Articles on: Order editing

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

Open Account Editor → Settings → Editing window.
Under Default window, open How long orders stay editable.
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

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.

Find Order processing.
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.

Add a Hold order reason so warehouse staff know why an order is frozen.
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.

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.

Tell customers about the deadline

Most customers close the tab and never look again. Put the deadline in the email they do open.

Find Order confirmation email and select Copy snippet.
In Shopify, go to Settings → Notifications → Order confirmation.
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.

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 to block specific orders.

Updated on: 21/08/2026

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