---
title: How to Set Up an Order Status Rule (Worked Example)
description: "Set up a WooCommerce order status rule step by step: a status transition, a time trigger, and optional conditions."
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/setting-the-rule/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: How to
tags:
  - Automated Order Status Controller for WooCommerce
---

# How to Set Up an Order Status Rule (Worked Example)

Setting up an order status rule takes a status transition, a time trigger and any conditions you want to add. This walkthrough builds one complete rule in [Scheduled & Automatic Order Status Controller for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/order-status-rules-for-woocommerce/): cancel an order one hour after it enters **Pending payment**.

### Open the rule

Go to **WPFactory > Order Status Rules** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Order Status Rules**) and open the **Rule #1** section.

![Rule #1 settings section showing Status from, Status to and Time trigger](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/setting-the-rule-1.png)

### Build the rule

1. **Enable rule #1:** tick the `alg_wc_order_status_rules_enabled[1]` checkbox. New rules are disabled by default, so this step is required.
2. **Status from:** choose **Pending payment**. The rule only looks at orders currently in this status. Default is **Pending payment** (`wc-pending`).
3. **Status to:** choose **Cancelled**. This is the status the order is moved to. Default is **Cancelled** (`wc-cancelled`).
4. **Admin title (optional):** add a label such as "Cancel unpaid after 1 hour" for your own reference. It appears in the order note when the rule runs.
5. **Time trigger:** set `1` and leave the unit on **hour(s)**. The order changes one hour after it entered **Pending payment**. Set the value to `0` for an immediate change.

### Rule options reference

| Label | Option ID | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Enable rule | `alg_wc_order_status_rules_enabled[1]` | No |
| Status from | `alg_wc_order_status_rules_from[1]` | Pending payment |
| Status to | `alg_wc_order_status_rules_to[1]` | Cancelled |
| Admin title (optional) | `alg_wc_order_status_rules_title[1]` | (empty) |
| Time trigger | `alg_wc_order_status_rules_time_trigger[1]` | 1 |
| Time trigger unit | `alg_wc_order_status_rules_time_trigger_unit[1]` | hour(s) |

### Add conditions (optional)

Below the timing options, each rule groups its conditions into sections. Every condition is ignored when left empty, so add only the ones you need:

- **Time:** Time trigger, unit, Skip days, Skip dates.
- **Order Minimum/Maximum Amounts:** minimum and maximum order amount (subtotal or total) and item quantity.
- **Order Payment & Shipping:** required payment gateways and shipping methods.
- **Order Countries:** billing and shipping countries.
- **Order Products:** products, categories, tags and stock status, each with a Require / Require all / Exclude / Exclude all action.
- **Order Coupons:** any coupon, specific coupons or no coupons.
- **Order Users:** billing emails, user roles, users and paying-customer status.
- **Order Dates:** created before and created after.
- **Order Meta:** a meta key, value, multiple values and an Equals / Not equals compare.

For the full option-by-option list, see the order status rule conditions reference.

### Save and let it run

Click **Save changes**. The rule now runs whenever an order's status changes and on the schedule set in the **Advanced** section. To apply it to existing orders straight away, use **Run all rules now** on the **Tools** section.

### Automate several transitions at once

This example uses one rule. To cancel unpaid orders and complete paid orders and more, all at the same time, [Order Status Rules](https://wpfactory.com/item/order-status-rules-for-woocommerce/) Pro lets you add unlimited rules. [Get Order Status Rules Pro](https://wpfactory.com/item/order-status-rules-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [How to Copy and Reset Order Status Rule Settings](https://wpfactory.com/docs/copy-and-reset-order-status-rule-settings/)
- [Run Order Status Rules Automatically: Cron and Action Scheduler](https://wpfactory.com/docs/automatic-order-status-processing-cron/)
- [Order Status Rules Tools: Run All Rules Now](https://wpfactory.com/docs/overview-of-tools/)
- [Advanced Options in Order Status Rules](https://wpfactory.com/docs/advanced-options-overview/)
- [Order Status Rules Options Explained](https://wpfactory.com/docs/status-rules-options/)

 

[![Automated Order Status Controller for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Order-Status-Rules-for-WooCommerce.webp)](https://wpfactory.com/item/order-status-rules-for-woocommerce/)