How to Easily Track Open Orders on Shopify: Our Journey to Streamlining Fulfillment

Ever tried counting grains of sand on the beach? Okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but that was exactly how it felt in our workshop when we first started chasing down open orders for our handmade goodies. It’s not that we’re disorganized—honestly, there's a method to the madness—but opening every. single. order. to see what we needed to make was like unraveling a sweater one thread at a time. Surely, we thought, there has to be a smarter way.

Turns out, there is. So, let’s dig into how you can have a lovely, neat list of all the products in your open (unfulfilled) orders sitting pretty right there in your Shopify dashboard or neatly emailed to your inbox if you're into that sort of thing.

Finding the Right Solution

Now, let me take you back to our late-night Google rabbit holes. We searched high and low—yes, even checking the dark corners of Shopify forums—to find tools or built-in features to make our manufacturing lives a tad easier. Lo and behold, we stumbled upon a few gems.

First up, there’s a built-in Shopify approach that, while simple, can be a lifesaver if you don’t want to download anything extra. And for those of you who like your tech a little more robust, third-party apps are eager to come to your rescue.

Step-By-Step: Shopify's Built-In Filter

Log in to Shopify: Easy, right? You know the drill.
Go to Orders: Once in, you’ll want to head over to the Orders section in your Shopify admin. This is your command center.
Filter Orders: Click the Filters and select “Fulfillment status.” Choose “Unfulfilled.” Simple matters rule this world, believe it or not.
Export Orders: There’s a sneaky little button called “Export” that lets you whisk away your filtered orders into a spreadsheet. Click it, and select “Current page” or “All orders,” depending on your madness containment level.
Organize Your Spreadsheet: Open your downloaded file. You’ll want to sort or filter by your products—each line of the spreadsheet is like a silent to-do list whispering to you.

Did you think we’d leave it there? Nope. There’s more.

Third-Party Apps to the Rescue

These are the trusty paladins of the Shopify universe, ready to gallop in when built-in features just don’t quite cut it. And they’re pretty versatile too. We tried a handful, but here are a couple of votaries that stole our maker hearts.

Order Metrics

With Order Metrics, not only can you see a list of what products are in open orders, but it also throws a bowtie onto your data with analytics. Here’s how you use it:

Install Order Metrics: Head to Shopify’s App Store and bring this app into your fold. It’s a painless setup.
Access Product Data: Once in, navigate through its dashboards to find detailed reports on unfulfilled products. It’s not just eye candy—it’s eye intelligence.

Stocky by Shopify

Another popular choice, especially if you’re already using other Shopify POS tools. Stocky helps you keep track of inventory needs and fulfillment tasks together.

Download and Install Stocky: If you’re running a POS in your brick-and-mortar, this is your jam. Fire up the Shopify App Store and add Stocky.
Analyze Orders: Stocky dives right into analytics, showing you exactly what’s low, slow, or no-go. Bye-bye Excel, hello instant insight.

A New Dawn for Open Orders

Stepping back under the metaphorical palm tree, as we gaze at our progress—it’s a marvel how far we’ve come. No more late-night sand counts; instead, we’ve got lists, numbers, and clarity at our fingertips. When you’re in the thick of it, making products that make people smile, isn’t it neat to have a system that supports rather than distracts? We've charmed the process and hope you can too.

Our little story is a reminder that tech doesn’t have to be the enemy—it can be the friend from the next cubicle handing you a cup of coffee. If you’ve felt like we did, scrambling for clues, we hope this guide gives you a roadmap to sanity. After all, more time salvaged from order chaos is more time spent sipping that coffee.

So, what do you say? Are you ready to see your orders with eyes anew? Let’s put the days of digital scavenger hunts behind us—for good.