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How to automatically fulfill orders on Shopify?

Sam|
December 5, 2024|
8 min read

Setting up Shopify automatically fulfill orders can save you time and simplify your shipping process, especially as your store grows. After mastering this technique, you can ensure that once customers place an order, it can be processed and fulfilled without manual intervention.

In this guide, we will explain how to enable this “automatically fulfill orders” feature on your Shopify store to help you manage your order fulfillment effectively. Remember to read till the end to fully understand how automatic fulfillment can streamline your operations and help you focus more on growing your business.

What does fulfilling an order on Shopify mean?

Automatic order fulfillment on Shopify means ensuring that the product your customer purchased gets from your virtual shelves to their real-world doorstep. From my understanding, it involves steps like selecting the ordered items from your inventory, packaging them securely, attaching shipping labels, and notifying the customers about their shipment.

Can merchants automatically fulfill orders on Shopify now?

After consulting the latest Shopify update and experts’ views, the answer to this question is YES. For now, Shopify users can still automatically fulfill orders as normal. However, there are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled before online merchants can set up this functionality like:

  • Limited to specific products/services: Automatic fulfillment only applies to digital products, services (like gift cards), or if you use a fulfillment service that handles automatic fulfillment. It won’t work for physical products you ship yourself.
  • Requires specific setup: You need to enable the “Automatically fulfill the order’s line items” option in your Shopify checkout settings.
  • Potential for fraud risk: Automatic fulfillment bypasses fraud analysis, so it’s important to use other fraud prevention measures or carefully monitor your orders.

How to set up automatically fulfill orders on Shopify

To understand how to automate order fulfillment Shopify, you can follow the below simple steps that I have tested and implemented into my own Shopify store for a long time:

Step 1: Open Settings

In the Shopify Dashboard, navigate to the Settings area.

Open Settings
Open Settings

Step 2: Proceed to the Checkout

In the Settings window, choose General to enter the field.

Select General tab
Select General tab

Step 3: Turn on Shopify to automatically fulfill orders

Scroll down to the Order Processing area, then view the Automatically fulfill the order’s line items option.

After that, you need to tick the box Notify customers of their shipment (you can also tick the “Automatically fulfill all orders, even though with a high risk of fraud,” but we recommend NOT choosing this).

Choose Notify customers of their shipment.
Choose Notify customers of their shipment.

Once you finish, hit Save, and that’s all you have to do. By then, you have successfully managed to apply my simple guide on how to automatically fulfill orders Shopify

Benefits of automating order fulfillment on Shopify

Here are the benefits of automating order fulfillment on Shopify based on my experience of implementing this function for the last 5 years on my Shopify store:

  • Time-Saving for customers: Automating order fulfillment reduces the manual workload, allowing you to focus on growing the business. When I implemented it, I saved hours per week, which freed me up to handle marketing and customer service.
  • Reduction of Human Error: With automation, there’s less risk of mistakes in processing orders. This helped me ensure that orders were fulfilled accurately and promptly, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
  • Scalable for Growth: As my store grew, Shopify automated order fulfillment  allowed me to handle more orders without additional labor. It made scaling easier without worrying about fulfillment bottlenecks.
  • Improved Inventory Management: Shopify automatically updates inventory, so I never oversold products. This feature helped me maintain better control over stock levels and avoided customer complaints about unavailable items.
  • Streamlined Customer Experience: Customers received tracking information quickly after placing an order, enhancing their post-purchase experience. It built trust and increased repeat purchases in my store.

Top 5 apps for automatically fulfilling orders on Shopify

Besides the manual setup guide above, I would like to introduce the top 5 Shopify apps that can help you implement automatic order fulfillment within your online store. Let’s waste no time and explore those options now:

App Name Vendor Niche Ratings Key Feature Download
Easy Fulfillment: Bulk Fulfill Nexus Media Dropshipping 4.5/5 Bulk FulfillmentAutomatic Tracking Link GenerationCustom Carriers Support Get App!
EZ Fulfill ‑ Auto Fulfillment Highview Apps LLC E-commerce 5.0/5 Bulk Tracking Number UpdatesAutomated Fulfillment SchedulerFlexible Data Feeds Integration Get App!
Order Automator Automator Apps Retailer 5.0/5 Auto TaggingAuto FulfillmentFraud Guard Get App!
Auto Fulfill Estore Automate Dropshipping 4.6/5 Packing Slip GenerationFulfillment ReportsLocation-Based Fulfillment Get App!
BR Pick List Pro BR Data Solutions Multi-Vendor Stores 4.9/5 Create Picklists and Scan OrdersCustomizable Picklist SortingDisplay product bins or locations Get App!

Easy Fulfillment: Bulk Fulfill

Easy Fulfillment: Bulk Fulfill is a Shopify app designed to streamline order fulfillment. It allows you to fulfill orders in bulk and automatically generate tracking links for custom and local carriers. After testing this app, I found it great for tracking links for your custom carriers based on tracking numbers! 

Easy Fulfillment: Bulk Fulfill
Easy Fulfillment: Bulk Fulfill

Key features:

  • Bulk order fulfillment
  • CSV tracking file uploads
  • Auto-tracking number update
  • Error detection for incorrect data
  • Multi-carrier support

Pricing:

  • Premium Plan: $9.95/month
  • 14-day free trial available.

Best For:

  • Stores with custom or local carriers.
  • Those who want efficient order fulfillment.

EZ Fulfill ‑ Auto Fulfillment

EZ Fulfill Shopify app is designed to automate the fulfillment process by connecting order details with fulfillment providers and updating tracking automatically. From my experience, it can help simplify managing suppliers and dropshipping logistics by syncing everything in real-time.

EZ Fulfill ‑ Auto Fulfillment
EZ Fulfill ‑ Auto Fulfillment

Key features:

  • Automatic fulfillment Shopify request generation
  • Supplier order tracking sync
  • Bulk order processing
  • Multi-location support
  • Error tracking and reporting

Pricing:

  • Standard: $14.95/month
  • Professional: $29.95/month
  • Premium: $49.95/month
  • Plus: $99.95/month

Best For:

  • Stores with multiple suppliers or dropshipping arrangements.
  • Those seeking automated fulfillment and fraud prevention.

Order Automator

Order Automator is a versatile Shopify app that automates order management tasks, such as tagging, fulfillment, and notifications. I noticed that it is useful for automatically sorting orders and assigning them to the correct warehouse or fulfillment provider, saving time on repetitive tasks.

Order Automator
Order Automator

Key features:

  • Automatic order tagging
  • Rule-based order assignment
  • Automated email notifications
  • Custom workflow creation
  • Integration with fulfillment services

Pricing:

  • Free plan available
  • Unlimited: $10/month
  • Unlimited Pro: $15/month
  • Unlimited Plus: $25/month

Best For:

  • Stores with specific order management needs
  • Businesses with multiple warehouses
  • Merchants looking for workflow automation

Auto Fulfill

Auto Fulfill app automates fulfillment tasks, whether you or multiple product vendors manage them. It supports unique links or Google Sheets. My personal experience showed that it was particularly effective for automating shipping label creation and tracking updates.

Auto Fulfill
Auto Fulfill

Key features:

  • Automatic tracking number updates
  • Shipping label generation
  • Bulk order processing
  • Multi-carrier integration
  • Delivery status tracking

Pricing:

  • Small: $20/month
  • Medium: $30/month
  • Large: $40/month 
  • Custom: $50/month

Best For:

  • Stores with multiple suppliers or dropshipping arrangements.
  • Those seeking automated fulfillment and fraud prevention.

BR Pick List Pro

The BR Pick List Pro app on Shopify helps eliminate picking and packing errors by creating picklists and allowing order scanning via phone. It simplifies order fulfillment. I found the app to be ideal for managing large inventories and making the packing process more efficient.

BR Pick List Pro
BR Pick List Pro

Key features:

  • Automated picking list generation
  • Barcode scanning support
  • Order prioritization
  • Inventory tracking integration
  • Customizable list layouts

Pricing:

  • Standard: $9.99/month
  • Free plan available 

Best For:

  • E-commerce businesses with large inventories
  • Stores requiring efficient packing workflows
  • Merchants looking to improve picking accuracy

FAQs

Can I automate fulfillment for physical products on Shopify?

Yes, you can automate fulfillment for physical products by integrating third-party fulfillment apps or using Shopify’s native auto-fulfillment features.

Which is the best app for dropshipping automation on Shopify?

Oberlo is one of the best apps for automating dropshipping on Shopify, especially for sourcing products and handling order fulfillment.

Can I manage multiple fulfillment locations with Shopify?

Yes, Shopify allows you to manage multiple fulfillment locations and automatically route orders to the nearest fulfillment center.

Is automatic fulfillment good for small businesses?

Yes, automatic fulfillment can benefit small businesses by reducing manual workload and improving order processing speed.

Do I need a third-party app for automatic fulfillment?

It depends on your business model. Shopify’s native automatic fulfillment feature is sufficient for digital products or simple setups. Third-party apps are recommended for more complex fulfillment needs.

Final words

The setting of Shopify automatically fulfill orders can help store owners save time and streamline the fulfillment process, especially when integrated with third-party apps. To make the most of this feature, it’s essential to properly configure your store and consider your specific needs, whether for digital products or complex logistics. 

Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.