How to Create A Draft Order on Shopify

Shopify's draft order feature is a powerful tool for merchants who want to create orders on behalf of their customers and then send them an invoice for the order, offer personalized discounts, or manage pre-orders. Unlike regular orders, draft orders don't require immediate payment and can be customized and edited before being finalized. 

In this guide, we'll walk you through the simple steps of creating a draft order on Shopify, empowering you to provide a more tailored and efficient shopping experience.

Step-By-Step Guide To Create A Draft Order on Shopify

Follow these steps to create a draft order. Remember, new draft orders start blank, so you'll need to manually enter all the information.

Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to Orders

Step 2: Select Drafts from the dropdown menu

Step 3: On the Draft Orders page, click Create Order.

Step 4: Add products to the draft order as follows:

• In the Products section, click Browse

• Search for and select the products you want to add by clicking the box next to them.

• Adjust the quantity for each product using the ^ and v buttons.

Step 5: Add customer information as follows:

• Search for an existing customer or click Create a new customer

Step 6: Make any necessary adjustments (discounts, tax and shipping fee) in the Payment section

Step 7: Click Payment due later and select the Payment term you want

Step 8: Finally, click Create order

How to Add Products to A Draft Order on Shopify 

Adding products to your draft order is straightforward. You can include both existing store items and custom products.

From your Draft order creation screen: 

Step 1: Choose existing products by clicking on the Browse button. Here, you can search for specific products or scroll through your inventory to find the items you need.

You can create custom products by clicking Add Custom Item. Then, input the product name, price, and quantity.

Final Thought

Creating draft orders on Shopify is a valuable tool for providing personalized service, handling offline transactions, and managing pre-orders. By following these steps and leveraging this feature, you can streamline your order management process and enhance the overall customer experience.

FAQs

What is the difference between a draft order and a regular order on Shopify?

A draft order is a preliminary version of an order that you create in your Shopify admin. It allows you to add products, customize pricing, and send an invoice to the customer for payment later. A regular order is created when a customer completes the checkout process and payment is processed automatically.

Can I edit a draft order after I've created it?

Yes, you can edit any aspect of a draft order before completing it, including customer details, products, pricing, and shipping.

How do I send an invoice to a customer for a draft order?

Once you've created the draft order, click the "Send invoice" button. This will send an email to the customer with a secure checkout link where they can complete the payment.

Can I apply discounts to a draft order?

Yes, you can add discount codes or apply percentage discounts directly to a draft order.

Can I create draft orders in bulk?

Currently, Shopify doesn't offer a built-in feature for creating draft orders in bulk. However, you might find third-party apps that can assist with this functionality.