# Hold WMS orders or undo release
URL: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000087-hold-wms-orders-or-undo-release
Canonical: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000087-hold-wms-orders-or-undo-release
Markdown: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/14700000000087-hold-wms-orders-or-undo-release.md
Updated: 2026-11-08

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.starshipit.com/llms.txt).

> Pause fulfilment with a hold, manage hold reasons or return a released order to Pending without blocking the rest of its batch.

Use a hold to pause an order while it needs review. Use Undo release when the order should leave active outbound work and return to Pending.

## Before you begin

Your role must allow the fulfilment action. Changing hold reasons or the held-order picking policy also requires settings-management access. Check the order’s current pick, pack and batch work before choosing an action.

## Holding and removing orders from outbound

Two actions are useful when an order should stop moving through the warehouse:

* **Put on hold** - pause release, packing and shipping, with picking blocked by default.
* **Undo release** - use this when you want to remove the order from outbound work entirely and return it to a pre-release state.

### Put on hold

Put an order on hold when something needs to be checked before fulfilment continues. Holds block release, packing and shipping. They also block picking unless your account allows existing pick work to continue.

If the order is part of a batch pick or batch pack, putting it on hold can block the batch. Check the held-order picking setting before relying on a hold to stop an existing pick.

To place a hold on one order:

1. Open the order actions menu and select **Put on hold**.
2. Choose an active **Reason**.
3. Add an **Operator note** if the warehouse team needs more context.
4. Click **Put On Hold**.

The order stays on hold until your team removes it. **System > Settings > Picking > Allow Picking Held Orders** is off by default. An authorised user with account-wide settings-management access can turn it on so orders held after release can finish existing pick work. Held orders still cannot enter new releases, batches or merges. Packing and label printing remain blocked until the hold is removed. Check the setting and the order status before resuming work.

### Manage hold reasons

Go to **System > Settings > Orders > Order Hold Reasons** to add a reason code and label, choose its highlight colour, set its display order, or make it active or inactive. The colour appears on held-order badges and rows so teams can distinguish reasons at a glance. Only active reasons can be selected when placing a hold. Built-in reasons cannot be changed or removed.

See the [WMS settings reference](/articles/14700000000031-wms-settings-reference) for the available controls.

### Undo release

If you need to eject one order from outbound work without blocking the rest of the batch, use **Undo release** instead. This removes that order from the active outbound flow so the remaining orders can continue.

To return several released orders to Pending, open the **Released** tab, select the orders, and choose **Undo Release**. WMS shows the result for each order, keeps failed orders selected, and refreshes the table after the bulk action completes.

### Holds dashboard and bulk pre-order holds

The holds dashboard gives supervisors a central place to review orders that are paused before or during fulfilment. Bulk pre-order holds are useful when you need to pause a group of not-yet-ready orders, such as pre-orders waiting on incoming stock or orders awaiting customer confirmation.

To resume several held orders, select up to 100 held orders on the Orders dashboard and choose **Release Hold**. Add an optional release note, then confirm. Orders that are not currently on hold are excluded from this action.

You can also select active holds on the **Order Holds** dashboard and choose **Release Holds**. Selection can span pages; use **Select all matching active holds** to include the filtered results. Bulk release is limited to 100 orders, so narrow the filters if needed. Review the results after confirming: failed orders remain selected for follow-up.

## Verify the change

Refresh the order and job lists. Confirm whether the order is held or Pending, check any remaining batch work and complete any putaway needed for stock already moved from storage. After releasing a hold, confirm the order is ready before releasing it to picking.

## Related articles

* [Manage orders and allocation in WMS](/articles/14700000000010-manage-orders-and-allocation-in-wms)
* [Automate warehouse work in WMS](/articles/14700000000039-automate-warehouse-work-in-wms)
* [Manage order cancellations, refunds and returns in WMS](/articles/14700000000060-manage-order-cancellations-refunds-and-returns-in-wms)