EZ Preorder Help Center Install on Shopify

How to put preorder orders on hold until you can fulfill them

All plansLast verified 11 November 2026View as Markdown

EZ Preorder & Back In Stock can put every new order that contains a preorder item on hold in Shopify, so it is not packed or shipped before the stock arrives. Turn on Fulfillment Order Status in Configuration and save. From then on, EZ Preorder places a fulfillment hold on each new preorder order, the order shows as On hold in Shopify, and you release the hold in Shopify admin when you are ready to ship.

Available on: All plans (Free, Core, Growth, Professional and Scale).
Where to find it: EZ PreOrder → Configuration → Fulfillment Order Status.

When to hold preorder fulfillment

Turn on Fulfillment Order Status when orders are picked up and fulfilled automatically, for example by a warehouse, a fulfillment provider or an app that ships every unfulfilled order. Without a hold, Shopify lists a preorder order as unfulfilled like any other order, and an automated process can try to ship it before you have the stock.

If you fulfill every order by hand, you may not need the hold; the preorder order tag already lets you find preorder orders. See How to find and manage preorder orders.

Check with your fulfillment provider that it skips orders that are on hold in Shopify.

Steps

  1. In EZ PreOrder, open Configuration.
  2. Under General, click Fulfillment Order Status.
  3. Switch on the toggle.
  4. Click Save in the save bar.

To stop holding new orders, switch the toggle off and click Save.

Which orders EZ Preorder puts on hold

EZ Preorder checks each new order as it is created. It puts the order on hold when the order contains at least one variant that was on preorder when the order was placed:

  • The variant's product is on your preorder list and is enabled.
  • The variant's preorder rule matched its stock: Always at any stock, Sold out when stock was 0 or less, Specific inventory level when stock was above 0.

The check uses the products in the order, not the way the order was placed, so an order you create in Shopify admin for a preorder variant is held too. Orders with no preorder item are never held.

The hold applies to orders created after you turn the setting on. Orders that already exist are not changed, and turning the setting off does not release holds already in place.

What the hold looks like in Shopify

When EZ Preorder holds an order:

  • The order's fulfillment status shows On hold in Shopify admin → Orders.
  • The hold reason is set to unknown delivery date.
  • Everything in the held fulfillment order is held, including any in-stock items in the same order that ship from the same location.

To see all held orders, filter Orders in Shopify admin by fulfillment status On hold. Preorder orders also carry the preorder tag.

How to release a held preorder order

When the stock arrives, open the order in Shopify admin and click Release hold. The order goes back to unfulfilled and you fulfill it as usual, or your fulfillment provider picks it up.

To ship the in-stock items of a mixed order first, release the hold and fulfill only those items. The preorder items stay unfulfilled until you ship them.

Limitations

  • One fulfillment order per order. EZ Preorder holds the order's first fulfillment order. If an order is split across several locations, Shopify creates a fulfillment order for each, and only the first is held. Check the others on the order page.
  • The whole fulfillment order is held. In-stock items that ship from the same location as the preorder item wait too, until you release the hold.
  • Not retroactive. Only orders created while the setting is on are held.
  • No automatic release. EZ Preorder does not release holds. You or your team release each one in Shopify admin.
  • Fulfillment only. The hold does not change payments. If you use partial payments, the remaining balance is charged on its own schedule. See Partial payments and deposits.

Troubleshooting

A preorder order was not put on hold. Check that Fulfillment Order Status was on and saved before the order was placed. Then check that the product was enabled on your preorder list at the time and that the variant's rule matched its stock. If the order ships from several locations, check its other fulfillment orders.

An order without preorder items was put on hold. EZ Preorder only holds orders with a preorder variant. Check the order for a variant whose product is on your preorder list with the Always rule; those count as preorders at any stock level. Another app or a Shopify Flow workflow can also place holds.

In-stock items in a mixed order are on hold. The hold covers the whole fulfillment order. Release the hold and fulfill the in-stock items on their own.

Frequently asked questions

Does holding preorder fulfillment cost extra?

No. Fulfillment Order Status is available on every plan, including Free, at no extra charge.

Does EZ Preorder release the hold when stock arrives?

No. EZ Preorder only places the hold. Release it in Shopify admin with Release hold when you are ready to ship.

Are orders placed before I turned the setting on held?

No. EZ Preorder holds orders as they are created, so only orders placed after you turn on Fulfillment Order Status are held.

Can Shopify Sidekick turn the fulfillment hold on or off?

Yes. Sidekick can fill in the change on the Configuration page; you click Save to apply it. See How to use EZ Preorder with Shopify Sidekick.

Does the hold change the order tag or the confirmation email?

No. The preorder tag and the preorder confirmation email work the same whether or not the hold is on.