Duplicate orders in Linnworks: how they happen and how to clear them safely

Short answer: duplicates almost always come from a resubmit after an uncertain outcome — the first attempt succeeded, the confirmation just did not reach the person.

The four causes

Double-click on submit where the button was not disabled. Retry after a timeout — the request landed, the response did not. Two staff taking the same phone order. Re-keying an order someone could not find — see where to look first.

Clearing one safely

If both are still open and unpicked, cancel the duplicate — stock allocation releases cleanly. If one is already processed, do not delete it; the correct move is a return or adjustment so your stock and financial records stay consistent. Deleting processed orders leaves holes that reconcile badly later.

Prevention

Search by reference before re-keying anything. Agree who owns phone orders when two people can answer. And where possible use tools that disable submit during processing.

Questions, or want a tool we don't have yet? Email hello@grafto.co.uk — a real person replies.