Managing gift orders doesn't stop at submission — sometimes addresses change, items go out of stock, or a gift note needs a refresh. This article explains exactly what you can edit and when, so you're always in control of your gifting program.
Before you start:
Know whether your order has already been pushed to your ecommerce platform (Shopify, BigCommerce, or Magento).
Identify the order type: Concierge (direct ship or e-gift) or Storefront.
For Corporate orders, confirm whether an invoice has been issued and paid.
Why Zest Orders Can't Be Edited After Submission
When Zest creates an order in Shopify (or BigCommerce or Magento), it uses the platform's order creation API. This is a standard integration approach, but it comes with a key limitation: orders created via the API cannot be edited using the platform's native order editing tools.
This isn't a Zest limitation — it's a platform constraint. Once an order exists in your ecommerce platform, Zest's role in managing that order is essentially complete. Any edits need to happen either directly in the platform, in your fulfillment system, or by canceling and recreating the order through Zest.
The good news: before orders are pushed or submitted into your ecommerce platform, you have full control. And even after push, there are reliable workarounds to handle the most common scenarios.
What You Can Edit Before Orders Are Pushed to Your Ecommerce Platform
You have the most flexibility before an order is submitted and pushed. Here's what you can update:
Shipping addresses: update the recipient's delivery address directly in Zest.
Gift messages and notes: edit the sender name, message text, and any personalization.
Recipient details: change names, email addresses, phone numbers, or upload a corrected CSV.
Products: swap SKUs, adjust quantities, or update product selections.
Tip: Orders with a future ship date are held in Zest until their scheduled date arrives. This creates a valuable editing window — use it to catch and fix issues before orders go live.
What Happens Once Orders Are Pushed to Shopify (or Other Platforms)
Once Zest pushes an order to your ecommerce platform, the order lives there and Zest's ability to make changes is limited. Here's what to know:
Changes in Shopify do not sync back to Zest — with one exception: tracking numbers. Zest does pull tracking information from Shopify so your recipient dashboard stays up to date.
Changes you make in Shopify, BigCommerce, or Magento are not reflected in Zest. If you need corrections to appear in Zest (for example, on customer-facing dashboards), you'll need to cancel the order in both systems and recreate it through Zest.
Shopify's native order editing does not work for orders created via the API. You'll need a workaround (see this section below).
How to Handle Address Changes After Submission
If the order hasn't been pushed yet
Go to the order in Zest and update the address directly. No further steps needed.
If the order has already been pushed to Shopify
Log in to Shopify.
Find the order using the Zest order tag (e.g.,
zest-order-COL1079).Edit the shipping address directly in Shopify.
If you use a fulfillment system, verify whether the edit should happen in Shopify or directly in your fulfillment tool — depending on your sync settings, Shopify changes may be overwritten on the next sync.
Note: Address changes made downstream will not appear in Zest. If you need the corrected address reflected in Zest, cancel the Child Order in both Shopify and Zest (without issuing a refund) and recreate it with the correct address.
For subscription orders, delivery addresses cannot be changed once submitted to Shopify. Future subscription shipments will use the original address unless a manual process is established with your team.
How to Handle Product Swaps and Out-of-Stock Items
If the order hasn't been pushed yet
Contact Zest support — a SKU swap can be made directly in the system before the order goes to Shopify.
If the order has already been pushed
Product swaps must happen in Shopify or your fulfillment system. Alternatively, cancel the affected Child Orders and recreate them through Zest with the correct product (see this section).
Important: Post-payment product swaps on corporate orders can create accounting discrepancies if pricing or tax codes differ. Coordinate with your finance team and monitor for any Action Needed status badges in the Zest UI.
How to Cancel and Recreate Orders (Step-by-Step)
This is the recommended approach when an edit is needed after an order has been pushed to your platform.
In Shopify, find the order using the Zest order tag (e.g.,
zest-order-COL1079).Cancel the order in Shopify. If the order has reached your fulfillment system, cancel it there as well.
In Zest, cancel the corresponding Child Order. Do not issue a refund if the customer has already paid.
Create a new order in Zest with the corrected details.
Push the new order through the standard flow.
For Corporate orders where the customer has already paid:
Do not generate a new invoice — the original payment covers the recreated order.
Voiding and reissuing an invoice may be required if the order total changes. Coordinate with your finance team before proceeding.
Tip: For address changes, recreate through Zest using a corrected CSV rather than manually editing in Shopify. This keeps your data consistent across both systems.
Editing Gift Notes and Messages
Before an order is pushed
Gift notes, sender names, and messages can be edited directly in Zest.
After an order is pushed: digital gift notes
Once a digital gift note has been sent to a recipient, it cannot be edited. Zest support can make backend changes to the sender name or message in some cases, but if the recipient has already viewed the gift, the update won't be meaningful.
After an order is pushed: physical/printed gift notes
Physical gift notes may be updatable in Shopify or your fulfillment system if you catch the order before your 3PL processes it. Contact your fulfillment partner directly for bulk corrections — there is no bulk correction mechanism in Shopify or Zest once orders are released to fulfillment.
Note: Gift notes (sender name, message, recipient details) are set at the time of order creation. If a gift note is needed on a recreated order, make sure to include it when building the new order in Zest.
Workarounds: Third-Party Apps and Fulfillment System Edits
If you frequently need to modify orders after submission, there are two common approaches:
Third-party Shopify apps
There are apps in the Shopify App Store designed specifically to edit orders created via the API (which Shopify's native tools block). These can be a cost-effective option for brands with high modification volume. Look for apps in the "order editing" category that support admin-side editing of API-created orders.
Editing in your fulfillment system
For some modifications — especially address changes — it may be more practical to make the edit directly in your fulfillment system rather than in Shopify. Just be mindful of sync settings: if your fulfillment system re-syncs from Shopify, changes made downstream could be overwritten.
Best Practices to Minimize Post-Submission Edits
Getting ahead of common issues saves time for everyone. Here's what works:
Double-check recipient CSVs before uploading. Address and recipient errors are the most common reason for post-submission changes. A quick review before upload prevents most issues.
Use future ship dates strategically. Orders with future ship dates stay in Zest longer, giving your team time to catch and fix mistakes before they're pushed to Shopify.
Set up clear SOPs for product swaps. If your account uses flexible mode, make sure your team knows the pricing and tax code requirements for valid swaps — this prevents invoices from getting out of sync.
Cancel in both Shopify and Zest. Whenever you cancel an order in Shopify, always cancel it in Zest too. This keeps records consistent and prevents customer-facing dashboard issues.
Recreate via Zest, not manual Shopify edits. When corrections are needed, recreating through Zest (with a corrected CSV) maintains data consistency better than manual edits in Shopify.
Coordinate early for corporate invoice changes. If an order edit might affect an invoice total (e.g., a product swap with a different price), loop in your finance team before making changes.