Shopify draft orders and when they reach Xero

A Shopify draft order isn't a sale yet, so nothing is sent to Xero while it stays a draft. You won't see it on Dashboard - Orders either.

What happens once it becomes an order

The moment the draft is completed it becomes a normal Shopify order and joins the queue like any other.

If the customer hasn't paid yet, the order is pending. What you get in Xero then depends on your Default Xero invoice status setting: either a draft invoice, or an authorised one waiting to be paid.

When the customer pays

Marking the order paid in Shopify lets the app re-process it, authorise the invoice if it was a draft, and post the payment against it.

If that doesn't happen on its own, select the order on Dashboard - Orders and click Post to Xero. Re-posting updates the existing invoice rather than creating a second one.

Worth testing first

Draft orders touch invoice status, payment timing and contact matching all at once, and the right answer depends on your settings.

If you use drafts regularly, put one through end to end on your real settings before you rely on it, and check the invoice in Xero at each stage. We're happy to walk through it with you: email us at help@hyvelabs.co with your shop URL.