Central order workspace
Search special orders by order number, customer, supplier, employee or item, filter them by configurable status and update status directly from the list.
Private betaShopify beta
DL Special Orders
Bring every special request into one Shopify workspace. Select the customer, add catalog or custom items, coordinate suppliers and staff, track progress and notify the customer when their order arrives.
Open requestsSpecial orders
＋ Create new#1008Maya Lewis
SupplierNorth Studio
On-cart#1007Daniel Cruz
SupplierAtlas Goods
Ordered#1006Sofia Martin
ArrivalSep 12
Received
1shared order workspace
4notification provider options
360°from request to arrival
What it adds
Every special request, organized in one place.
Shopify-connected records
Select existing Shopify customers and search the product catalog by product name, SKU or UPC without leaving the embedded app workflow.
Flexible sourcing
Add catalog products or custom items, maintain a per-store supplier list and assign multiple suppliers, an employee and an estimated arrival date.
Timeline and notifications
Keep internal comments and order changes in a timeline, then send a customizable arrival email through the merchant's selected provider.
How it works
From customer request to arrival notification.
- 01
Create
Choose a Shopify customer, add Shopify products or custom items, and assign the initial status, suppliers, employee and expected arrival.
- 02
Track
Use the shared list, search, open-order filter, configurable statuses and timeline to keep the request moving across the team.
- 03
Notify
When the requested items arrive, send the customer a templated email and record the successful notification in the order timeline.
Help center
Create, track and communicate every special order.
These guides describe the current private beta, including Shopify data access, store-managed settings and the notification options available to each merchant.
App guide
Installation and first setup
Shopify access used by the app
The private beta requests read access to customers, products and inventory. Customer access powers the customer picker, while product and inventory access support catalog search and the item information copied into a special order. The app does not create or edit a native Shopify order as part of this workflow.
Prepare the store workspace
Open DL Special Orders from Shopify admin, then review Settings before the first live request. Each store maintains its own suppliers, workflow statuses and notification configuration.
- Open Settings and add the suppliers the team commonly uses.
- Review the default statuses, their colors and which ones belong to the Open filter.
- Optionally configure an email provider and arrival-notification template.
- Return to Special Orders and choose Create new.
App guide
Creating and editing special orders
Choose the customer
Search Shopify customers by name or email and select the customer connected to the request. If the customer does not exist, use the Shopify customer-creation action and return to the special order after the customer has been created.
Add Shopify or custom items
Search the Shopify catalog by product name, SKU or UPC. Selected product details are copied into the special order, so later edits inside the special order do not change the original Shopify product.
- Shopify item — select a matching product or variant and set the required quantity.
- Custom item — provide a name and optionally add SKU, UPC, cost, price, vendor and description.
- Order-only edits — adjust copied item details without modifying the Shopify catalog.
Complete the request details
Select the current status, one or more suppliers, the responsible employee and an estimated arrival date when known. An initial internal comment can provide context for the team before the order is saved.
App guide
Suppliers, statuses and team workflow
Store-managed suppliers
Suppliers are records owned by the app and isolated per Shopify store. They can be created, renamed and removed from Settings. Removing a supplier from Settings does not rewrite the supplier name already stored on an existing special order.
Configurable statuses
Create and arrange statuses, choose a label and color, and decide whether each status appears in the default Open filter. Statuses can be changed from the order detail or directly from the main list.
Responsibility and history
Assign an available Shopify staff member when responsibility should be explicit. Internal comments and recorded changes form the order timeline so the team can understand what happened and who made an update.
App guide
Customer arrival notifications
Choose the delivery method
Each Shopify store configures and manages its own sender. The current beta supports Resend, SMTP, the Gmail API for Google Workspace and a custom HTTPS webhook.
- Resend — use a verified sender address and a Resend API key.
- SMTP — enter the host, port, username, password or app password, and the connection security required by the provider.
- Gmail API — use OAuth credentials with Gmail send access; an API key alone cannot send email.
- Custom webhook — provide an HTTPS endpoint that accepts the notification payload and delivers the message.
Customize the notification
Edit the subject and message in Settings. Template variables can insert the customer name, special order number, item list and current Shopify store name.
Send from the order
Open the saved special order and use Send notification after the items arrive. A successful delivery adds an entry to the timeline. Confirm the customer's email address and the selected sender configuration before sending.
App guide
Search, timeline and troubleshooting
Find and update an order
The app opens with the Open filter. Search by order number, customer, supplier, employee or item, select another status filter when needed and open any result to review the complete request and timeline.
Customer or product search is unavailable
Confirm that the app installation still has the customer, product and inventory read scopes shown during installation. Reauthorize the app after a scope change, then retry the search from Shopify admin.
An arrival email is not delivered
Verify the customer email, sender address and provider credentials in Settings. For Resend, confirm that the sender is verified. For SMTP, check the host, port and security mode. For Gmail, confirm OAuth send access and the authorized sender alias. Review the provider logs before retrying.
Get support
Email support@dolphinland.org with the store domain, special order number, expected result and relevant screenshots. Do not send passwords, API keys, OAuth tokens or unnecessary customer information.
Questions
What merchants should know before testing.
Does DL Special Orders create a native Shopify order?
No. It maintains a separate operational record for a special request. The current workflow does not create or edit a native Shopify order or draft order.
Can the team add an item that is not in the Shopify catalog?
Yes. A custom item only requires a name, with optional SKU, UPC, cost, price, vendor and description fields available for additional context.
Can each store use its own suppliers and statuses?
Yes. Supplier records, status labels, colors, ordering and Open-filter membership are stored separately for each installed Shopify store.
How are customer arrival emails sent?
The merchant configures a provider for its store. The current beta supports Resend, SMTP, Gmail API credentials or a custom delivery webhook, plus a customizable notification template.
Before launch
DL Special Orders is being prepared for merchant testing.
The app is currently in private beta. Availability, commercial terms and individual features may change as store testing and Shopify distribution work continue.