# Fishbowl: Cannot update order status

> An order status change was blocked, typically because the order is locked or has unresolved dependencies.

## What it means
This message appears when you try to change the status of an order that Fishbowl won't allow to be modified. Most commonly: the order is locked because it's been completed or archived, the order has unfinished fulfillment tasks, or the status change violates a business rule (such as trying to revert a shipped order to draft).

## What to check
- **Order status**: Verify what status the order is currently in and whether it typically allows transitions
- **Order state**: Check whether the order has been closed, archived, or locked for editing
- **Pending tasks**: If the order is partially shipped or being picked, status changes may be blocked until fulfillment completes
- **Permissions**: Confirm your user role permits modifying orders in the current status

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*From Israel Lopez Consulting (ILC). Custom Fishbowl Inventory integrations and software, and Fishbowl experts since 2015. Written by Israel Lopez. Questions about this topic, or want to reach the people who wrote it? Visit https://israellopezconsulting.com/contact*