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Process Square orders

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Once a store's menu is connected to Square, order processing between Ordering.co and Square runs automatically. This page describes how an order moves from checkout to fulfillment across the two systems.

The order process, step by step​

  1. The customer places an order online. The customer browses the store's menu on the ordering website or app, builds their cart — including modifiers and mixed categories, such as a customized item alongside a retail product — and taps Confirm order at checkout.
  2. Live tracking begins. As soon as the order is placed, its status moves to Pending and the customer is redirected to an order tracking page that updates in real time.
  3. The order syncs to the Square Dashboard. The order details are sent to the All Orders section of the store's Square Dashboard without any manual re-entry. The ticket that staff see in Square includes:
    • Customer contact and delivery details.
    • An itemized breakdown, including modifiers and sizing options.
    • Payment amounts, taxes, and the final transaction total.
  4. Staff fulfill the order in Square. The order is processed natively in Square like any in-store purchase. As staff move it through the kitchen or fulfillment pipeline — for example from In Progress to Dispatched — those status changes are pushed back to the Ordering.co platform.
  5. The order is completed. When staff mark the order complete in Square, the customer's tracking page updates to reflect completion without the customer needing to refresh the page.

How the integration behaves​

  • Synchronization cycle. Many updates appear close to instantly, but the standard sync cycle verifies data over an approximate 60-second window. This pacing is intended to avoid overloading the system during peak order volume.
  • Retry behavior. Each order-status update is expected to receive a response within about 10 seconds. If that handshake is delayed, the update is queued and retried within the following minute rather than dropped.
  • Inventory. When an online order is finalized, inventory counts are decremented in Square, keeping stock levels aligned across the online store and the physical location.

Best practices​

  • Keep Square as the master catalog. Maintain categories, modifier groups, and item descriptions in Square so the synced online menu stays well structured.
  • Fulfill from Square. Once the integration is live, staff can work from the Square Dashboard for fulfillment without needing to also monitor the Ordering.co dashboard.
  • Standardize status meanings. Make sure kitchen and front-of-house staff agree on what statuses like "In Progress" and "Dispatched" mean operationally, since those transitions drive the customer-facing tracking updates.

Tips for reliability​

  • A stable, high-speed internet connection at the store keeps status handshakes fast and avoids unnecessary retries.
  • If the store prints physical kitchen tickets, configure Square hardware to auto-print as soon as an online order arrives, so staff can start preparing without touching a screen.
  • Because online sales flow into Square, Square's own reporting tools can be used to analyze popular online items and peak ordering times alongside in-store sales data.

Related guides: POS & Menu Sync overview · Configure POS & Menu Sync

Ordering.co integration: Square POS