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

# Creating and managing detailing orders in DetailAhead

> Create, assign, and track every detailing job through a clear pipeline: pending, confirmed, completed, paid. Attach services, costs, and team members per order.

Orders are the core of DetailAhead. Every detailing job lives as an order, carrying the customer, vehicle, service, scheduled time, assigned team member, price, and current status. The Orders page gives you a complete list of every job across all statuses, with filters and search to find exactly what you need in seconds.

## Orders list

Navigate to **Orders** in the sidebar to see every order. The table shows the customer name, vehicle, service, date and time, status badge, and price for each row. Click any row to open the order detail page.

**Filtering and searching:**

* Use the status tabs (**All**, **Pending**, **Confirmed**, **Completed**, **Paid**, **Postponed**, **Cancelled**) to scope the list to a single pipeline stage.
* Type in the search bar to filter by customer name, address, phone number, or order ID.
* Sort the list by most recent, oldest first, customer name (A–Z), or highest value using the **Sort by** dropdown.

## Order status pipeline

Every order moves through a defined set of statuses. Understand what each one means so your pipeline stays accurate.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Active statuses">
    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Pending" icon="clock" href="/features/orders">
        The job has been booked but you haven't confirmed it yet. New bookings from your public booking page always start here unless auto-confirm is enabled.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Confirmed" icon="calendar-check" href="/features/orders">
        You've confirmed the appointment with the customer. The job is locked in and appears on the calendar.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Completed" icon="circle-check" href="/features/orders">
        The work is done. Move an order here once you've finished the job. Revenue from completed orders counts toward your financial totals.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Paid" icon="circle-dollar-sign" href="/features/orders">
        Payment has been received. This is the final active state for a job that went to plan. Paid orders contribute to revenue exactly like completed orders.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Exception statuses">
    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Postponed" icon="calendar-arrow-up" href="/features/orders">
        The job has been moved to a later date. The order stays on record and can be rescheduled to a new date and time. Use this instead of cancelling when the customer still intends to book.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Cancelled" icon="circle-xmark" href="/features/orders">
        The order will not proceed. Cancelled orders are retained for your records but drop off the active workload views and do not count in financial totals.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Creating a new order

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Add order form">
    Select **Add order** in the top-right corner of the Orders page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a customer">
    Search for an existing customer by name in the customer picker. Select their name from the results to pre-fill their details. If the customer doesn't exist yet, type their name and select **Add as a new customer** — you can fill in their phone, email, and address inline without leaving the form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter vehicle and car count">
    Type the vehicle description (e.g. "Tesla Model 3") and enter how many cars are being detailed in this job. The car count affects workload planning on the dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a service and assign a team member">
    Pick a service from the dropdown — the list is populated from your service catalog. Select the team member responsible for the job from the **Assign to** dropdown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the date and time">
    Choose the scheduled date and start time. This puts the job on the calendar automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the price and status">
    Enter the job price and choose the starting status (defaults to **Pending**). Select **Add order** to save.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Pre-populate your service catalog in **Settings → Finances → Service Catalog** so the services dropdown is ready to go every time you create an order. Default services include Full Detail ($240), Exterior Wash & Wax ($130), Interior Deep Clean ($180), Ceramic Coating ($650), Paint Correction ($450), Engine Bay Detail ($60), and Headlight Restoration (\$45).
</Tip>

## Order detail page

Click any order in the list to open its full detail page. From here you can:

* **Edit all fields** — select **Edit details** to change the vehicle, service, assigned team member, date, time, and price.
* **Update the status** — click any stage in the status control panel to move the order forward or backward in the pipeline. Changes save instantly.
* **View the customer** — the **View customer** button navigates to the customer's full profile.

### Recording costs on an order

To track your material costs and calculate true profit per job, add cost line items directly on the order detail page. Each cost item reduces the profit figure for that order and flows through to the Finances page automatically.

<Info>
  Costs recorded on orders are the primary source of expense data in DetailAhead. If you skip recording costs, your profit figures will be overstated. See [Finances](/features/finances) for more detail on how costs and revenue are aggregated.
</Info>

## New Entries

**New Entries** (accessible from the sidebar) is the inbox for booking requests that arrive through your public booking page. When a customer fills out your booking form, their submission lands in New Entries before it becomes a confirmed order — this gives you a chance to review the details and decide whether to accept, adjust, or decline the slot.

**Converting a new entry to an order:**

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open New Entries">
    Select **New Entries** in the sidebar. Each card shows the customer's name, requested service, preferred date, and any answers to your booking questions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the details">
    Check that the service, date, and time work for your schedule. Open the customer's profile if you need to see their history before committing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Convert to order">
    Select **Convert to order** on the entry. DetailAhead creates a new order with the customer, service, and date pre-filled. Adjust any details, then save.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If your booking page has **Auto-confirm** enabled in **Settings → Store**, new bookings skip New Entries and land directly in Orders at Confirmed status.
</Note>