ShipHero's automation rules allow you to automatically apply or release order holds based on specific order conditions. That removes the need to review and hold orders by hand, and it reduces the risk of human error.
Before You Begin
Automation Rules use IF/THEN logic to trigger actions when an order meets defined criteria. Some hold types are scoped to a single account, so check the Client Hold restriction below before you build rules for a 3PL client.
For every trigger and action ShipHero offers, see Automation Rule Triggers and Actions Reference. If you are new to Automation Rules, start with How to Use Automation Rules in ShipHero.
For a full list of order hold types and manual hold management, see Overview: Order Holds in ShipHero.
Table of Contents
- How to Create an Order Hold Automation Rule
- Available Order Hold Actions in ShipHero Automation Rules
- Common Order Hold Automation Rule Examples
How to Create an Order Hold Automation Rule
Note for 3PLs: Select at least one client in the Clients selector before choosing a trigger or an action. Triggers and actions stay unavailable until a client is selected, because every Automation Rule is owned by a client account. Actions that point to one client's own records, such as a warehouse, list, or status, are disabled when you create a single rule for several clients at once. See How to Create Automation Rules for 3PL Clients.
- Go to Orders > Automation Rules.
- Select Create New Rule.
- Enter a Name for the rule.
- Select a Trigger and the value the order must match.
- Select a hold action from the Action dropdown. See Available Order Hold Actions below for all options.
- Select Create.
Important
Automation rules only apply to orders that import after the rule is created. Existing orders in ShipHero are not retroactively affected.
Available Order Hold Actions in ShipHero Automation Rules
| Action | Description | Action Values | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set Address Hold | Automatically applies or releases an Address Hold for orders meeting the rule's trigger criteria. | On/Off | Use when address validation changes an address that was already correct and you want someone to check it first. For example, Shopify treats Puerto Rico as part of the United States while UPS treats it separately, which causes invalid label errors at the pack station. |
| Set Ignore Address Validation Errors | Ignores address validation errors. ShipHero keeps the address exactly as it imported and enables the ignore address validation errors flag on the order. | On/Off | Use to stop an Address Hold from being applied, rather than to apply one. Pair it with Set Address Hold set to No, because address validation runs after automation rules and can otherwise put the hold back. |
| Set Fraud Hold | Automatically applies or releases a Fraud Hold for orders meeting the rule's trigger criteria. | On/Off | Use when a known domain or customer places fraudulent orders, so those orders are held for review instead of shipping. |
| Set Operator Hold | Automatically applies or releases an Operator Hold for orders meeting the rule's trigger criteria. | On/Off | Use when a known problem with a type of order needs someone to look at it before it ships. |
| Set Payment Hold | Automatically applies or releases a Payment Hold for orders meeting the rule's trigger criteria. | On/Off | Use for shipping terms or B2B orders that should import even while unpaid in your sales channel. You can also release the hold by tagging the order in your channel and triggering a second rule on that tag. |
| Set Client Hold | Automatically places orders on Client Hold when the rule's trigger conditions are met. Available for 3PL client accounts only. | On/Off | When 3PL clients need to prevent a 3PL from processing an order. |
| Set Hold Until Date ahead X days | Places the order on hold for the number of days specified in the rule, calculated from the time the rule triggers. | Numeric values only | Use when an order should not ship for a set number of days. The hold clears itself once the time elapses, so nothing is stranded if you forget it. |
| Set Hold Until Date ahead X hours | Places the order on hold for the number of hours specified in the rule, calculated from the time the rule triggers. | Numeric values only | Use to give customers a window to edit an order before it ships. |
| Set Hold Until Date and Time | Places the order on hold until a specific date and time specified in the action. | Select a date, then enter a time as HH:MM (14:30) or HH:MMam/pm (02:30pm). | Use when an order must not ship before a specific moment, such as a product launch. The hold clears itself once that time passes. |
Important
Client Hold is controlled by the client account that owns the order. 3PL operators cannot set or remove Client Hold, either manually or through automation rules. Only the client account can apply or release a Client Hold.
Common Order Hold Automation Rule Examples
| Use Case | Trigger | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Hold pre-orders until launch date | Order Tag is your pre-order tag, or Store Name is the channel | Set Hold Until Date and Time to the launch date and time |
| Hold unpaid orders from a specific channel | Store Name is the channel, or Order Tag marks the order as shipping terms or B2B | Set Payment Hold to Yes |
| Release the payment hold once the order is paid | Has Payment Hold is Yes, and Order Tag is the paid tag you add in your sales channel | Set Payment Hold to No |
| Hold high-value orders for review | Order Total is greater than your threshold | Set Operator Hold to Yes |
| Hold client orders pending client approval | Order Tag is your approval tag, or Store Name is the client's store | Set Client Hold to Yes, from the client account |
| Skip validation for a destination you know is correct | Country or Zipcode matches the destination that keeps failing validation | Set Ignore Address Validation Errors to Yes |
Pro-Tip
Combine hold rules with release rules to create a fully automated hold lifecycle. Pair a rule that sets Set Payment Hold to Yes at import with a second rule that sets it to No, triggered on Has Payment Hold plus whatever marks the order as paid. The Has triggers are what let a rule detect a hold that is already on an order. See Automation Rule Triggers and Actions Reference for the full list of hold triggers.