How to Fulfill Shopify Orders in Bulk: Steps, Tracking, and Tips
To bulk fulfill orders in Shopify, go to Orders, select the unfulfilled orders, click Mark as and choose Fulfilled, then decide whether to send customers a shipping confirmation. This updates many orders at once, but it doesn’t add tracking numbers, so stores that need tracking in bulk usually use a CSV import app or Shopify’s batch fulfillment with shipping labels.
Fulfilling orders one by one quickly becomes slow after a sale, a product launch or a busy holiday week. Choosing the right bulk method keeps statuses accurate, customers informed and your team focused on packing rather than clicking.
How to Bulk Fulfill Orders in Shopify
Shopify’s Mark as fulfilled bulk action is the quickest way to update orders you’ve already shipped or handed over. Follow these steps in your Shopify admin on desktop:
- Go to Orders.
- Select the Unfulfilled tab to see only orders that still need fulfilling.
- Check the orders you want to update.
- Click Mark as, then choose Fulfilled.
- Check the box to notify customers if you want to send a shipping confirmation.
- Confirm the action.
In the Shopify mobile app, open the Orders screen, tap More under orders to fulfill, choose Select orders, check the orders and tap Mark as fulfilled. You can enable customer notifications in the same step.
Large selections can take longer to process, and selecting more than 250 orders may make some actions unavailable. A progress panel shows how many orders failed, so you can review and fix them once the update finishes.
Orders skipped by bulk fulfillment
Some orders can’t be marked as fulfilled in bulk and are skipped or blocked. Check for these if your results don’t match your selection:
- Orders on hold. Orders or fulfillments with a hold can’t change until you release the hold.
- Already fulfilled orders. Orders already at the fulfilled status are skipped.
- Scheduled fulfillments. Orders set for future fulfillment need their fulfillment date edited one by one.
- Third-party fulfillment services. Orders assigned to a fulfillment service are skipped, so use Request fulfillment instead.
In-store pickup orders also behave differently. Marking them as fulfilled marks them as picked up and doesn’t send the ready-for-pickup notification, so prepare those orders through your pickup workflow instead.
Bulk Fulfill Orders With Tracking Numbers
The Mark as fulfilled action doesn’t include tracking details, so you’d need to add tracking numbers to each order afterward. If you ship with carriers outside Shopify or receive tracking from suppliers, a CSV import app lets you fulfill orders and add tracking in one step.
Apps such as StoreRobo use an export, edit and re-import process. You export unfulfilled orders, fill in the fulfillment columns and import the file with the option to update existing orders turned on. These are the main fields to complete:
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | The order number, left unchanged |
| Line: Type | Fulfillment Line |
| Fulfillment: Status | SUCCESS |
| Fulfillment: Location | The fulfillment location’s name, or blank for the default location |
| Fulfillment: Tracking Company | The carrier’s name |
| Fulfillment: Tracking Number | The tracking number for the shipment |
| Fulfillment: Send Receipt | TRUE to email the customer, FALSE to skip it |
The location must already exist in your store, and items that are already fulfilled are skipped. Import a few orders first to confirm the tracking numbers and notifications look right before you run the full file.
Let suppliers add tracking numbers
Some fulfillment apps built for dropshipping and vendor orders use a spreadsheet template instead. Auto Fulfill, for example, exports all unfulfilled orders to Excel, where you or your vendor add tracking numbers before uploading the file back.
After uploading, you review each order’s tracking number, select the fulfillment location and fulfill all the line items at once. This works well when suppliers ship orders for you and send back tracking in bulk.
Use Batch Fulfillment to Pick, Pack and Ship
If you pack and ship orders yourself, Shopify’s batch fulfillment covers the whole process rather than only the status update. It groups up to 250 orders by criteria such as product type or shipping destination, then walks you through picking, printing and packing.
The default workflow includes three stages. You can add, remove or reorder steps to fit how your team works:
- Pick. Create a pick list showing the products for every order in the batch, with details such as SKU, quantity and bin name.
- Print. Buy shipping labels, then print labels, packing slips and customs forms where needed.
- Pack. Use scan to verify to confirm the right items go into each package.
Closing a batch at the final step completes fulfillment and archives its orders. Shipping labels bought through Shopify also share tracking information with customers, so you don’t need to enter it yourself.
Batch fulfillment needs an active location that you manage, in a country where you can buy shipping labels in the Shopify admin. Bulk batching picks up to the 250 most recent unfulfilled orders from the last 14 days, so older orders need to be selected manually.
Choose the Right Bulk Fulfillment Method
Each method suits a different way of shipping orders. This comparison helps you pick the right one:
| Method | Adds tracking? | Best for | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark as fulfilled | No, add it to each order afterward | Orders already shipped, delivered by hand or not needing tracking | Skips held, scheduled and fulfillment service orders |
| Batch fulfillment | Yes, through Shopify shipping labels | Stores that pick, pack and print labels in-house | Up to 250 orders per batch, and label buying must be available at your location |
| CSV import apps | Yes, from your spreadsheet | Tracking from outside carriers, warehouses or suppliers | Needs careful file preparation and a test import |
| Supplier fulfillment apps | Yes, added by you or your vendor | Dropshipping and vendor-shipped orders | Features vary by app |
| Automatic fulfillment | No | Digital products or stores where every item is always ready to ship | Fulfills orders without a review step, even before anything ships |
Automatically Fulfill Orders
If you never need to review orders before fulfilling them, Shopify can fulfill line items automatically. Turn on the option to automatically fulfill the order’s line items in your order processing settings, and choose whether customers are notified when this happens.
Automatic fulfillment suits digital products, or stores where every product is in stock and ships right away. For physical orders that you pick and pack, it can mark orders as fulfilled before they leave your warehouse, so bulk or batch fulfillment is usually a better fit.
Before You Bulk Fulfill Orders
A quick check before fulfilling prevents customers from receiving shipping emails for orders that haven’t shipped. Run through these points first:
- Confirm the orders shipped. Only mark orders as fulfilled when they’ve actually left your hands, since customers may receive a shipping confirmation.
- Decide on notifications. Turn notifications on for real shipments and off for test orders or orders fulfilled outside the normal process.
- Check fulfillment locations. Use the Change fulfillment location bulk action if orders are assigned to the wrong location.
- Release or apply holds. Release holds on orders that are ready, or mark problem orders as on hold so they aren’t fulfilled by mistake.
- Separate special orders. Handle fulfillment service, pickup and scheduled orders through their own workflows.
Common Bulk Fulfillment Problems
Many bulk fulfillment issues come from orders that don’t fit the action you chose. Watch for these:
- Orders not updating. They’re on hold, scheduled for later or assigned to a fulfillment service.
- Missing tracking numbers. Orders were marked as fulfilled without tracking, which needs adding to each order or a CSV import.
- Customers emailed too early. Notifications were on when orders were marked as fulfilled before shipping.
- Pickup customers not notified. Pickup orders were marked as fulfilled instead of ready for pickup.
- Wrong location. A CSV import used a location name that doesn’t match one in your store.
- Older orders missing from batches. Bulk batching only includes recent orders, so select older ones manually.
Conclusion
Knowing how to bulk fulfill in Shopify saves hours when order volume rises. Whether you mark shipped orders as fulfilled, run batch fulfillment with labels or import tracking from a spreadsheet, the right method keeps your orders accurate and your customers updated. We hope this guide helps you bulk fulfill Shopify orders with confidence.
