Import & manage your orders

What it is

Routella's order list is your single home base for every delivery you need to make. Orders can arrive three ways: automatically from an online store you connect (like Shopify or WooCommerce), one at a time using a "Manual delivery" form, or in a batch by uploading a spreadsheet file (Excel, CSV, and a couple of similar formats). Once an order is in the list, Routella shows the customer, address, items, and price, and gives you simple tools to search, sort, filter, edit, or remove it -- so the list always matches what you actually need to deliver today.

Why it matters

When all your deliveries live in one tidy, accurate list, you stop juggling sticky notes, screenshots, and separate apps. A clean order list means you pick the right stops, build smart routes, and avoid the costly mistakes that happen when an address is wrong or an order is missed. For a busy small business, that is the difference between a calm dispatch and a chaotic one -- fewer wrong turns, fewer "where's my order?" calls, and drivers who leave on time.

Step by step

1. 1
   Connect your online store so orders arrive on their own

   If you sell online, open the Integrations page (there's a 'Connect a store' button on the empty order list, or use the menu). Pick your platform and follow the connect steps. After that, new orders from that store flow into Routella by themselves -- you don't have to re-type anything. (Shopify connects automatically when you install Routella; for anything else, you add it here.)
2. 2
   Add a one-off delivery by hand with 'Manual delivery'

   For a phone order, a walk-in, or anything not in a connected store, click the orange '+ Manual delivery' button above the order list. A form opens. Type the customer's name and the address (these two are required). As you type the address, pick the matching suggestion from the dropdown so the map pin lands in the right spot. Add phone, email, items, price, and any driver note if you have them, then save.
3. 3
   Upload many orders at once from a spreadsheet

   Click 'Import orders' and choose your file type (Excel, CSV, JSON, or TSV). Your file's first row must be column headers, and it should include columns for Name, Phone, Address, City, Items, and Price. Not sure of the layout? Click the small '?' next to a format, then 'click here' to download a sample file you can copy. Pick your file and Routella opens a preview so you can check the columns line up before anything is added.
4. 4
   Check the import preview before it goes live

   After you pick a file, a preview window appears showing how your columns map to Routella's fields (name, phone, address, and so on). Fix any mismatched columns there, then confirm to import. This step is your safety net -- it lets you catch a mislabeled column before dozens of orders get created.
5. 5
   Find the orders you want with search and filters

   By default the list shows orders still needing delivery (Unfulfilled and Partial). Use the status filter to switch to Fulfilled (done) orders. Use the search box to look up an order by number, customer name, phone, or address. You can also narrow the list by delivery zone, shipping method, or whether a shipping label was already printed -- handy when you're prepping just one area or one batch.
6. 6
   Sort the list to match how you dispatch

   Open the sort menu (the lines icon near 'Recent Orders') and choose an order that fits your workflow: by time window, distance from your starting point, priority (urgent first), zone, order value, or newest first. Sorting doesn't change the orders -- it just reorders the list so the right stops are easy to grab.
7. 7
   Fix details by editing an order in place

   Open an order and edit its customer name, address, phone, email, items, or add a driver note (gate codes, instructions). If an address landed on the wrong spot on the map, correct it here so your route and the customer's tracking link are accurate. Save when done.
8. 8
   Remove orders you don't need, and restore if you slip

   Delete an order to take it off your active list -- useful for test orders or cancellations. Routella keeps a record so a deleted order can be restored if you remove the wrong one. You generally won't see cancelled or refunded orders at all; Routella hides those automatically so your list stays focused on real deliveries.

Tips

• For spreadsheet uploads, always start from the downloadable sample file. Matching its column headers (Name, Phone, Address, City, Items, Price) is the single biggest thing that makes an import go smoothly.
• On a manual order, pick the address from the dropdown suggestions instead of just typing it. That's what places the map pin correctly -- typing alone can put the stop in the wrong place. If no suggestion fits, at least fill in the City.
• Your store orders sync on their own and the list is cached, so they pop back up instantly when you return. If a brand-new order isn't showing yet, give it a moment or refresh -- it's syncing in the background.
• Use 'Select all' and 'Clear' together with filters: filter down to just the orders you want first, then select all of those to act on them as a batch. It's faster and safer than picking orders one by one.

Common questions

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