> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sendcloud.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Orders overview

The [Orders API v3](/api/v3/orders) lets you create and manage [Orders](/docs/getting-started/key-concepts#orders) in Sendcloud. Orders appear in the Incoming Orders view, where they can be reviewed, updated, and shipped later via API. Use this API when you want to sync order data (addresses, items, delivery details such as service points) into Sendcloud before creating labels.

## What you'll Learn

This guide explains how to:

* Create, update, and retrieve orders via the API
* Keep order data in sync with your upstream systems
* Use orders as the starting point for automated shipping and label generation

<Info>
  Note: This guide covers our latest version, Orders API v3. For full endpoint and schema documentation, see the [API
  reference](/api/v3/orders).
</Info>

## When to use the Orders API

Use the Orders API when you want to sync and manage orders in Sendcloud before fulfillment.

Typical use cases:

* Importing orders from a webshop, marketplace, or ERP
* Preparing orders for fulfillment while shipping happens later
* Allowing operational review or corrections before shipping
* Using Sendcloud as a central place to manage incoming orders

<Note>
  If you already have shipping-ready data and want to create labels immediately, the [Shipments API](/api/v3/shipments)
  is usually a better fit.
</Note>

## How it fits into the Sendcloud workflow

Orders sit between checkout and fulfillment. They represent the commercial side of a purchase — what was sold, to whom, and where it needs to be delivered.

A typical flow looks like this:

1. An order is created in the source system (shop, marketplace, ERP)
2. The order is created in Sendcloud via the Orders API
3. The order can be reviewed or updated in Sendcloud
4. The order is shipped by:
   a. Creating labels directly in the Sendcloud panel, or
   b. Using the [Ship an Order API](/docs/orders/ship-an-order) to programmatically generate shipments and labels

Once shipped, the order transitions into the operational fulfillment phase.

Important distinctions:

* Orders can include delivery details such as service point (locker) information
* Orders do not announce shipments to carriers by themselves
* Orders do not generate labels automatically
* An order can exist without ever being shipped

Orders define what needs to be shipped. Shipments define how it is shipped.