17 Automation Recipes for the On Hold Tab in Zenstores

By combining the On Hold tab with Automations, you can ensure that orders are paused only when they need attention, leaving the rest of your fulfilment workflow running smoothly.

Here are 17 real-world Automation recipes that show how UK retailers use Zenstores to fulfil faster and ship smarter.

Stock & Product Control

Manage low-stock or missing items

Use case: Orders containing out-of-stock SKUs can slow down fulfilment.

Automation trigger: If an order contains low or missing stock.

Action: Move to the On Hold tab and tag as “Stock Issue.”

Result: Quickly identify and resolve stock problems without delaying ready-to-ship orders.

Pre-orders

Use case: Pre-orders shouldn’t mix with ready-to-ship stock.

Trigger: If the product SKU or line item title contains “Pre-order.”

Action: Move to On Hold until inventory is available.

Result: Track pre-orders clearly and ship them automatically when stock arrives.

Customisation required

Use case: Personalised or customised orders need careful handling.

Trigger: Order notes or SKU indicate “Custom” or “Personalised.”

Action: Move to On Hold for review.

Result: Avoid fulfilment mistakes and ensure instructions are followed.

Customer Experience

Gift orders

Use case: Gifts often need wrapping, notes, or special handling.

Trigger: If “Gift” is selected or a gift note is present.

Action: Move to On Hold with a “Gift Order” tag.

Result: Make sure every gift gets the right attention without slowing other shipments.

Nominated dispatch dates

Use case: Some customers choose a future delivery date.

Trigger: Nominated delivery date in order details.

Action: Move to On Hold until the selected date.

Result: Prevent early dispatch and keep delivery promises.

Repeat customers

Use case: Frequent buyers deserve priority handling.

Trigger: Customer order count exceeds threshold.

Action: Move to On Hold tab “VIP / Repeat Customers.”

Result: Deliver a smoother experience to loyal shoppers.

Fulfilment & Operational Control

Local collection orders

Use case: Click & Collect orders don’t need shipping labels.

Trigger: Shipping method = “Local Collect.”

Action: Move to On Hold with “Local Collect” tag.

Result: Keep them separate from deliveries and mark as dispatched once collected.

Shipping errors

Use case: Invalid or incomplete addresses can block fulfilment.

Trigger: Address validation fails or carrier error occurs.

Action: Move to On Hold with “Shipping Error” tag.

Result: Resolve errors quickly without holding up other orders.

High-value or risk orders

Use case: Large or flagged orders need extra checks.

Trigger: Order value exceeds limit or flagged for fraud review.

Action: Move to On Hold with “Review Required” tag.

Result: Reduce risk and avoid costly mistakes.

Seasonal / campaign orders

Use case: Orders from promotions or campaigns may need batching.

Trigger: SKU or tag indicates campaign (e.g., “Black Friday”).

Action: Move to On Hold tab with campaign label.

Result: Track and prioritise promo orders efficiently.

Economy / de-prioritised orders

Use case: Economy shipments can wait while high-priority orders go first.

Trigger: Shipping service = “Economy.”

Action: Move to On Hold.

Result: Keep workflows focused on urgent orders without losing visibility of slower shipments.

Payment pending

Use case: Unpaid orders shouldn’t be processed accidentally.

Trigger: Payment status = “Unpaid” or “Pending.”

Action: Move to On Hold.

Result: Avoid shipping before payment is confirmed.

Return pending

Use case: Don’t send replacements before returned items arrive.

Trigger: “Return Pending” tag applied.

Action: Move to On Hold.

Result: Prevent double shipments and inventory errors.

Manage subscription orders

Use case: Subscription orders need to be processed on a recurring schedule without interfering with regular orders.

Trigger: Orders tagged or identified as a subscription.

Action: Move to a dedicated On Hold tab until the scheduled fulfilment date.

Result: Keep recurring orders organised, prevent accidental early dispatch, and streamline subscription fulfilment.

Team Collaboration & Multi-location Workflows

Multiple fulfilment locations

Use case: Orders across warehouses need separate workflows.

Trigger: Warehouse location = X.

Action: Move to On Hold tab per location.

Result: Teams see only the orders relevant to their site.

Customer service hold

Use case: Support may request a temporary pause (e.g., complaint, address change).

Trigger: “Hold” tag applied by support.

Action: Move to On Hold.

Result: Fulfilment doesn’t proceed prematurely.

Automation rule sorting

Use case: Orders matching specific automation rules need their own workflow.

Trigger: Orders meet custom automation rule criteria.

Action: Move to dedicated On Hold tab.

Result: Streamline complex workflows automatically without manual filtering.

Why it works

Using the On Hold tab with these recipes gives your team clarity, control, and speed. Orders that need attention are visible and prioritised, while everything else keeps flowing. It’s a small change with a big impact on accuracy and operational efficiency.

Ready to try it yourself?

Set up your first On Hold Automation to see how Zenstores can help you ship smarter, faster, and more accurately.