This article explains the order approval process for orders placed through Gelato, outlining both automatic and manual approval options. It also guides you on how to check your current order approval settings and troubleshoot situations where manual approval might still be required despite having automatic approval enabled.
Understanding Order Approvals in Gelato
When an order is placed through your store connected to Gelato, it goes through an approval process before production. Gelato offers flexibility with different approval workflows to suit your business needs.
Default Approval Workflow
The default setting is instant automatic approval. This means that as soon as an order is received by Gelato, it's automatically approved and sent for production. This streamlined process ensures efficient order fulfillment.
Reviewing Your Order Approval Configuration
To check your current order approval settings, follow these steps:
Go to Stores.
Select your store.
Click Edit store details.
Remember that only orders for products connected to Gelato will be sent to the Gelato API and follow this approval workflow. To ensure a seamless experience, make sure that:
Your store is connected to Gelato.
Your products are added to Gelato (if you're adding new products).
Your products are migrated to Gelato (if you already have existing products).
Automatic and Manual Approval Options
Gelato offers two main order approval workflows:
Automatic Approval
This default option ensures orders are automatically approved and move swiftly to production. You can choose between:
Instant automatic approval: Orders are approved immediately upon receipt.
Delayed automatic approval: Orders are automatically approved after a specified delay (6, 12, 24, 48, or 72 hours).
Manual Approval
Manual approval offers greater control over order processing. You can set up unique approval requirements using product tags. To enable this:
Tick off the 'Use product tags for manual order fulfillment' box in your store settings.
Define the relevant tags in your e-commerce store (Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce) or the Gelato dashboard.
For detailed instructions on setting up a manual approval workflow, refer to this article.
Customizing Product Approval
For Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce users, Gelato allows customized approval processes for individual products. Here's how:
In your store settings, find and enable the "Use product tags for manual order fulfillment" option under "Order Approval".
Create matching product tags in both your Gelato Dashboard and your e-commerce store, ensuring they are active in both locations.
Apply the created tag to the specific product you want to have manually approved within the product details section.
Once this setup is complete, any order containing a product with this tag will automatically be routed through manual approval.
Troubleshooting: Automatic Approval Not Taking Effect
If your order approval is set to 'Automatic' but you're still prompted to manually approve orders, it might be because you haven't provided your company details yet. Gelato requires your billing information to process orders.
To update your company details:
Go to Settings in your Gelato Dashboard.
Click on Company.
Fill in your basic company information.
Save your changes.
After updating your company details, any pending orders will still require manual approval. For guidance on approving orders, refer to this article.