Orders API return removed order item

Retired Boards Appdev Customers Discounts And Orders

Topic summary

Issue Identified:
When items are removed from a Shopify order via the backend (Edit > Remove Items), the Orders API still returns those deleted items in the response, causing confusion about how to identify and handle them.

Solution Provided:

  • Removed items can be identified by checking the fulfillable_quantity field, which will be set to 0 for deleted items
  • The deleted item should also appear in the refunds object of the order response
  • This indicates the item is no longer part of the order and doesn’t need to be fulfilled

Additional Context:

  • Multiple users confirmed this behavior and found the refunds object solution helpful
  • One user noted that after an item is removed from an order, it cannot be refunded anymore since no item is available
  • Both active and removed products show a fulfillable quantity of 0 after order fulfillment

Reference: Shopify manual on editing orders

Summarized with AI on November 5. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Shopify order have 3 times when i excute Get Orders API, i received 3 times.

Now in shopify store backend i removed one time (Edit> Remove Items) from order,

Now i excute Orders API, i got removed Order item also.

How to avoid this?

And How to identity the removed items in order api response properties?

2

Hi @Ramsam ,

I’d be able to shed some light on the behaviour you’re seeing.

Even though the order via the API (REST, I’m assuming) shows all the items in the original order, you’d notice that when you take a closer look at the deleted order item, its fulfillable_quantity field has a value of 0. This essentially indicates that this item doesn’t have to be fulfilled and is no longer part of the order. You should see the deleted item in the refunds object of the order response. See this manual about editing orders.

Hopefully this helps clarify the behaviour you’re seeing.

Best,

Seth.

5 Likes
3

Oh my.. I’ve looked everywhere trying to find ANY parameter from the API saying that there are deleted items in this order. but, I never looked into the refunds object.. Thanks VERY much.. lesson learned..

4

Super helpful, thanks!

5

Hi,

I’m having the same issue. May I ask how did you solve it at the end? Since the item has been removed from the order, I can’t refund it anymore, as no item is available.

Kiera

6

Hi ,

After fulfilling the order, if we check the API, both active and removed products show a fulfillable quantity of 0.