How to create a draft order with Simple Bundles in Shopify
Draft orders in Shopify work the same as placing an order through the online store when it comes to Simple Bundles. The Cart Transform API runs as expected, breaking the bundle down into its child SKUs and removing the parent bundle from the final order.
How bundle breakdown works in draft orders
Simple Bundles 2.0 uses Shopify’s Cart Transform API to process bundle orders. When a draft order is created with a bundle product, the Cart Transform API fires the same way it does during a storefront checkout:
- The parent bundle product is replaced by its child SKUs as individual line items.
- The parent bundle itself is removed from the order; only the child components remain.
- Each child SKU carries its own allocated price based on the bundle total.
- This behavior is identical whether the order comes from the Online Store or POS.
How to place a draft order for a bundle
- In your Shopify Admin, go to Orders and click Create order.
- Search for and add the bundle product to the order.
- Add the customer’s details in the Customer section.
- Apply any discounts or custom shipping rates if needed.
- Click Mark as paid (if payment is already collected) or Send invoice (to collect payment via email).
- Once the order is saved, the Cart Transform API processes the bundle, the parent bundle is replaced by the child SKUs in the final order.
Note: Infinite Options bundles are not currently supported when creating draft orders in Shopify Admin. Option selection for these bundles relies on the app widget rendered on the product page (PDP), which draft orders don't have access to. As a result, selecting an Infinite Options bundle product in a draft order will only add the parent product without its associated options.
Adding a bundle to an existing order
If a bundle is added to an order that has already been created, the Cart Transform API will no longer apply. Instead, Simple Bundles processes the breakdown using the order editing method.
Here’s how it differs from a new draft order:
| Scenario | Bundle breakdown method |
| New draft order | Cart Transform API. The parent bundle is removed; child SKUs replace it. |
| Bundle added to an existing order via order editing | Order editing method. The parent bundle remains in the order, and child SKUs are added at $0 beneath it. |
When the order editing method is used, the final order will include:
- The parent bundle as a line item carrying the full bundle price.
- The child SKUs listed beneath it at $0.
- This is expected behavior and does not indicate a setup issue.
Using Shopify's "Duplicate" action to recreate a bundle order
If you need another draft order with the same bundle(s), don't use Shopify's built-in Duplicate action on an existing order. Duplicate copies the line items directly rather than routing through the steps above, so it doesn't re-trigger the Cart Transform API. The bundle metadata (title, bundle group, variant/quantity attributes) will still carry over correctly, but the price allocation won't: each component will fall back to its standalone catalog price instead of its allocated share of the bundle price.
This is confirmed Shopify behavior, not specific to Simple Bundles:
- Shopify's draft order documentation notes that discounts and special pricing aren't carried over when a draft order is created by duplicating an existing one.
- Shopify's changelog on setting custom prices in draft orders confirms that, without an explicitly locked price, a duplicated line item picks up the current catalog price.
- A Shopify community thread from another app developer describes the same failure mode: pricing calculated at checkout is not retained when that order is later saved or copied into a draft order.
To avoid this: create a new draft order following the steps above (or add the bundle fresh via the product page) rather than duplicating an existing bundle order. If you've already duplicated an order and it needs correcting, you'll need to manually adjust the component prices to match the intended bundle total.