Shopify Bulk Fulfillment: Fulfill Many Orders at Once
To bulk fulfill Shopify orders, go to Orders, select them, click Mark as and choose Fulfilled. Other bulk actions put orders in progress or on hold, request fulfillment from a fulfillment service and change the fulfillment location. Bulk actions only change status, though; if you also need pick lists, labels and packing slips, that is batch fulfillment, a different tool.
Actions and limits are from Shopify’s Help Center page on bulk fulfillment; the batch workflow is described on batch fulfillment. Both were read on October 23, 2026.
Bulk actions or batch fulfillment
Bulk actions change the fulfillment status of several orders in one go. Batch fulfillment is a workflow that groups up to 250 fulfillments and walks you through them. By default a batch has three steps: Pick (a pick list), Print (buy shipping labels, then packing slips, labels and customs forms) and Pack (Scan to verify), and you can add, remove or reorder steps.
| Bulk actions | Batch fulfillment | |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | Fulfillment status of the selected orders | Orders move through pick, print and pack |
| Labels and documents | None | Labels, pick lists, packing slips, customs forms |
| Size | Any selection; over 250 orders, some features might be missing | Up to 250 fulfillments per batch |
| Who can use it | Every store | Stores with a location they manage in a country where Shopify sells labels |
Use bulk actions when the physical work is done or happens elsewhere, at a warehouse or a fulfillment service, and the admin only needs to match it. Use a batch when you are about to pack. Both sit in the order workflow covered across the shipping and returns hub. Batch recent orders picks up unfulfilled orders from the last 14 days; older ones have to be selected by hand. Our guide to pick lists and batch fulfillment covers batches step by step.
A store that packs some orders itself and sends the rest to a service may need both in one session. A sequence that keeps statuses honest:
- Filter Orders by the Unfulfilled tab.
- Select the orders that a fulfillment service handles and use Request fulfillment. The service sets them to In progress when it accepts.
- Put anything waiting for stock or a fraud check On hold, with a hold reason.
- Batch the orders you pack yourself, or select them and Mark as in progress while you work.
- When the parcels leave, mark those orders Fulfilled. Bulk marking doesn’t add tracking, so if customers should get tracking in the shipping confirmation, add the numbers on each order instead of using the bulk action with the notification on.
The bulk actions
| Bulk action | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Mark as in progress | Sets status to In progress | You start picking and packing |
| Mark as fulfilled | Sets status to Fulfilled | You fulfill orders yourself |
| Mark as on hold | Sets status to On hold, with a Hold reason and an optional Note | An order is flagged as a fraud risk or stock isn’t available |
| Mark as unfulfilled | Sets status back to Unfulfilled | You need to undo a fulfillment |
| Request fulfillment | Sends a request to a fulfillment service and sets the order to In progress | A service ships the order |
| Cancel fulfillment requests | Emails the service to cancel and sets the order to Unfulfilled | You change your mind before the service ships |
| Change fulfillment location | Moves unfulfilled orders to another location | Stock is somewhere else |
To mark orders as fulfilled: open Orders, optionally click the Unfulfilled tab, select the orders, click Mark as > Fulfilled, optionally check Send a notification to the customer and click Mark as fulfilled. You can add tracking numbers to the orders manually afterward. Mark as fulfilled applies only to orders you fulfill yourself; selected orders that belong to a fulfillment service are skipped, and you use Request fulfillment for those.
Request fulfillment has one more detail if you use several services. Each fulfillment order has exactly one service, and the action can’t change which one. You can pick the service to send requests to; otherwise each fulfillment’s default service gets the request.
Why some orders didn’t change
When a bulk action is partly done, a panel shows how many orders failed. These are the usual reasons:
- The order is already at that status. A fulfilled order can’t be marked fulfilled again, and the same goes for unfulfilled and in progress.
- The order or fulfillment is on hold. Release all holds first, then change the status.
- Fulfillment is scheduled for a future date. Bulk actions don’t touch these; open the order and change the fulfillment date to fulfill it earlier.
- It is an in-store pickup or local delivery order. These can’t be marked in progress, and their location can’t be changed in bulk. Marking pickup orders as fulfilled marks them as picked up and doesn’t send the ready-for-pickup notification.
- A third-party service owns the status. You can’t mark such orders fulfilled or in progress by hand. The service sets them when it accepts your request.
- The order has no fulfilled or in-progress fulfillments. It can’t be marked unfulfilled, because there is nothing to undo.
- Too many orders. With more than 250 selected, some features might not be available, depending on the action. If one is missing, split the selection.
A large selection also takes longer, and an indicator panel shows the progress. Canceling a fulfillment request does not stop a service that has already started on the order, and the action fails for that order.
Labels for many orders
Marking orders fulfilled does not buy a label. Buying labels in bulk is part of the batch workflow, covered in buy shipping labels in bulk. For rules that fulfill orders without you clicking, see automated order fulfillment.
FAQ
How do I mark multiple orders as fulfilled in Shopify? Select the orders on the Orders page, click Mark as, choose Fulfilled, and confirm with Mark as fulfilled. You can send customers a shipping confirmation at the same time.
Why won’t Shopify mark some of my orders as fulfilled? Usual causes are an order that is already fulfilled, on hold, scheduled for later, handled by a fulfillment service, or a selection of more than 250 orders, which can limit some features.
Can I fulfill orders in bulk and print labels together? Bulk actions do not buy labels, while batch fulfillment combines pick lists, labels and packing slips in one flow.
Can bulk actions send orders to a fulfillment service? The Request fulfillment bulk action sends the request to each order’s fulfillment service and marks the order in progress once the service accepts.
How many orders fit in one batch? A batch holds up to 250 fulfillments, and Batch recent orders takes unfulfilled orders from the last 14 days.