Order import automations bring order-related data into SureDone from an external system.
Common examples include tracking imports, shipment updates, vendor acknowledgements, and order-status updates coming from a warehouse, dropshipper, ERP, or API.
What Order Imports Are Best For
- Updating existing orders with tracking numbers, carriers, ship dates, or statuses
- Importing vendor or warehouse responses tied to an order or purchase order
- Creating orders from an external source when that source is not already natively integrated
How Order Data Is Structured
Order imports usually work across several layers of data:
- Order-level fields such as order number, status, totals, addresses, and dates
- Line items such as SKU, quantity, price, and item status
- Shipments such as tracking numbers, carriers, and ship dates
- Refunds when the source includes refund or return data
Your field mapping determines which source values land in which part of the order.
Typical Configuration Pieces
- identifier tells the automation how to match incoming data to the right order in SureDone
- field_map maps source fields into SureDone order fields
- value_map_default can fill in fixed values such as a default carrier or status
- create and update control whether new orders are created, existing orders are updated, or both
Important Limitation: Remove Does Not Delete Orders
Important: Although the config model still includes a remove action for order imports, the current engine does not actually delete orders or order components when that path is triggered. The delete handler is still a TODO in the codebase, so do not rely on remove for live order deletion behavior.
In practice, most order import automations should be designed around create and update, not deletion.
Common Use Cases
| Use case | Typical result |
|---|---|
| Tracking import | Add shipment tracking and carrier data to existing orders |
| Vendor acknowledgement import | Update order or item statuses after a supplier accepts or rejects an order |
| Warehouse status import | Bring back shipment dates, fulfillment statuses, and package details |
| External order ingestion | Create orders in SureDone from a system that is not otherwise connected |
Testing Tips
- Use a small sample file or a narrow API response first
- Match on a stable identifier such as order number, purchase order number, or internal order ID
- Test updates in a safe environment before turning on an automatic schedule
- Review the Logs and Run tabs after each test run