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Add Order Notes

An order has two places for staff-only notes, and this article shows you how to use each. The Notes card at the top of the right column holds one standing note that stays in view, and the note box in the Timeline posts dated comments that build into a history. Neither is shown to the customer. This article walks through adding a standing note and posting a dated comment, and points to the concept article for how the two differ.

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An order gives you two places to keep staff-only notes, and this article shows how to add to each. The Notes card at the top of the right column holds one standing note that stays in view, while the note box in the Timeline posts dated comments that build into a running history. Neither is ever shown to the customer. Order Notes Section explains how the two differ and when to use each.

You add both on an open order, reached from Orders.

Before you begin

  • Your role includes Edit orders.
  • You know which note you need: the standing note in the Notes card, or a dated comment in the Timeline.
  • Open Orders in the admin sidebar and open the order you want to work on.

Add a standing note in the Notes card

Use this for the one thing anyone opening the order needs to see first, such as special handling or a promise made to the customer.

1. Open the Notes card editor

At the top of the right column, find the Notes card. It reads No notes until you add one. Select the pencil to open the editor.

2. Type the note and save

Type your note in the box, which allows up to 5000 characters, then select Save. What you save becomes the order's standing note and shows in the card from then on. There is a single standing note, so editing it later replaces what was there rather than adding to a list.

Post a dated comment in the Timeline

Use this for a running log of what happened and when, so you keep a history instead of overwriting one note.

1. Write the comment

In the Timeline, find the box labeled Add a note about this order, marked so only you and other staff can see comments. Type what you want to record.

2. Post it

Select Post. The comment is added to the Timeline with the date and who wrote it, so it joins the order's history. Post another comment whenever there is something new to record.

Best practices

  • Keep the standing note short and current, since there is only one of them and it has to be read in a second or two.
  • Put a running log in the Timeline, not the standing note, so you keep dated history instead of overwriting one note.
  • Write for the next staff member, because both places are internal and the customer never sees them.

Common mistakes

  • Using the standing note as a log, which does not work because each edit replaces the previous note. Post comments in the Timeline instead.
  • Expecting the customer to see a note, when both the standing note and Timeline comments are staff-only.

Next steps

Still stuck?

More in Orders

  • Create Draft Order

    Create an order yourself for a phone, email, or in-person sale, then send an invoice, mark it paid, or save it as a draft.

  • Order Fulfillment Section

    The fulfillment card at the top of an order shows what needs to ship, where it is going, and how far along it is, with the actions to mark it fulfilled, put it in progress or on hold, and buy a shipping label.

  • Order Payment Section

    The payment card on an order reconciles what the customer owed against what they actually paid, showing the Subtotal, Tax, Total, the amount Paid, and the Net payment, along with the payment status and the Refund action.

  • View Orders

    Find and manage your orders from the Orders overview: metrics, status tabs, search, and a sortable table you open orders from.

All 39 articles in Orders

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