Orders: Troubleshooting
Order Troubleshooting
Quick Summary: Common order issues and how to resolve them — from stuck orders to failed uploads.
Overview
Most order issues fall into a few categories: missing data, courier problems, stock shortages, or upload errors. This guide covers the most common problems and their solutions.
Quick Start
- Check the order's Status and Exception in the Order List or Order Details
- Look up the exception in the table below
- Follow the recommended solution
- If the issue persists, contact your Account Manager at qa-testing+operations@floship.com
Exception Reference
When an order has a problem, Floship assigns an exception code that explains what went wrong:
| Exception | What It Means | How To Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Out of stock | One or more items aren't available in the warehouse | Wait for inventory replenishment via ASN, or cancel the order and reorder later |
| No shipping option | No courier or shipping method matches this order's requirements | Update the courier on the order, or contact your Account Manager to configure additional shipping options |
| Validation error | Order data has issues — invalid address, missing required fields, or incompatible values | Edit the order and fix the fields highlighted with errors |
| Duplicate | This order appears to match an existing order | Review both orders. Cancel the duplicate if confirmed, or edit the Order ID to make it unique |
| Insufficient funds | Your account balance is too low to cover shipping costs | Top up your account balance, then re-approve the order |
| Does not meet courier requirements / restrictions | The shipment violates the selected courier's rules (weight, dimensions, destination, or item restrictions) | Change the courier, adjust the shipment to meet requirements, or contact your Account Manager |
| Label expired | The shipping label passed its validity window before courier collection | Contact your Account Manager to regenerate the label |
| Source address is invalid | The ship-from address has formatting or completeness issues | Edit the order and correct the source address fields |
| Fraud order risks | The order has been flagged for potential fraud indicators | Contact your Account Manager to review and resolve |
| Shipping errors | An error occurred while generating the shipping label | Review order details for accuracy, then retry. If the error persists, contact your Account Manager |
| Courier is not available for your account | The selected courier isn't configured for your account | Choose a different courier, or contact your Account Manager to enable it |
| Items are not valid | One or more order lines have invalid data (missing customs info, incorrect SKU) | Edit the order and fix item details — check SKU, customs value, HS code, and country of manufacture |
| Courier doesn't support multipackaging | The selected courier can't handle orders with multiple packages | Use a different courier that supports multi-package shipments, or split into separate orders |
| Courier is not available for shipping location | The courier doesn't service the destination country or region | Choose a courier that covers the destination, or contact your Account Manager |
| Insurance failed | Insurance could not be applied (value exceeds limits or insurance not configured for this courier) | Review insurance value, try a different courier, or contact your Account Manager |
| Pickup errors | Problems with scheduling or processing a courier pickup | Review pickup details and try again. If the issue persists, contact your Account Manager |
Common Issues
Orders Stuck on Specific Statuses
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck on Incomplete | Missing required fields or a recoverable exception needs a decision | Open the order and read the exception. Fix missing data, or use the packaging-cost decision card if shown. |
| [pref som_via_automation_rules] | ||
| Stuck on Pending Approval | Waiting for approval — the order's exception shows the exact reason | Fix the issue named by the exception, then approve the order manually. If the order shows no exception, check your approval type in Preferences or review your Automation Rules |
| [endpref] | ||
| [pref !som_via_automation_rules] | ||
| Stuck on Pending Approval | Waiting for approval — the order's exception shows the exact reason | Fix the issue named by the exception, then approve the order manually. If the order shows no exception, check your approval type in Preferences |
| [endpref] | ||
| Stuck on Pending Fulfillment for days | Validation, courier or label processing, warehouse delay, or another visible exception | Check the exception on the order detail page. Fix any stated issue and allow time for processing; contact your Account Manager if it remains stuck |
| Stuck on On Hold | Exception blocking processing | View the order detail to see the exception. Resolve the issue and click Edit and Approve |
| Pending Cancellation not moving to Canceled | Cancellation request being confirmed — it may be declined | Cancellation is a request. If declined (for example, processing has already started), the order continues processing. If urgent, contact your Account Manager |
Order Creation Issues
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Can't save a manual order | Missing required fields | Check that address, items, and all required fields are filled. Required fields are marked with an asterisk |
| Order saved but status is Incomplete | Some required data is still missing | Edit the order and look for empty required fields — especially courier, shipping address, or item details |
| Courier dropdown is empty | No couriers configured for the selected destination or order type | Contact your Account Manager to set up courier options |
| Can't find a product SKU | Product not in your catalog | Create the product first, then add it to the order |
| "Duplicate" exception after saving | Order ID matches an existing order | Use a unique Order ID, or review the existing order to confirm it's not a true duplicate |
Bulk Upload Issues
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Validation errors on upload | Data formatting problems | Review the error details column-by-column. Common issues: missing required fields, invalid country codes, unknown SKUs |
| "SKU not found" errors | Product doesn't exist in your catalog | Create the product before uploading orders with that SKU |
| "Invalid country code" | Full country name used instead of 2-letter ISO code | Use ISO 2-letter codes: US (not United States), GB (not United Kingdom), HK (not Hong Kong) |
| Duplicate OrderID errors | Same OrderID used in a previous upload or existing order | Use unique OrderIDs, or check if the orders already exist |
| Upload processes but orders are Incomplete | Template columns don't match required fields | Download a fresh template for your order type and courier. Copy data into the new template |
| Wrong template columns | Using template for wrong order type or courier | Select the correct order type and courier before downloading the template |
| File format rejected | Unsupported file format | Use .csv or .xlsx format only |
| Line item update shows "item_id is required" | SKU not found in your product catalog for the order | Verify the SKU exists in your Products catalog. The system resolves SKUs to items automatically — this error means the SKU wasn't found |
Shipping and Courier Issues
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| No shipping option for destination | Courier doesn't cover that country or region | Try a different courier, or contact your Account Manager to add coverage |
| Shipping cost seems incorrect | Rate depends on weight, dimensions, and destination | Review the order's weight and dimensions. Contact your Account Manager if costs seem wrong |
| Tracking not updating | Courier hasn't scanned the package yet, or tracking feed is delayed | Allow 24-48 hours after fulfillment for initial tracking scans . Check the carrier's website directly |
| Label expired before courier collected | Package wasn't collected within the label's validity period | Contact your Account Manager to regenerate the label |
| Packaging cost approval required after approval | A valid one-package plan has a materially lower modeled packaging and shipping total | Review the comparison. Choose an order-only approval or allow the exact packaging pattern. No label has been purchased yet. |
If a courier such as DHL or FedEx is not available, possible reasons include account enablement, destination or warehouse compatibility, shipment limits, commodity requirements, or no eligible shipping option for the order. Choose another available courier when possible, or contact your Account Manager if the account setup needs to change.
Courier Requirement Errors
When an order gets the Does not meet courier requirements / restrictions exception, the courier has specific rules your order must satisfy. Below are common courier requirements and how to fix them:
Address Validation
| Error Pattern | Affected Couriers | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Postal code contains invalid characters (e.g., hyphens, dots) | YunExpress | Remove special characters from the postal code. Use only letters, numbers, and spaces. Example: use "AB12 3CD" instead of "AB12-3CD" |
| Postal code too long | FedEx ICP | Shorten the postal code to 10 characters or fewer |
| Address is only numbers (e.g., "1441") | YunExpress, US domestic injection services | Include a street name or additional text. Example: use "1441 Main St" instead of "1441" |
| Address too short (less than 5 characters) | US domestic injection services | Provide a complete street address with at least 5 characters |
Name Validation
| Error Pattern | Affected Couriers | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient name is a single word (no first and last name) | YunExpress CN | Enter both first and last name separated by a space. Example: use "Sean Smith" instead of "sean" |
Destination-Specific Requirements
| Requirement | Affected Couriers | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| State/Province code required for Vietnam | UPS | Add a valid state or province code for the Vietnam shipping address |
| UK declared value cannot exceed $155 USD | YunExpress CN | Reduce the declared customs value to $155 USD or less for UK-bound orders, or use a different courier |
Customs Value Limits
| Limit | Affected Couriers | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| US declared value maximum $60 USD | YunExpress CN | Reduce the customs value to $60 USD or less for US-bound orders, or use a different courier |
Note: Courier requirements vary by service and destination country. If you're unsure why an order is failing, contact your Account Manager with the order reference number and the courier service you're using.
Account and Permission Issues
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Can't see the Orders menu | Missing order permissions | Contact your company administrator to grant access |
| Can't create or edit orders | Read-only permission | Contact your company administrator for write access |
| Can't approve orders | Missing approve permission or order has errors | Check for validation errors. If none, contact your administrator |
| Missing features other users can see | Different permission level or account configuration | Contact your company administrator to compare permission settings |
Workflows
Workflow: Resolve an Order Exception
When: An order shows an exception badge and is not progressing.
Steps:
- Navigate to Orders
- Look for orders with the Exceptions badge
- Click the order to open its details
- Read the exception message to understand the issue
- Fix the problem (e.g., update the address, add missing item data, re-upload)
- If the order is Incomplete, click Re-submit after fixing
Result: The order clears the exception and resumes processing.
Workflow: Fix an Incomplete Order
When: An order has status Incomplete due to missing or invalid data.
Steps:
- Navigate to Orders and find the incomplete order
- Open the order details
- Check which fields are flagged (address, items, courier, weight, dimensions)
- Correct the invalid data
- Click Re-submit
Result: The order moves to Pending Approval or Pending Fulfillment depending on your approval settings.
Workflow: Resolve a Packaging Cost Approval
When: Approval returns the order to Incomplete with Packaging cost approval required.
Steps: 1. Open the order detail page 2. Review the current and recommended package combinations and their modeled total costs 3. Select Approve this order anyway for a one-order decision, or Allow this exact packaging pattern for matching future orders 4. Confirm the decision 5. Refresh the order if another validation message appears
Result: The decision is audited and the order resumes the normal approval path. The selected packages are not changed automatically.
Workflow: Cancel a Stuck Order
When: An order can't be processed and needs to be canceled.
Steps:
- Navigate to Orders and find the order
- Open the order details
- Click Cancel
- The order moves to Pending Cancellation while your request is confirmed
Result: If the request is confirmed, the order changes to Canceled. If it's declined — for example, because processing has already started — the order continues processing. Contact your Account Manager if the cancellation is urgent.
When to Contact Support
Contact your Account Manager at qa-testing+operations@floship.com when:
- An order is stuck for more than 48 hours with no exception
- You receive an exception you don't understand
- Cancellation is not being confirmed by the warehouse
- Tracking shows no updates for more than 72 hours after fulfillment
- Shipping costs appear incorrect
- You need courier options added or changed
- Bulk upload errors persist after fixing your data
Include these details when contacting support: - Floship reference number(s) or Order ID(s) - Screenshot of the error or exception - Steps you've already tried
Related Documentation
- Orders Overview — how orders work
- Order Statuses — what each status means
- Order Details — reviewing order information
- Create an Order — manual and bulk creation help
- Bulk Actions — resolving issues in bulk
- Labels & Documents — document download issues