> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.accounteditor.com/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # Set how long customers can edit an order The editing window is how long customers can change an order after they buy. Set it under **Settings → Editing window**. Pick a preset like **60 minutes**, or let edits run **Until order is fulfilled**. Editing always stops once the order is fulfilled, whatever you choose. ## What this does Customers order the wrong size, mistype an address, or forget an item, then email you. The editing window is the deadline for fixing it themselves instead. ## Before you start * The Account Editor **app block** — the piece of the app you drop onto a page in Shopify's editor — is on your Order status page. Without it, customers see nothing. * Some options need a paid plan. The page marks them. ## Set your window 1. Open **Account Editor → Settings → Editing window**. 2. Under **Default window**, open **How long orders stay editable**. 1. Pick a length: * **15, 30 or 60 minutes · 2, 6, 12 or 24 hours · 3 or 5 days · 1 or 2 weeks · 1 month** — Tied to fulfillment: **Until order is in progress**, **Until order is fulfilled** — Your own: **Custom** 1. Select **Save**. **Custom** takes a number plus minutes, hours or days. It needs a paid plan. The two fulfillment options have no countdown — editing stays open until the order moves on. Orders can't be held on these, because holding needs a deadline. **Pick any length you like.** A long window is safe: fulfillment closes editing on its own. ## Choose whether to hold orders Your warehouse can pack a box before Shopify marks the order fulfilled. A late edit then arrives after the box is sealed. 1. Find **Order processing**. 2. Under **While an order is editable**, choose one: * **Hold orders** — Account Editor holds the order until the editing window ends, then releases it for fulfillment. * **Don't hold orders** — Orders go straight to fulfillment. Your warehouse or fulfillment service may ship before a customer finishes editing. 1. Add a **Hold order reason** so warehouse staff know why an order is frozen. 1. Select **Save**. Holding delays everything by the length of your window. If you need a long window *and* fast dispatch, hold orders through your 3PL instead — see [3PL and OMS integrations](/en/article/making-order-editing-work-with-your-warehouse-109htqb/). ## Stop editing based on your schedule **Smart window** ties the deadline to your working pattern. Turn on **Turn on smart window** and add at least one rule: * **Fulfillment days** — Turn off order editing on certain days of the week * **Daily cutoff time** — Editing stops at the same time every day, whenever the order was placed * **Buffer before cutoff** — Stop edits early, to give your team processing time * **Pause editing during certain hours** — Block edits during hours you choose * **Operating hours** — Customers can edit while you're open. Editing always stops at closing time. These only shorten your window, never extend it. With a 5:00 PM cutoff, an order placed at 4:45 PM stays editable for 15 minutes. See [Smart window](/en/article/smart-window-tie-editing-to-your-schedule-tfhtnr/). ## Tell customers about the deadline Most customers close the tab and never look again. Put the deadline in the email they do open. 1. Find **Order confirmation email** and select **Copy snippet**. 2. In Shopify, go to **Settings → Notifications → Order confirmation**. 3. Paste the code after line 215, then save. Customers now see *"You can still change this order. You have 60 minutes left."* with an **Edit your order** button. The time updates itself when you change your window. ## Handle unpaid edits A customer can add an item and close the tab without paying. **Order holds and reversals** decides what happens: * **Put the order on hold if payment is due** — The order waits instead of shipping unpaid * **Reverse unpaid order edits** — When the editing window ends, remove items the customer added but didn't pay for Turn both on if customers can add items. ## What your customers see Inside the window, customers see the edit options on their Order status page, with the time they have left. When it ends, a message replaces the buttons. ## Good to know **Fulfilled orders are always locked.** Fulfillment ends editing on its own, whatever your window says. A customer can never change an order that has shipped. Partly shipped orders are your choice — see **Settings → Editing restrictions**. **A feature can be on and still invisible.** If customers can't edit, the app block is almost always missing. See [Customers can't see the edit option](/en/article/customers-cant-see-the-edit-option-1wg3ot9/). **Holds release on their own** when the window ends. If another feature still needs the order held, it stays held until that finishes. **The editing window moved.** It used to be its own page under Features. It's now a tab of **Settings**. Old links still work. ## Troubleshooting * **Customers say there's no edit button** — Why: The app block isn't on the page — Fix: Go to **Features** and use **Add app block** on the banner * **Orders ship mid-edit** — Why: **Don't hold orders** is selected — Fix: Switch to **Hold orders**, or hold through your 3PL * **Nothing is shipping** — Why: A long window plus **Hold orders** — Fix: Shorten the window, or switch off holds * **Hold options are greyed out** — Why: Your window is a fulfillment option — Fix: These have no deadline. Pick a timed window. * **Smart window won't save** — Why: No rule is turned on — Fix: Turn on at least one rule * **The email countdown is wrong** — Why: The snippet is in the wrong place — Fix: Paste it after line 215 of the order confirmation template ## FAQ ### Can customers edit an order after it ships? No. Fulfillment locks editing permanently, whatever your window is set to. After that a change becomes a return or a cancellation. ### Is a long editing window risky? Not for edits to shipped orders — fulfillment blocks those. The only cost is that **Hold orders** delays dispatch by the full length of your window. ### How long should the window be? Sixty minutes catches most mistakes, since customers usually notice within minutes. Ship next day? Use 12 or 24 hours. ### Can different products have different windows? No, it applies store-wide. Use **Smart window** for different days, or [editing restrictions](/en/article/which-orders-can-be-edited-1bis0nl/) to block specific orders. ## Related articles * [Smart window: tie editing to your schedule](/en/article/smart-window-tie-editing-to-your-schedule-tfhtnr/) * [Show the edit deadline in your order confirmation email](/en/article/show-the-edit-deadline-in-your-order-confirmation-email-1jnpy2p/) * [Which orders can be edited](/en/article/which-orders-can-be-edited-1bis0nl/) * [Customers can't see the edit option](/en/article/customers-cant-see-the-edit-option-1wg3ot9/)