Creating an Order in standard Salesforce is most often done from a Contract or directly from an Account. CPQ-enabled orgs typically have automation that handles Order creation; the manual flow described below applies to non-CPQ orgs.
- Open the Contract
Most Orders attach to a parent Contract. From the Contract record, scroll to the Orders related list and use the New button. Starting from the Contract auto-populates ContractId and AccountId on the Order.
- Click New Order
If the Orders related list is hidden, the Contract page layout needs an admin update. If your profile lacks Create on Order, that is a separate permission issue.
- Pick a record type if prompted
Many orgs use Order record types to separate New Business, Renewal, Amendment, and Reduction Orders, each with its own page layout and approval routing. Pick the one that matches.
- Fill the EffectiveDate and Status
EffectiveDate is when the Order takes effect (often the same as Contract start, sometimes later for staged fulfillment). Status starts as Draft for any in-flight Order; Activation comes after approval.
- Add Order Products
Open the Order Products related list and add the products being ordered. The Pricebook is inherited from the Contract by default; override only when justified.
- Submit for approval if required
Internal approval routes through Finance or Sales Operations depending on Order Total and deal terms.
- Activate the Order
Set Status to Activated only after approval is complete. Activation locks the Order and signals downstream systems to start fulfillment.
Required. The customer record the Order belongs to.
Required. When the Order takes effect.
Required. Drives the lifecycle behavior; Activated locks the record.
- Activated Orders are read-only on most fields. Edit Activated Orders permission allows changes but should be limited to a specific Order Ops role.
- Reduction Orders are the right pattern for returns and cancellations. Do not edit the original Order; create a Reduction Order that references the parent through OriginalOrderId.
- Order Status default values (Draft, Activated) are minimal. Customize the picklist to match your ERP lifecycle, or accept that reports between the two systems will not align.
- CPQ-generated Orders look different from manually-created ones. If your org uses CPQ for some deals and manual creation for others, reports need to handle both data shapes.