Order Notes and Internal Communication

Order notes help you keep track of special requests, internal decisions, and communication history for each order. They are essential for stores with multiple team members handling orders.

Adding Notes to an Order

To add a note to any order:

Navigate to Orders and open the order you want to annotate.
Scroll to the "Notes" or "Timeline" section at the bottom of the order detail page.
Type your note in the text field.
Click "Add Note".

Notes are timestamped and attributed to the team member who wrote them, creating a clear audit trail.

Internal vs. Customer-Visible Notes

Nuvi distinguishes between two types of notes:

Internal Notes — Visible only to admin panel users. Use these for team communication, processing instructions, or reminders. Examples: "Customer called to request express shipping," "Waiting for stock reorder before fulfilling."
Customer Notes — Included in emails or visible on the customer's order page. Use these to communicate directly with the customer about their order status or special instructions.

When adding a note, make sure you select the correct visibility setting to avoid accidentally sharing internal information with customers.

Common Use Cases for Order Notes

Special packaging requests — "Customer requested gift wrapping with a birthday card."
Shipping instructions — "Leave at the back door, ring twice."
Issue tracking — "Customer reported damaged item. Replacement shipped on March 15."
Payment notes — "Payment captured manually after bank transfer confirmation."
Team handoff — "Escalated to manager for review. Awaiting decision on partial refund."

Viewing Order History

The order timeline shows a complete history of every action taken on an order:

When the order was placed.
When payment was captured.
When fulfillments were created and tracking added.
All notes added by team members.
Any refunds, cancellations, or returns.

This timeline is invaluable for resolving disputes and understanding what happened with any order.

Best Practices

Add notes proactively — document any customer communication or unusual circumstances immediately.
Keep notes concise but informative. Include dates, names, and reference numbers where relevant.
Use internal notes for team discussions and customer notes only when the customer needs to see the information.