Paused orders
Why an editor pauses an order, where you see it in the portal, and how a single reply gets the work moving again.
A paused order is one that cannot move without you. The editor has run into something only you can decide, so they stopped and asked. Nothing else is needed from you: reply, and the order continues.
Why an editor pauses an order
An editor pauses an order when they need information or a decision from you and carrying on would mean guessing. For example: the instructions can be read two ways, a file is not usable, or the frame needs a choice only you can make — which person to remove, which crop to keep.
A pause is not a rejection and it does not cost you anything. The editor writes what they need at the same time, so the answer is usually one sentence.
How you find a paused order
- The order shows Waiting on your reply, with a red dot.
- It is listed under the Paused tab of your order list, with the label ORDER PAUSED and the date the pause started instead of a delivery estimate.
- When you click Orders in the top bar, paused orders come first: the list opens on Paused whenever there is one.
- Opening the order takes you straight to the Messages tab, not to the photos — the reply is the only thing that matters right now.
- Above the message box, an amber note reads Order paused. Your prompt response will be appreciated. The editor’s question is in the conversation underneath, marked New.
- On the other tabs of the order, a card under the order name says Your order is paused — your editor needs a reply, with a Go to messages button.
Replying resumes the order
Any message you send on a paused order resumes it. You do not have to answer the exact question, and there is no separate Resume button or confirmation: the message is the resume. Send message looks and works exactly as usual, the confirmation reads Message sent, and the order goes back to Being edited — or Being revised if the pause happened during a revision — and the editor picks the work up again.
The delivery estimate is frozen while the order is paused — nothing accumulates against you. When you reply, a new delivery estimate starts from that moment, so answering quickly is what gets your photos back soonest.