Backorder Desk
A work queue for WooCommerce order lines still waiting for goods: what each customer is owed, since when, and what already shipped.
Solid choice
Backorder Desk is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. Was last updated 2 days ago, and scores 64/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 2 days ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Needs PHP 8.2 or newer
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Backorder Desk stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| backorder | #40 |
| Backorders | #55 |
| inventory | >100 |
| order management | >100 |
| woocommerce | >100 |
About Backorder Desk
From the official readme · v0.1.0Description
When you sell products on backorder, WooCommerce lets the stock go below zero, but it does not keep a list of what you still owe to each customer. Backorder Desk does.
Every time WooCommerce reduces the stock of an order line below zero, Backorder Desk records the units that went on backorder. Your team gets one queue with every line still waiting for goods: the order, the customer, how many units are missing and for how long.
When the goods arrive and you ship part of them, you record a partial fulfilment with its delivery note. The queue updates, and the full history of every line stays available.
What it does
- Automatic capture: backordered units are detected from WooCommerce’s own stock movements, including variations whose stock is managed on the parent product.
- One queue: waiting and partially fulfilled lines, with customer, quantities and waiting time. Search by SKU or product.
- Partial fulfilments: record how many units you shipped and a reference (delivery note, tracking number). Undo a fulfilment recorded by mistake.
- Checks when something changes: if an order is refunded, edited, cancelled or completed outside the queue, the line is closed or flagged for review instead of guessing. Quantities are never invented.
- Manual tracking: track lines of imported orders, or orders where WooCommerce did not reduce the stock.
- Order screen box: see what is still owed directly on the order.
- Complete history: every change is recorded with who, when and why. Mistakes are fixed with new entries, never by deleting history.
What it does not do
Backorder Desk never changes your stock, totals, order status or refunds. WooCommerce stays in charge of all of them; Backorder Desk only keeps track of what is still owed and how it was resolved.
Compatibility
- Works with High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS) and with the classic order storage.
- Ready for translation through translate.wordpress.org.
Installation
- Install and activate WooCommerce.
- Upload the plugin from Plugins > Add New, or search for “Backorder Desk”, and activate it.
- Make sure stock management is enabled (WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Inventory) and that the products you sell on backorder allow backorders.
- Open WooCommerce > Backorder Desk. New backorders appear there as soon as an order reduces the stock below zero.
Administrators and shop managers get access automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Does it change my stock levels?
No. The plugin reads stock movements made by WooCommerce and never writes stock, order totals, order statuses or refunds.
What happens to orders placed before installing the plugin?
They are not imported automatically, because the current stock cannot tell what was already shipped. You can track any line of an existing order by hand, from the queue or from the order screen.
What happens if an order is cancelled or refunded?
Units still waiting are closed as cancelled; units already fulfilled stay recorded. A partial refund sends the line to review, because the refund may concern goods already shipped.
Why did a line go to “Needs review”?
Something changed outside the queue: the order was edited or refunded, the stock was restored, or the quantity could not be measured. The review screen shows what WooCommerce reports now and lets you confirm how many units are still to ship.
Does it send emails to customers?
No. This version does not send any message.
Is my data deleted when I remove the plugin?
Only if you ask for it: enable the option in WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Inventory before deleting the plugin. By default the data is kept, so a reinstall finds the history.
Does it contact external services?
No. All data stays in your WordPress database.
Changelog
First release.
0.1.0
- First release: automatic capture of backordered units, queue, partial fulfilments, review of changed orders, manual tracking, order screen box, ready for translation.
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Backorder Desk alternatives
All backorder plugins →
FAQ
Backorder Desk: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 13, 2026
Is Backorder Desk free?
Yes. Backorder Desk is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Backorder Desk safe to use in 2026?
Backorder Desk is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. Was last updated 2 days ago, and scores 64/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Backorder Desk?
Backorder Desk is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 51 times since it launched in October 2026. It was downloaded 49 times in the last 30 days.
Does Backorder Desk work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested Backorder Desk up to WordPress 7.1.3, the latest release. It requires WordPress 6.7 or newer.
What PHP version does Backorder Desk need?
Backorder Desk requires PHP 8.2 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Backorder Desk last updated?
The latest version, 0.1.0, was released on October 11, 2026 (2 days ago).
Who makes Backorder Desk?
Backorder Desk is developed and maintained by ABCreate.
What are the best alternatives to Backorder Desk?
The most popular alternatives to Backorder Desk are Ship Estimate for WooCommer… (100+ installs), Pre-Orders for WooCommerce (60+ installs) and WC Backorder Split (50+ installs).
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