Orders held by an outside warehouse

Last reviewed: 2026-10-13

What this is

When an order is sent to an outside warehouse, that warehouse picks, packs and ships it. CanShip does not hold the stock, so the order reads differently and most actions are switched off. This article covers what you see and what you can still do.

How the order reads

• On the Orders list, Status and Inv. Status read At 3PL, and the Warehouse column names the outside warehouse.
• The row has no colour for allocation. Allocation does not apply to stock CanShip does not hold.
• In the order, a note under Ship To says which warehouse holds it and the reference they hold it under. The order cannot be edited in CanShip. To change it, contact the warehouse.
• There is no Allocate Inventory button, and Mark Ready is greyed out. Hover over it to see why.
• Shipments stays empty until the warehouse reports a shipment. It reads "No shipments yet", names the warehouse, and says its tracking appears there when they report it.

Actions on the Orders list

Tick the order and click Actions. The items that do not apply are greyed out, and each one says why under its name. Allocate, pick and status changes are off because CanShip does not hold the stock. Mark as shipped, Tag selected and Duplicate orders stay available.

Cancel the order

Cancelling is a request to the outside warehouse, not something CanShip does by itself.

1. On the Orders list, scroll the row to its right end and click the three dots.
2. Click Cancel Order.
3. Read the question. CanShip asks the warehouse to stop the order and records their answer on the order. They may refuse: once an order has been picked it is too late to stop.
4. Add a reason if you want one kept with the order, then click Request cancellation.

The order stays live until the warehouse confirms.

Move the order to one of your own warehouses

Open the order and click Re-assign beside the warehouse name. Moving the order does not tell the outside warehouse. If the goods are still with them, cancel it with them too. CanShip adds a note to the order under your account.

See also

• The Orders list: search, tabs and bulk actions
• Setting up and using multiple warehouses