Have you ever noticed that the order numbers in your WooCommerce store are not always sequential? This can be confusing for site owners who expect to see the orders listed in a specific order. It may even lead to concerns about missing orders or incomplete lists. So why do WooCommerce order numbers appear to be random?
It’s actually not. I am going to try to explain to you the reason why they appear to be random and provide a solution that you can use.
Why Order Numbers Appear to be Non-Sequential in WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a plugin designed for WordPress, and like all WordPress content, its data is stored in a database table called “wp_posts”. This table stores all kinds of content, including blog posts, pages, products, images, and orders. Whenever a new order is created, a new record is added to the “wp_posts” table. Each record has a unique ID, and the order number is simply the same as this unique ID. Therefore, the order numbers may not always appear to be sequential, as they are generated based on the order in which the records were added to the database.
Assuming that no new products, images/attachments, or pages have been added between orders, the order numbers will appear in sequence.
However, if a new product is added to the store between orders, a new record will be created and assigned the next unique ID in sequence. This applies to all posts, including products and pages, as well as any images associated with them. As a result, the order numbers may not appear sequential due to the addition of these new records and IDs.
The Role of the “wp_posts” Table in WooCommerce Order Numbering
In the “wp_posts” table, the “post_type” column indicates the type of post that the record refers to. As shown in the screenshot below, the values in this column can differ, depending on the type of content, such as “shop_order”, “page”, “product”, “post”, “attachment”, and so on. The default post types are “page”, “post”, and “attachment”, while “shop_order” and “product” are custom post types that are specific to WooCommerce.
Is there a solution that doesn’t require a plugin? While it is possible to write custom functions that can read the “shop_order” status, count the orders, and increment by 1 for each, this approach can become complicated and slow if there are a large number of orders to manage. As a result, the best solution may be to use a WordPress plugin to streamline the order numbering process.
Customizing Order Numbers with Plugins for WooCommerce
I’ve found that the Sequential Order Numbers for WooCommerce plugin by WebToffee is a great solution for my non-sequential order numbering issues in my WooCommerce store. Since I started using this plugin, I’ve been able to personalize my order numbering system and keep track of my orders with ease.
With the ability to set custom prefixes and suffixes for my order numbers, as well as control the starting number for my orders, I can create a more streamlined and efficient order management process. This has not only made things easier for me, but also for my customers, who can now receive accurate and easy-to-understand order numbers for their purchases.
I won’t delve too deep into the functionality of the plugin, but you can explore it yourself.
The next thing I am thinking of doing is taking it one step further by assigning a different prefix for orders that are made online versus those made offline.
Image by ijeab on Freepik