The best WooCommerce order management plugin is the one that removes your most repeated manual task. If you spend time marking virtual orders complete, Autocomplete WooCommerce Orders handles it. If customers ask where their parcel is, a tracking plugin such as Advanced Shipment Tracking or YITH Order & Shipment Tracking fixes that. If you need custom statuses, stock control or exports, there is a plugin for each. This guide covers ten options.
WooCommerce already lets you view, edit, refund and change the status of orders. Plugins matter once volume grows and the same steps repeat many times a day.
What WooCommerce order management means
An order in WooCommerce moves through statuses: pending payment, processing, on hold, completed, cancelled, refunded and failed. Order management is everything you do to move orders along and keep customers informed. That includes the status changes, shipping and tracking details, order notes, stock updates, invoices, exports and customer emails.
Core WooCommerce handles the basics from the Orders screen. It does not track parcels with carriers, create your own statuses, manage purchase orders, or export orders in a custom layout. Those gaps are where plugins fit.
How to pick an order management plugin
- List the tasks you repeat. Write down what your team does to every order. Automate the task that takes the most time first.
- Match the plugin to the product type. Digital downloads and services need automatic completion. Physical goods need tracking and stock control.
- Check that it fits your order storage. Modern WooCommerce can store orders in dedicated tables rather than as posts. Confirm the plugin states support for that setup.
- Start with one plugin per job. Overlapping plugins that both change statuses cause confusing results.
- Test on a staging copy with real order flows, including a refund and a cancelled order, before you go live.
The 10 best WooCommerce order management plugins
1. Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce
Advanced Shipment Tracking from Zorem lets you add tracking numbers to orders, update the order status automatically and send shipping notifications that carry the tracking link. It supports a large list of carriers, and you can import tracking numbers in bulk.
Best for: stores that ship physical goods and want to cut “where is my order” emails.
2. YITH WooCommerce Order & Shipment Tracking
YITH WooCommerce Order & Shipment Tracking lets you add shipping details to an order, such as the carrier name, tracking code and the carrier’s tracking link, and notify the customer. It has a free version on WordPress.org, with a premium version from the developer.
Best for: stores that want a simple tracking field and a notification, without a large carrier setup.
3. Order Tracking
Order Tracking is a status tracking plugin that works on its own and with WooCommerce. You create tracking numbers, publish a lookup form on a page and send email updates when status changes. Its listing states that WooCommerce integration and advanced order management features are part of the premium version.
Best for: stores and service businesses that want a public order lookup page.
4. Trakoo, Orders Tracking for WooCommerce
Trakoo imports and manages tracking numbers, adds tracking numbers to PayPal and sends email notifications to customers. The plugin used to be listed as Orders Tracking for WooCommerce, so you may see both names.
Best for: stores that ship in volume and need to bulk import tracking data.
5. AfterShip Tracking
AfterShip Tracking adds shipment tracking, automated notifications, order lookup and a branded tracking page. It connects your store to the AfterShip service, and its listing mentions a free plan. Review the plan limits on the vendor side before you commit.
Best for: stores that want a hosted tracking service with a branded page.
6. Autocomplete WooCommerce Orders
Autocomplete WooCommerce Orders moves orders to completed automatically once payment succeeds. That suits virtual goods, downloads and subscriptions, where there is nothing to pack. It removes a status change that someone would otherwise make by hand for each order.
Best for: digital products and services.
7. Order Status Manager for WooCommerce
Order Status Manager is a paid extension on the WooCommerce marketplace that lets you create, edit and delete custom order statuses. Statuses such as “awaiting stock” or “in production” tell the team and the customer more than “processing” does. Our post on custom order status plugins compares more ways to do this.
Best for: stores with a multi-step fulfilment process.
8. ATUM Inventory Management for WooCommerce
ATUM adds inventory management inside WordPress: purchase orders, suppliers, inbound stock and inventory logs. It sits next to order handling because stock must move when orders do.
Best for: stores that buy stock from suppliers and need to track what is on the way.
9. Advanced Order Export for WooCommerce
Advanced Order Export For WooCommerce exports orders to CSV, Excel, XML, JSON, PDF and HTML, with filters for what to include. Use it to hand data to an accountant, a warehouse or a 3PL. The wider topic is covered in our import and export plugins guide.
Best for: stores that pass order data to other systems.
10. PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce
PDF Invoices & Packing Slips creates PDF or XML invoices and PDF packing slips for orders and attaches invoices to the confirmation email. It reduces the paperwork on each order. See our comparison of PDF invoice and packing slip plugins for alternatives.
Best for: stores that send invoices or print packing slips for every order.
Comparison table
| Plugin | Handles | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Shipment Tracking | Tracking numbers, status updates, notifications | Physical goods |
| YITH Order & Shipment Tracking | Carrier and tracking details on orders | Simple tracking |
| Order Tracking | Public order lookup page | Customer self-service |
| Trakoo | Bulk tracking import, PayPal tracking | High shipping volume |
| AfterShip Tracking | Hosted tracking page and alerts | Branded tracking |
| Autocomplete WooCommerce Orders | Automatic completion | Digital products |
| Order Status Manager | Custom statuses | Multi-step fulfilment |
| ATUM | Stock, suppliers, purchase orders | Inventory-heavy stores |
| Advanced Order Export | Order exports | Reporting and handoffs |
| PDF Invoices & Packing Slips | Invoices and packing slips | Paperwork per order |
Common order management problems and fixes
Customers keep asking where their order is
This is a tracking problem. Add tracking numbers to orders and send them in the shipping email. A public lookup page, from Order Tracking or AfterShip, answers the question without a support ticket. Also check your shipping setup, covered in our WooCommerce shipping plugins guide.
Digital orders sit in processing
WooCommerce completes virtual and downloadable orders automatically in some cases, but not all payment flows end that way. An autocomplete plugin removes the guesswork.
Staff cannot tell what stage an order is in
The default statuses are broad. Custom statuses give every stage a name, and you can link an email to each one.
Stock counts do not match reality
Orders reduce stock when they are placed or paid, depending on your settings, and refunds do not always restore it. An inventory plugin with logs shows where the numbers drifted.
Reporting takes hours
If someone rebuilds a spreadsheet by hand every week, set up a scheduled export or look at the options in our WooCommerce reporting plugins list.
Example setups by store type
A store that ships physical products
Start with a tracking plugin so each shipped order carries a tracking link in the email. Add custom statuses only if your team genuinely works in stages, such as picking, packing and awaiting courier. Use an inventory plugin when you reorder from suppliers, and schedule an export for your warehouse or accountant. Four tools cover the job, and none of them overlap.
A store that sells downloads or services
There is nothing to pack, so skip tracking. An autocomplete plugin moves paid orders to completed, and the confirmation email delivers the download or booking details. Add PDF invoices if your customers are businesses that need them.
A store with a small team
Keep it light. Use the default statuses, one tracking plugin and one export. Each extra plugin is another update to watch. Add more only when a task shows up in your week more than a few times.
What to check after you install one
- Place a test order and confirm the status changes as you expect.
- Refund part of the order and cancel another, then check stock and emails.
- Open the customer account page and check what the customer sees.
- Look at the Orders screen with a few hundred test orders if you have a large catalogue, to see whether it still loads quickly.
- Read the plugin’s changelog to see how often it is maintained.
Keep order management lean as you grow
Every plugin you add is something to update, test and secure. Pick one plugin per job, review the list twice a year, and remove anything your team no longer uses. If you want a broader view of the options, our best WooCommerce extensions list is a good companion.
Orders also depend on the surrounding setup. Hosting speed affects how fast the Orders screen loads, and a large order history makes slow queries more visible, so test with realistic volumes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best WooCommerce plugin to manage orders?
There is no single best one, because order management covers several jobs. Use a tracking plugin for shipping, an autocomplete plugin for digital orders, and an inventory plugin such as ATUM for stock. Choose by the task you repeat most.
Can WooCommerce add tracking numbers to orders by default?
No, core WooCommerce has order notes but no dedicated tracking field. A tracking plugin adds the carrier, tracking number and a link, and sends the customer an email.
How do I create custom order statuses in WooCommerce?
Use a plugin that registers new statuses, such as Order Status Manager. You name the status, choose its colour and set which emails fire when an order moves into it.
How do I automatically complete WooCommerce orders?
Install an autocomplete plugin such as Autocomplete WooCommerce Orders. It marks orders completed after payment, which suits digital downloads and services.
Can I export WooCommerce orders to CSV or Excel?
Yes. A plugin such as Advanced Order Export lets you choose the fields, filter by date or status and export to CSV, Excel and other formats, which is more flexible than copying data from the Orders screen.
Are free order management plugins enough?
For many small stores, yes. Several plugins above have a free version on WordPress.org that covers the main job. Check what the free version includes before you decide a paid upgrade is needed.
Will these plugins work with High-Performance Order Storage?
Many do, but you should confirm on each plugin’s page and test on staging. Compatibility is declared by the plugin developer, so do not assume it.
Try it on a live site
Install one plugin on a staging copy, run a full test order through it, and then roll it out. If you are planning a store with a community around it, the Reign demos show working builds you can click through.