If you’re running a WooCommerce online store, you’ve likely come across strange behavior in the admin dashboard at some point. One frustrating and confusing issue is when:
You see
-1 orders on-holdon your WooCommerce dashboard, and clicking on it takes you to the orders list… but nothing appears.
Let’s break down what this issue actually means, why it happens, and how you can fix it quickly – even without a developer.
❓ What Does “-1 Orders On-Hold” Actually Mean?
Under normal circumstances, WooCommerce keeps a tally of order statuses like:
-
✅ Processing
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⏳ On-hold (usually waiting for payment)
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❌ Cancelled
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✅ Completed, etc.
But occasionally, especially after a manual deletion or plugin conflict, you may see something like this on your dashboard:
-1 orders on-hold
This negative number means that WooCommerce tried to count “on-hold” orders but failed – likely because the data is out of sync.
🤔 Why Does This Happen?
This usually occurs in these common scenarios within a WooCommerce online store:
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An order with “on-hold” status was deleted, but WooCommerce didn’t update the internal counters.
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A plugin (e.g. for payments, automation, or cart cleanup) removed an order, but left the taxonomy data broken.
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An order was started but never completed (e.g. failed payment, missing customer info).
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The WooCommerce status counts haven’t been recalculated – and are now incorrect.
As a result:
You see
-1 orders on-hold, but when you click it, no orders are shown in the order list.
👁 Where Do You See This?
Go to WooCommerce → Dashboard. In the “WooCommerce Status” widget, you might see something like:
-
✅ 26 orders (Processing)
-
🚫
-1 orders (On-hold) -
❗ 8 products low in stock
-
❌ 309 products out of stock
Clicking on “on-hold” sends you to the orders screen — but instead of showing anything:
You get a “No orders found” message.
That’s a sure sign that WooCommerce’s internal count is wrong.
✅ How to Fix It (Step-by-Step)
The good news is that you can resolve this yourself in just a few minutes.
Step 1: Go to
WooCommerce → Status → Tools
(admin URL: /wp-admin/admin.php?page=wc-status&tab=tools)
Step 2: Run these tools:
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🔁 Rebuild order data
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🔄 Recount terms
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🧹 Clear transients
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(optional) Clear customer sessions
These tools will force WooCommerce to re-synchronize its data and recalculate the order status counts.
After running them, the -1 orders on-hold issue should disappear or show the correct number.
🧑💻 Bonus Tip: Check the Database (Advanced)
If you have access to phpMyAdmin or your site’s database, you can check if any “on-hold” orders actually exist:
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If you get zero results, WooCommerce’s dashboard count is wrong.
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If you get a result, that means there’s an orphaned or invisible order you might need to inspect or delete properly.
🔥 Does It Affect My Store?
No — this won’t break anything in your WooCommerce store. But:
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It can confuse store managers or staff who think there’s a pending order that needs attention.
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It may indicate that your database is slightly misaligned due to a plugin or manual deletion.
🧼 How to Prevent This in the Future
To keep your WooCommerce online store clean and accurate:
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Run “Rebuild Order Data” and “Recount Terms” from time to time.
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Avoid manually deleting orders in the database unless you know what you’re doing.
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Be cautious with plugins that auto-delete or auto-cancel orders.
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Always test new integrations (e.g. payment gateways, CRMs) on a staging site first.
✅ Final Thoughts
If your WooCommerce dashboard shows -1 orders on-hold, and clicking it leads to an empty order list, it’s a common bug caused by outdated order counters.
The fix is simple:
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Use the built-in WooCommerce Tools to reset order data.
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Optionally check your database for hidden or orphaned entries.
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Keep your store well-maintained by running these tools regularly.
Once done, your WooCommerce online store dashboard will return to normal — no more misleading stats.
