the Purpose of Draft Orders in Shopify

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

Main issue: Whether Shopify “Draft Orders” add value beyond manually placing orders through the storefront for customers.

Key points:

  • Draft Orders enable creating an order without immediate payment, with the ability to review and adjust items, pricing, discounts, and shipping before finalizing. They also support emailing an invoice/link so the customer can complete payment later, which helps for off-site requests (e.g., WhatsApp, phone) and B2B/wholesale terms.
  • The original poster argues these workflows can be handled via normal orders on the website, including Cash on Delivery (COD—payment collected later) and marking payment after receipt.

Recent clarification:

  • Reply emphasizes Draft Orders streamline pre-checkout adjustments and customer payment collection via a link, providing more control for customized or complex orders compared to entering an order directly in the storefront.

Outcome/status:

  • No firm resolution. One side views Draft Orders as optional/redundant for simple flows; the other sees them as offering workflow and control benefits for custom or deferred-payment scenarios. No action items decided; usefulness depends on the merchant’s process.
Summarized with AI on December 13. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hello, I have a question about the purpose of draft orders.

According to Shopify’s guidelines, draft orders are used when you place an order on behalf of a customer. However, you can also place an order on behalf of a client by simply entering their information on the website (not in the admin panel).

So, am I missing something? It seems like a feature that isn’t very useful, or does it offer any additional functionality beyond a regular order?

2

Draft orders are useful when you want to create an order on behalf of a customer without processing payment right away. It’s different from entering info directly on the website because draft orders allow you to review or modify the order before finalizing it. You can also send a draft order to the customer for review or payment later.

They come in handy for custom orders, phone orders, or special cases where you need to adjust pricing, discounts, or shipping before completing the purchase. You can also apply it for B2B or wholesale orders where payment terms might differ.

So, while it may seem redundant, draft orders offer more control and flexibility in handling special or customized purchases.

Hope that clears things up!

3

thanks for your input, but you can still do all that with all orders.

Many times, I receive orders via WhatsApp, and I enter these orders on my website by taking all the necessary info from the customer. Even if the customer chooses COD, I can still mark the payment later when I receive the money.

4

You’re right that you can enter customer orders directly on the website and mark payment later, but draft orders offer additional flexibility. They allow you to review or adjust the order details (like pricing, shipping, or items) before finalizing it, which is useful for more complex orders. Plus, with draft orders, you can send an email to the customer with a link to complete payment, which can help if you’re handling orders outside of the normal checkout flow (e.g., via WhatsApp).

So while it’s possible to manage orders without draft orders, they streamline the process and give you better control over customized purchases.