Managing Orders
Understand the badge system and review workflow
Cart Guard adds a visual status column to your WooCommerce orders list, showing validation status at a glance.
The Three Badge Types:
🟢 Green Badge – “✓ OK”
Meaning: Order passed all rule validations
Manager Action: None required (clean order)
Display: Green checkmark icon
🟡 Yellow Badge – “⚠️ Review”
Meaning: Soft-fail violation (order completed but triggered rule)
Manager Action: Review required → Add notes → Approve/reject
Display: Yellow warning icon with "Review" text
🔵 Blue Badge – “ℹ️ Override”
Meaning: Manual admin order (phone/email order, bypasses validation)
Manager Action: None (intentional bypass)
Display: Blue info icon with "Manual" text
Orders List View:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WooCommerce → Orders │
├─────────┬────────────┬───────────┬─────────┬─────────────────────┤
│ Order # │ Date │ Status │ Total │ Cart Guard │
├─────────┼────────────┼───────────┼─────────┼─────────────────────┤
│ #12345 │ Nov 14 │ Processing│ $124.99 │ ✓ OK │🟢
│ #12346 │ Nov 14 │ Pending │ $89.50 │ ⚠️ Review │🟡
│ #12347 │ Nov 14 │ Completed │ $200.00 │ ℹ️ Manual │🔵
│ #12348 │ Nov 13 │ Processing│ $56.00 │ ✓ OK │🟢
│ #12349 │ Nov 13 │ On Hold │ $145.00 │ ⚠️ Review │🟡
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
When Yellow Badges Appear:
Scenario 1: API Downtime
Customer checked out while API server unreachable
→ Soft-fail mode activated (checkout allowed)
→ Violation logged with cart snapshot
→ Badge shows "⚠️ Review" for manager investigation
Scenario 2: Rate Limit Exceeded
Monthly API call limit reached (e.g., 100,000 calls)
→ Soft-fail mode activates (no revenue lost)
→ Cart validations pass automatically
→ Badge shows "⚠️ Review" until limit resets (next month)
Scenario 3: Rule Evaluation Error
Technical issue during rule processing (rare)
→ Soft-fail mode activates (fail-safe)
→ Order completes successfully
→ Badge shows "⚠️ Review" for tech investigation
Review Workflow (Yellow Badge Orders)
When you see yellow “⚠️ Review” badges, follow this 4-step workflow:
Step 1: Identify Orders Needing Review
Location: WooCommerce → Orders
Filter: Cart Guard dropdown → “Pending Review”
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Bulk Actions ▼] [All Dates ▼] │
│ [Cart Guard: Pending Review ▼] [Filter]│
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Shows only yellow badge orders ⚠️
Shortcut: Click any yellow badge to jump to order detail page
Step 2: View Violation Details
Location: Order detail page → Scroll to “Cart Guard Violation” meta box
What You’ll See:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ⚠️ Cart Guard Violation - Requires Review │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Rule: BOGO: Coffee + Mug │
│ Violation Type: soft_fail_api_down │
│ Triggered: Nov 14, 2025 at 10:30:15 AM │
│ │
│ Customer Message Shown: │
│ "Add Mug to complete your Coffee bundle and save!" │
│ │
│ Cart Snapshot: │
│ • Coffee (SKU 101) x1 = $12.00 │
│ • (Missing: Mug SKU 102 - Required by bundle rule) │
│ │
│ Reason: │
│ API server was unreachable during checkout. Soft-fail│
│ mode allowed order to complete. Review cart contents │
│ to determine if manual action needed. │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Information Provided:
– ✅ Which rule triggered
– ✅ Why soft-fail occurred (API down, rate limit, error)
– ✅ What customer saw (message)
– ✅ Exact cart contents at checkout time
– ✅ What was missing/wrong
Step 3: Add Review Note
Location: Same meta box → Yellow form below violation details
Review Note Form:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Manager Review │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Textarea - Required] │
│ │
│ Example notes: │
│ • "Approved - Customer called to confirm, shipping │
│ Mug separately" │
│ • "Rejected - Refunding order, bundle policy violated"│
│ • "Approved - API was down, bundle complete on │
│ checkout" │
│ │
│ [Save Review Note] │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
What to Consider When Reviewing:
Approve If:
- ✅ Bundle was complete despite API issue
- ✅ Customer contacted support, exception granted
- ✅ Order total justifies manual fulfillment
- ✅ Rule triggered due to technical error (false positive)
Reject/Refund If:
- ❌ Rule intentionally violated (customer tried to bypass)
- ❌ Bundle incomplete, no alternate arrangement
- ❌ Policy requires strict enforcement (safety, compliance)
- ❌ Customer unresponsive to contact attempts
Step 4: Post-Review State
After clicking “Save Review Note”, the meta box updates:
Before Review (Yellow):
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ⚠️ Cart Guard Violation - Requires Review │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Violation details...] │
│ [Review note form...] │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
After Review (Green):
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ✅ REVIEWED & APPROVED │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Reviewed by: John Manager │
│ Date: Nov 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM │
│ │
│ Review Note: │
│ "Approved - Customer called to confirm. Shipping Mug │
│ separately per customer request. No charge for extra │
│ shipping." │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
What Happens Automatically:
- ✅ Badge color changes: Yellow → Green (next page load)
- ✅ WooCommerce order note added: “Cart Guard: [Manager Name] reviewed violation and approved order. Note: [Your note text]”
- ✅ Violation record updated in database (reviewed_by, reviewed_at, review_note)
- ✅ Order meta updated:
_pcg_requires_review= ‘no’
Filtering Orders by Cart Guard Status
Use the Cart Guard filter dropdown to quickly find specific order types.
Available Filters:
Location: WooCommerce → Orders → Filter dropdown
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cart Guard Status: │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ○ All Orders (default) │
│ ○ Clean Orders (✓ OK) │
│ ○ Pending Review (⚠️ Review) │
│ ○ Manual Orders (ℹ️ Override) │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Filter Use Cases:
Filter: “Pending Review”
Use when: Daily review workflow
Shows: Only yellow badge orders needing manager review
Typical count: 2-10 orders/day (depends on soft-fail frequency)
Filter: “Clean Orders”
Use when: Verification that rules are working
Shows: Only green badge orders (passed validation)
Typical count: 90-98% of orders
Filter: “Manual Orders”
Use when: Auditing admin-created orders
Shows: Only blue badge orders (phone/email orders)
Typical count: 5-20 orders/week (varies by business)
Filter: “All Orders”
Use when: Normal order management
Shows: All orders regardless of Cart Guard status
Default view
Filter + Date Range Combination:
Example workflow:
1. Select "Pending Review" filter
2. Select "Last 7 days" date range
3. Click "Filter"
4. Result: All orders from past week needing review
Manual Order Creation (Admin Orders)
When you create orders manually (phone orders, email orders), Cart Guard automatically bypasses validation and adds a blue badge.
How Manual Orders Work:
Scenario: Customer calls to place order
Steps:
1. Go to WooCommerce → Orders → Add New
2. Add products, customer info, payment details
3. Click “Create”
4. Cart Guard detects manual creation
5. Blue “ℹ️ Override” badge appears automatically
6. Violation logged as manual_order_created type
Why Bypass Validation?
- ✅ You’re making conscious decision as admin
- ✅ Customer may have special circumstances (bulk discount, exception)
- ✅ Phone orders often involve complex negotiations
- ✅ Prevents blocking legitimate manual orders
Tracking: Manual orders still appear in analytics (blue line on charts)
Daily Review Workflow (Best Practice)
Morning Routine (5-10 minutes)
Step 1: Check Pending Reviews
1. Go to WooCommerce → Orders
2. Filter: Cart Guard → Pending Review
3. Sort by: Date (newest first)
4. Target: Review orders from past 24 hours
Step 2: Prioritize by Order Value
High-value orders ($500+): Review immediately
Medium orders ($100-500): Review within 24 hours
Low-value orders (<$100): Batch review weekly
Step 3: Add Review Notes
Template notes:
✅ "Approved - Bundle complete, API issue only"
✅ "Approved - Customer exception granted via phone"
❌ "Rejected - Bundle incomplete, refund processed"
❌ "Rejected - Customer unresponsive, canceled order"
Step 4: Take Action
Approved orders: Process normally
Rejected orders: Issue refund, send email explanation
Uncertain: Contact customer for clarification
Weekly Review (30 minutes)
Task 1: Review Pattern Analysis
Check: Are yellow badges increasing?
Action: If yes, investigate root cause
- API reliability issues?
- Rate limit being hit?
- Specific rule causing problems?
Task 2: Audit Manual Orders
Filter: Manual Orders (past 7 days)
Review: Are admins creating orders correctly?
Action: Train staff if too many manual overrides
Task 3: Clean Up Old Reviews
Check: Any orders stuck in "Pending Review"?
Action: Review or archive orders older than 30 days
Best Practices
For Store Managers
- ✅ Review yellow badges daily (don’t let them accumulate)
- ✅ Use descriptive review notes (helps future audits)
- ✅ Communicate with customers (explain soft-fail approvals)
- ✅ Train staff on review workflow (consistent handling)
- ⚠️ Don’t ignore blue badges (audit manual orders monthly)
For Store Owners
- ✅ Monitor soft-fail frequency (high rate = system issue)
- ✅ Review revenue saved metrics (justify soft-fail mode to team)
- ✅ Set clear policies (when to approve vs reject)
- ✅ Track resolution time (how long orders wait for review)
- ⚠️ Don’t disable soft-fail during peak periods (lost revenue risk)
Real-World Example
Scenario: Coffee shop receives 100 orders/day, 5 trigger bundle rule
Daily Routine:
9:00 AM: Check orders
- 98 green badges (no action needed) ✅
- 2 yellow badges (API was down for 5 minutes overnight) ⚠️
9:05 AM: Review Order #12346
- Rule: Coffee + Mug bundle
- Cart: Coffee only (missing Mug)
- Reason: API down during checkout
- Decision: Check inventory → Mug in stock
- Action: Approve order, add Mug manually, ship together
- Note: "Approved - Added Mug to order, no charge. API issue."
9:10 AM: Review Order #12347
- Rule: Same bundle
- Cart: Coffee only (missing Mug)
- Reason: API down
- Decision: Customer already received order yesterday
- Action: Reject, note for future reference
- Note: "Already shipped without Mug. Customer satisfied, no action."
9:15 AM: Done! Total time: 15 minutes
Troubleshooting
Issue: Too Many Yellow Badges
Symptoms:
– 10+ yellow badges per day
– Always same violation type (e.g., soft_fail_api_down)
Solutions:
1. Check API status page: status.paretoedge.com
2. Review API call usage (approaching limit?)
3. Contact support if persists
Issue: Yellow Badge Won’t Clear
Symptoms:
– Added review note
– Badge still shows yellow after page refresh
Solutions:
1. Hard refresh browser (Ctrl+Shift+R)
2. Clear WordPress cache
3. Check order meta (_pcg_requires_review should = ‘no’)
4. Contact support if bug persists
Next Steps
Now that you understand order management:
Last Updated: November 14, 2025
Plugin Version: 1.0