow](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/on-hold-preorder-fulfillments/): Hold preorder items and release them yourself. - [Scheduled: setup and flow](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/scheduled-preorder-fulfillments/): Release preorders automatically on a date.