Handmade Order Tracker

Who this is for

Every order in one list. Each line follows an order from the day it was placed to the day it was posted, with where it came from, when it is due, what has been paid and what is still owed.

Makers selling through more than one route, such as a marketplace, their own website, markets and direct messages, who need one place that shows what is due and what still has to be made.

What this helps you track

• Every order, whichever channel it arrived through
• What was ordered and the agreed price
• Deposits taken and balances still to collect
• The due date for each order
• Where each order stands: to make, in progress, ready or posted

How to use it

1. Write your business name and the period the sheet covers at the top.
2. Add a line as soon as an order arrives: order number, date, customer, channel, the item with its quantity and the agreed price.
3. Enter any deposit taken; the balance still owed is worked out in the browser and the workbook.
4. Set the due date you have promised and change the status as the order moves from to make to posted.
5. Sort or scan by due date each morning to see what has to be made first, and chase balances before posting.
6. Start a new sheet each month or season, carrying over any order not yet posted.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Should I record marketplace orders here as well?

Yes, if you want one list. Marketplaces keep their own order lists, but a single tracker across every channel is the only place that shows the whole workload, including custom orders taken in person.

What goes in the price column?

The total agreed for that order, including any postage you charged if you want the balance to show everything still to collect. Be consistent, so the summary adds like with like.

How do I see what is due this week?

Sort the workbook or the browser version by due date and read down to the end of the week, ignoring anything marked posted. On paper, list orders in due date order as they arrive.

Where do custom order details go?

Keep the full specification on the custom order form and put its order number here. The tracker is for status and money; the form is for what was agreed.