Set up and run OrderCtrl.

Getting started

Connect your WooCommerce store

Settings → Store Settings → Store details

OrderCtrl connects through WooCommerce’s own approval screen, so you never copy API keys by hand.

1. Create your account and enter your Store Website URL (the root domain, like yourstore.com, without http:// or www).
2. Click Connect WooCommerce Store. You’re sent to your WooCommerce admin. Click Approve to give OrderCtrl read and write access.
3. OrderCtrl sets up order updates automatically: created, updated, cancelled, refunded and failed orders. If WooCommerce Subscriptions is installed, subscription updates are added too.

To disconnect, use Disconnect WooCommerce, then delete the OrderCtrl keys in WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → REST API.

Your store must be reachable over HTTPS, and you need to be signed in to WordPress as a user who can manage WooCommerce.

Getting started

The setup wizard

After connecting, the setup wizard walks through each step. You can leave and come back, and the dashboard checklist shows what’s left.

Fetching live tracking during the import uses one credit per shipment. The wizard shows an estimate before you start.

Getting started

Store details & syncing orders

Settings → Store Settings → Store details

Sync orders

Use Sync Orders to import or re-import orders at any time.

• Order Status: pick which WooCommerce statuses to include (Pending, Processing, Completed, On Hold, Cancelled, Refunded, Failed).
• Date Period: Today, Last 7 Days, Last 30 Days, Last 12 Months or a custom range.
• Create Shipment Records: create shipments from the tracking numbers on those orders.
• Fetch Tracking Details: get live tracking for those shipments (uses credits), limited to orders from the last X days (1 to 365, default 30).

Progress shows live, and Sync History lists past syncs with how many orders were created, updated or failed.

Store sign-in sync

With the WordPress plugin installed, Enable WordPress SSO signs customers in to your store when they sign in to the portal. Use Sync SSO Settings to WordPress after changing it, and Refresh Settings to check the plugin’s status.

Getting started

Install the WordPress plugin

The OrderCtrl plugin for WordPress adds the package protection option to your checkout and sign-in sync, so customers signed in to your store are signed in to the portal too. Everything else works through the WooCommerce connection.

Get the plugin

Download the plugin from your OrderCtrl app settings. That’s the recommended way: it’s always the version that matches your account. The plugin will also be listed in the WordPress plugin directory, but downloading it from the app is still the best choice.

Install it

1. In your OrderCtrl app settings, download the OrderCtrl plugin zip file.
2. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
3. Choose the zip file, click Install Now, then Activate.
4. Back in OrderCtrl, click Check again in the setup wizard, or open Store details. OrderCtrl configures the plugin for you, so there’s nothing to set up in WordPress.

The setup wizard shows OrderCtrl WordPress plugin: Installed with the version number once it’s found.

Getting started

Who can change settings

Owners and admins can open every settings page. Analysts can view orders, analytics and most settings, but can’t open these pages:

• Store details
• Automations
• Integrations
• Helpdesk & API
• Shipping & labels
• Users and invitations
• Billing and credits

Settings open in a full-page view with the settings menu on the left. Close it to return to where you were.

Tracking

Tracking setup

Settings → Store Settings → Store details → Shipment Tracking Settings

Tell OrderCtrl where tracking numbers are saved on your orders. Keep shipping the way you do today: OrderCtrl reads them wherever they land. You can also add tracking or buy labels in OrderCtrl itself; see Adding tracking & shipping labels.

Enter a Test Order ID and click Test Configuration to check your choice on a real order before saving.

Carriers and updates

More than 50 carriers are supported, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Canada Post, Royal Mail, Australia Post and Purolator. Updates arrive automatically as carriers scan packages, and shipments that go quiet are re-checked regularly.

Credits

Each new shipment with live tracking uses one credit. Re-checking a shipment you already have is free. If you run out, new shipments still appear, but live tracking pauses until you add credits.

Tracking

Adding tracking & shipping labels

Settings → Store Settings → Shipping & delivery → Shipping & labels

Add tracking numbers and buy labels right from the order page. Each one becomes a shipment in OrderCtrl with live tracking, and the number is saved back to the WooCommerce order.

Add a tracking number

On an order, choose Add tracking number (or Fulfill order if nothing has shipped yet). Enter the number and pick the carrier: USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL Express, Canada Post, or Other carrier with its name and tracking link. Set the ship date, an estimated delivery date if you have one, and the WooCommerce status to move the order to. Leave the number empty to mark an order fulfilled without tracking, for pickup or digital orders. Add another number the same way for each extra box.

Buy a shipping label

Choose Buy label on the order. Pick a ship-from address and a saved package (or enter size and weight), then Get rates. Rates are listed cheapest first with transit time. Pick one and buy; the label opens to print, and the tracking number is added to the order with live tracking on. Labels that haven’t been scanned by the carrier can be voided from the shipment.

How tracking reaches WooCommerce

Numbers are written to the order through your WooCommerce connection, in the same field the WooCommerce Shipment Tracking plugin and Advanced Shipment Tracking use. Numbers already on the order are kept, and each number is added only once. The shipment shows whether it’s in WooCommerce yet, and failed syncs retry on their own, with a Retry button if they still fail. Voiding a label removes its number from the order.

WooCommerce doesn’t show tracking in its own emails or My Account page by default. OrderCtrl’s shipping emails and portal include it. If you also want tracking links in WooCommerce’s emails, keep a plugin that displays that field. Changing the order status can send WooCommerce’s own status email, such as “Order completed”, if that email is on.

Tracking

Delivery promises

Settings → Store Settings → SLAs & Issue Detection → Fulfillment & shipping

Delivery promises tell OrderCtrl what “on time” means for your store. Analytics, at-risk orders and issue detection all use them.

Tracking

Issue detection

Settings → Store Settings → SLAs & Issue Detection → When issues are flagged

Choose which problems OrderCtrl flags and when. Each one can be turned on or off, and flagged issues can start automations or open claims.

Time is counted on your fulfillment days, after the processing time.

Customer portal

Portal branding

Settings → Customer Portal → Portal Branding

Brand identity

• Portal Logo (transparent PNG recommended), Logo Size (small, medium or large) and Favicon (32 × 32).
• Brand Colors: primary and accent.
• Shop link: show a link back to your store, with your own label and URL. Leave the URL empty to use your store website.
• Font Family: Inter, Roboto, Open Sans, Lato, Poppins, Nunito or your system font.

Login page

• Corner Style and Card Border color and width.
• Background: color or image, image position, text color, and whether it applies to the login and track pages, the signed-in portal, or both.
• Content: logo position, heading (default “Welcome back!”), tagline, and an optional features list.
• Custom CSS for anything else.

Use Preview portal to see your changes, and Reset to defaults to reset branding (your layout and banners are kept).

Customer portal

Custom portal domain

Portal Branding → Custom domain

Your portal starts at your store’s OrderCtrl address. To use your own, like portal.yourbrand.com:

1. Click Custom domain on the Portal Branding page and enter the domain, without http:// or https://. A subdomain is required, so www. isn’t allowed.
2. OrderCtrl shows two DNS records: a CNAME record that points your domain to the portal, and a TXT record that proves you own it. Add both at your domain provider. Each has a copy button.
3. Click Verify DNS Records. Each record shows as verified once it’s found. DNS changes can take a while to spread, so try again later if it isn’t found yet.
4. Once both are verified, click Activate Domain. Your portal is now served on your domain.

To go back to the default address, use Remove Custom Domain.

Customer portal

Portal content, banners & FAQs

Settings → Customer Portal → Portal Content

Order page sections

Show or hide each section of the customer’s order page, or reset the page to the default layout.

Banners

Add banners to the spots shown on the page. Each banner has an image (the recommended size is shown), a description used as alt text, and an optional link. Each spot holds a limited number of banners; move, edit or delete them any time.

FAQs

Each FAQ has a question and a formatted answer. You can target it:

• Order statuses: show it only for orders in certain statuses, like delayed or delivered. Leave empty to show it on every order.
• Categories and tags to organize your FAQs.
• Active: turn it off to hide it without deleting it.

Customer portal

Sign-in & guest lookup

• Code sign-in: customers enter their email and get a 6-digit code that expires in 15 minutes. Attempts are rate-limited.
• Guest lookup: anyone can find one order with their email plus the order number, tracking number or ZIP code. Addresses and payment details stay hidden until they sign in.
• Sign-in sync: with the WordPress plugin, customers signed in to your store are signed in to the portal, and signing out of one signs them out of both. See Store details.

Customer portal

Customer actions

Settings → Customer Portal → Customer actions

Turn on what customers can do themselves in the portal, then click an action to set its rules.

Each action can run automatically or wait for your approval. Customers see a clear reason when an action isn’t available.

Returns & claims

Claim policies

Settings → Policy & Automation Settings → Claim Policies

Every issue type has a claim policy. Policies are grouped by when they apply:

• After delivery: customers report from their order (damaged, missing, wrong item, changed their mind and more).
• Before delivery: problems while the order is in transit.
• Detected automatically: issues OrderCtrl flags from tracking and delivery promises. Automations can open these claims.

Inside a policy

Conditions you can use

Returns & claims

Offer options

Each option in an offer has its own settings.

Options that need the item back have Return Required and Auto-Authorize Return, which overrides the store-wide setting in Return shipping. When a return is required, the label is created right away, even if the refund or replacement waits.

Returns & claims

Return shipping

Settings → Store Settings → Return shipping

• Return address: printed on return labels as the destination. Supports addresses in the United States and Canada.
• Label defaults: carrier (USPS, UPS or FedEx), package weight and dimensions. An option in a claim policy can choose its own carrier.
• Create return labels automatically: when off, approved returns wait for you to authorize them before a label is made. Each option in a claim policy can override this.

Customers can download the label, email it to themselves, or show a QR code at drop-off. Returns are tracked like any shipment, then you inspect them: approve, partly approve or reject, and restock items.

Returns & claims

Package protection

Settings → Store Settings → Package Protection

Settings

• Fee Display Name: what customers see at checkout.
• Fee Type: fixed amount, percentage of order, percentage with a minimum, or tiered pricing by cart value (each tier can be fixed or a percentage, with an optional minimum).
• Enable Package Protection, Default to Opted-In and Show Protected Badge on Orders.
• Checkout Position, and optionally Show on Cart Page with a cart position.

Branding

• Widget title, description and the info text shown when customers click “Learn more”.
• Widget style and colors (background, border, text and link), with a live preview.
• Whether to show the OrderCtrl logo.

Click Sync with store to save your changes to your checkout through the WordPress plugin. Use the order is protected condition in claim policies to treat protected orders differently.

Automations & emails

Automations

Settings → Policy & Automation Settings → Automations

An automation starts from a trigger, can check conditions, wait, and then act. Click New automation and start blank or from a preset. Starter automations are added switched off so you can review them first.

Text in emails and alerts can use variables like {customer.name}, {order.name}, {order.total}, {shipment.carrier}, {shipment.tracking_code}, {portal.url} and {claim.url}.

Use Run once per order to avoid repeats and Stop when resolved to cancel waiting steps once the problem is fixed. The list shows each automation’s runs and last run, and you can turn it on or off, duplicate or delete it.

Claims opened by automations

An automation can open a claim in three ways: for your team to review, approved right away, or by emailing the customer to choose from the options in your claim policy.

Automations & emails

Customer & team emails

Settings → Store Settings → Notifications

Notifications are listed by category (Orders, Claims & requests, Returns, Subscriptions). Most events have a customer email and a team email; use Edit Customer or Edit Admin to change either one.

• Send this notification: each email is off until you turn it on. The setup wizard’s recommended setup turns on a starter set.
• Content: subject line, preview text, main heading, sub heading and body. Use Generate next to a field for AI help writing it.
• Variables: click View Available Variables to see what you can insert, like the customer’s name or tracking link.
• Conditions: for claim and return emails, send only for certain resolution types, who started the request (customer, your team, or detected automatically), or whether a return is required.
• Live preview: pick a real order or request to preview with real data.
• Send test email: choose a preview record first, then send to one or more addresses.

Shipping updates for orders with several boxes are grouped within a 4-hour window. Exceptions send right away.

SMS is coming soon. Today, customer messages are sent by email.

Automations & emails

Email branding

Notifications → Email branding

Pick a Template Style, then style each part. A live preview updates as you go, and Send test email sends you a sample.

Automations & emails

Sender & sending domain

Notifications → Sender & domain

Sender name and reply-to

• Sender Name: the name customers see in their inbox. If you leave it empty, your store name is used.
• Reply-To Email: where customer replies go, like support@yourstore.com.

Without a custom sending domain, emails come from OrderCtrl’s sending address with your sender name, and replies go to your reply-to address.

Send from your own domain

To send from an address like hello@yourstore.com:

1. Open Sender & domain and go to Configure Domain. Enter the Domain Name, the From Email Address, the From Name and a Reply-To Email Address (your customer service email is recommended).
2. OrderCtrl creates the domain and shows the DNS records to add. These cover records such as SPF, DKIM, MX, DMARC and return path. Add each one at your domain provider exactly as shown.
3. Click Verify DNS Records. Each record shows Verified once it’s found. DNS changes can take a while to spread, so check again later if some aren’t found yet.

Once the domain is verified, every email sends from your address. Until then, emails keep sending from OrderCtrl’s address, so nothing stops while you wait. Each store has one sending domain.

Add the records to the same domain you entered. If you use a subdomain for sending, like mail.yourstore.com, enter that subdomain as the domain name.

Integrations & API

Integrations

Settings → Integrations

Integrations are listed as connected, available or coming soon. To connect one, click it and either sign in with the service (for integrations that use OAuth) or paste its API key.

Once connected, you can test the connection, turn it off for a while, or disconnect it. Available integrations include Klaviyo, Stripe and Square; the page shows the current list for your store.

Integrations & API

Helpdesk card

Settings → Store Settings → Helpdesk & API

Show orders, subscriptions and what a customer can claim right inside your helpdesk. Supported: Gorgias, Zendesk, Help Scout, Freshdesk, Gladly, Kustomer, Re:amaze and Richpanel.

1. Click Generate API key. Copy it now, it won’t be shown again.
2. Pick your helpdesk to see its setup steps and the URL to paste into it.
3. Optionally add your helpdesk’s signing secret so OrderCtrl checks every request.
4. Use Try it with an email, order number or ticket text to preview the card.

The page shows the start of your key and when it was created and last used. Rotate key replaces it, and the old key stops working immediately. Revoke key turns it off, and every helpdesk using it stops working.

The card finds the customer by email, order number or phone and shows their orders, shipments, subscriptions, open and recent claims, and which fixes your policy allows for the problem in the ticket.

Integrations & API

Order Intelligence API

Use the API to pull the same order context into any tool. Send your API key as a bearer token. Requests are limited to 60 per minute per store.

POST /api/store/{store-slug}/intelligence
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "customer@example.com",
  "order_id": "4412",
  "context": "I only got one of my two boxes",
  "include": ["order_status", "shipments", "sla", "requests", "resolutions", "eligibility", "actions"],
  "generate_reply": true
}

Send an order_id for one order, or just an email for the customer’s 10 most recent orders. include picks sections (all by default). context is the customer’s message, used to match the issue and write a suggested reply when generate_reply is true.

Helpdesk card endpoint

GET /api/store/{store-slug}/helpdesk/widget?email=customer@example.com&format=json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

format can be json, html (a ready-made card) or page (a full page for an iframe). You can also look up by order, phone or ticket text.

Team & billing

Team & roles

Settings → Store Settings → Team Management

Invite teammates with Invite User: enter their email and pick a role. Invitations are listed as pending, accepted or expired.

Your account

Open Account Settings from the user menu to update your profile and password, turn on two-factor authentication, and sign out of other browser sessions.

Team & billing

Plans & credits

Settings → Billing Center and Credits Activity

Plans are monthly and every plan includes every feature. One credit tracks one shipment. Labels bought through OrderCtrl’s label account are also paid with credits, priced before you buy; voiding a label returns them. See Pricing for plans.

• Billing Center: add payment methods, change plans, and cancel or resume your subscription.
• Credit Settings: turn on Enable Auto-Renewal and set a Renewal Threshold (10 to 100 credits). When your balance falls below it, your plan renews and its credits are added.
• Credits Activity lists every shipment that used a credit.
• You can downgrade once your remaining credits fit the smaller plan.

Team & billing

Notification & webhook logs

Settings → Store Settings → System & Dev

• Notification Logs: every email OrderCtrl sent or tried to send, with its status. Logs are kept for 90 days.
• Webhook Logs: updates received from WooCommerce and carriers, useful when checking why an order or shipment didn’t update.