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Why WooCommerce Order Downloads Appear as Drafts and How to Resolve

This article helps Webgility Desktop users understand and resolve issues where WooCommerce orders download as "drafts" or "auto-drafts" instead of their correct status, by explaining the relevant WordPress settings that cause this behavior.

Issue Overview

In some situations, WooCommerce orders might appear as drafts in Webgility Desktop even when you expect them to be in a "published" or "completed" state. This usually points to a specific setup or feature within your WordPress environment, most commonly the "auto-draft" feature.

Root Cause

When the WordPress auto-draft feature is enabled, newly created WooCommerce orders might initially default to a 'draft' status. This status can sometimes remain even if your WooCommerce store and other plugin settings are configured correctly.

It's also important to remember that Webgility Desktop downloads orders based on their order modified date in WooCommerce, not just by how new or old they are. So, if a draft order's modified date is recent, Webgility Desktop will attempt to download it.

Resolution Steps

Follow these steps to prevent and resolve issues with duplicate or draft-status order downloads in Webgility Desktop:

1. Verify Webgility WooCommerce Connector Plugin Version

Ensure your Webgility WooCommerce Connector plugin is up to date, as outdated versions may not handle order statuses as expected.

  1. Download the latest plugin: Grab the newest Webgility/WooCommerce integration plugin file from your Webgility account portal. Just log in to portal.webgility.com and head to the Downloads section.
  2. Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
  3. Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, then choose the file you just downloaded.
  4. Click Install Now, and then Activate the updated module.
  5. Finally, confirm the plugin's version in your Plugins list. (A quick tip: sometimes it helps to deactivate and delete any old versions of the plugin from your WordPress admin panel before uploading the new one, but always back up your site first!)

2. Check WordPress Auto-Draft Feature

Let's see if your WordPress setup is creating orders as drafts.

  1. Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to WooCommerce > Orders.
  3. Review the status of your new order entries. If you see many orders marked as Draft or Auto-Draft, this indicates that the auto-draft feature is likely enabled. Proceed to the next step.

3. Disable Auto-Draft in WordPress

Disabling the auto-draft feature often requires specific technical knowledge, as it might involve custom code or conflicting plugins.

  • Consult with your web developer or hosting provider to help you locate and disable the feature or plugin that is enforcing auto-draft order creation. This step often requires editing custom code in your WordPress files (like wp-config.php or functions.php) or disabling a plugin that might be conflicting with WooCommerce's default order status.

4. Reprocess Data in Webgility Desktop

After disabling the auto-draft feature, you'll want to refresh the status of any previously downloaded draft orders and ensure new orders come in correctly.

  1. In Webgility Desktop, go to Orders > Get Orders. You may need to adjust your download date range to include the period when the draft orders were created.
  2. After the download, confirm that newly downloaded orders now appear with the correct status (e.g., "Processing" or "Completed") instead of "Draft." If you have any existing draft orders that were downloaded, you might need to re-download those orders.

5. Confirm Synchronization Criteria

Remember how Webgility Desktop selects orders for download.

  • Webgility Desktop downloads orders based on their modified date in WooCommerce, not simply the newest or oldest orders. This means if an old order is updated on your WooCommerce store, it might be picked up by Webgility Desktop again.

Common Connection Issues & How to Fix Them

Beyond draft order issues, here are other general connection problems that can affect your WooCommerce integration and how to fix them:

Blocked Webgility Extension Access

Your WooCommerce store's security settings (e.g., hosting firewall) might be blocking Webgility from connecting.

  • Solution: Whitelist Webgility IPs To allow Webgility to securely communicate with your store, please whitelist the following IP addresses in your WooCommerce hosting environment:
    • 183.182.84.170
    • 111.118.255.21
    • 54.69.99.71

Incorrect Webgility Extension URL

Entering the wrong URL during setup can cause connection problems.

Incorrect WooCommerce Admin Credentials

Always confirm that you're entering the correct WooCommerce admin username and password when connecting your store in Webgility Desktop.

Outdated Webgility Application

If you've updated your WooCommerce store but not your Webgility Desktop application, you might see errors.

  • To update your Webgility Desktop application:
    • If you're already logged in: Click Help > Check for Updates > Update within Webgility Desktop.
    • If you're unable to log in: Download and install the latest version from portal.webgility.com.

Troubleshooting Error Messages (General)

When you test your store connection in Webgility Desktop (Connections > Sales Channels > Manage Sales Channel > Edit Connection > Test Store Connection), you might see messages like:

  • "We are facing an issue while processing your request. Please try again later."
  • "The remote server returned an error. (501) Service Temporarily Unavailable."
  • "Not able to connect to WooCommerce."

🛠 Here's how to fix these errors:

Step 1: Test Your Extension URL in a Browser Paste your Webgility Extension URL directly into your web browser. If you see an error like:

  • 403 Forbidden
  • Page Not Found
  • Access Denied

...then continue to the checklist below.

Step 2: Your Checklist to Resolve Access Errors

  • ✅ Ensure the following IPs are whitelisted: 183.182.84.170, 111.118.255.21, 54.69.99.71.
  • ✅ Confirm that your Webgility files on your hosting server have Read/Write/Modify permissions.
  • ✅ Make sure you're using the latest version of Webgility Desktop. (Remember: Help > Check for Updates > Update if you're logged in, or download from portal.webgility.com if you can't log in.)
  • ✅ Upgrade to the latest Webgility Extension for WooCommerce if needed (download from portal.webgility.com).

🔄 Verifying Your Webgility Extension Version Paste your Webgility Extension URL into your browser. The version number will be visible at the top of the page. Make sure it matches the latest release available from portal.webgility.com.

Connection Tips

If you're still having trouble connecting:

  • Try adjusting the URL format:
    • Add or remove www.
    • Switch between http and https.

Best Practices

  • Regularly update all your WooCommerce plugins, your WordPress core, and your Webgility Desktop application to avoid compatibility issues.