Auto-advance through orders

Auto-advance opens the next order as soon as you finish one, so you don’t go back to the order queue in between. This page explains how to turn it on, how Scanpacker chooses the next order, and how to skip an order.

Turn on auto-advance

Auto-advance is one setting for each user. It works the same way whatever happens after checking an order, and each packer can choose for themselves.

The easiest way to turn it on is when you start:

  1. On the order queue, click Start checking at the top right. On a phone, it is the play button.
  2. Tick Start the next order automatically.
  3. Click the start button to open the first order.

You can also turn it on or off later from any of these places. They all change the same setting:

  • the Automatically start checking the next order box on the Checked screen,
  • Start next automatically in the Checking Options menu on the checking page, when your shop goes straight to fulfillment, or
  • Start next automatically in the menu next to Create fulfillment on the fulfillment page.

Create fulfillment button dropdown with "Start next automatically" checked

What happens when you finish an order

When you leave orders for Shopify or another app

When you finish checking, the Checked screen shows for a few seconds, and then the next order opens. To stop, untick Automatically start checking the next order before the next order opens. You can then choose your next step yourself.

Check as many orders as you like this way. Then buy labels and fulfill the orders later, in Shopify or in your shipping app.

The Checked screen, with next-step buttons and the "Automatically start checking the next order" checkbox

When you fulfill in Scanpacker

When you click Create fulfillment, Scanpacker creates the fulfillment and opens the next order straight away.

Orders you open yourself

Auto-advance only follows orders that Scanpacker chose for you from the queue. If you open an order from its row, its page, or the Shopify admin, Scanpacker treats it as a one-off. The order starts with the box unticked, and Scanpacker does not move on when you finish it. Your setting does not change.

To carry on from a one-off order, tick Automatically start checking the next order on the Checked screen, and click Check next order.

Orders in a batch

Orders in a guided batch don’t use auto-advance. Checking carries on through the batch instead, so there is no box to tick.

Other fulfillment groups

If the order you just finished has other fulfillment groups still open at your location, Scanpacker offers those before it moves on to the next order.

How Scanpacker chooses the next order

Scanpacker takes the oldest order in the queue that it can start. It passes over orders that are:

  • already started by someone,
  • not paid yet,
  • on hold, or
  • short of stock, if you ticked Only start orders with enough stock.

The Start checking dialog names the order it will start, and says how many earlier orders it passed over and why.

Only start orders with enough stock is remembered for each user. You can also change it on your Preferences page. Batches have their own setting. Stock is worked out the same way as on the Order availability page, and stock held by orders that are already started counts as used.

If you have filters active on the order queue, the next order matches those filters. For example, if you’ve filtered to one tag, auto-advance only moves through orders with that tag.

Start the next order from Shopify

When you leave orders unfulfilled, you often finish an order in Shopify, where you buy the label and create the fulfillment. To get back to checking without switching apps, choose Start next in Scanpacker from the More actions menu on the Shopify order page. Scanpacker starts checking the next order in your queue. If the order you were looking at still has fulfillment groups open at your location, it starts one of those first.

The first time you click View in Shopify on the Checked screen, Scanpacker shows you where to find this menu item.

The More actions menu on a Shopify order showing "Start next in Scanpacker"

Skip to the next order

You can move on without finishing the current order:

  • On the checking page, open Checking Options and click Skip & Start Next.
  • On the fulfillment page, open the menu at the top and click Start Next.

The current order stays in progress, and keeps its stock, while the next order opens. Use this to come back to an order you can’t pack right now.

To put the current order back in the queue at the same time, click Unstart & Start Next in the fulfillment page’s menu instead. Older orders take stock first, so the order still keeps its stock. If it’s short and you want newer orders to have that stock, put it on hold.