If you run an online store based on WooCommerce, you may have encountered strange behavior in the administration panel at some point. One of the most common problems is when a message appears on the dashboard: “1 pending orders” and after clicking on this link – the list of orders is empty.
What exactly does this error mean, why it occurs and how to fix it without programmer help? We explain below.
What is “-1 pending orders”?
In normal circumstances, WooCommerce counts orders according to their status, e.g.:
* In progress
* Pending (e.g., waiting for payment)
* Cancelled
* Completed
However, in some cases, instead of the number of pending orders, a negative number appears, e.g. -1.
This means that WooCommerce tried to recount the orders with a “pending” status, but something went wrong – the data in the system is inconsistent.
Why does this happen?
This problem usually occurs in the following situations:
* An order marked as “on hold” was manually deleted, but WooCommerce did not update the counters.
* Some plugin (e.g., payment or automation) removed an order, but didn’t properly clean up the data.
* An order was initiated but not completed (e.g., due to a payment error or missing customer data).
* WooCommerce has not re-counted the status of orders and the counter is outdated.
Effect: You see “-1 pending orders” on the dashboard, but after clicking nothing appears.
Where does this error appear?
In the WordPress panel, go to WooCommerce → Dashboard. In the “WooCommerce Status” widget, you may see something like:
* 26 orders in progress
* -1 pending orders
* 8 products are sold out
* 309 products have been sold
After clicking on “pending orders”, you will be redirected to the list of orders, but instead of data, you’ll see a message: “No orders found”.
This is an indication that the order status counter in WooCommerce is incorrect.
How to fix it (step by step)?
The good news is that you can easily fix this yourself without programmer help.
Step 1: Go to WooCommerce → Status → Tools
Direct URL: /wp-admin/admin.php?page=wc-status&tab=tools
Step 2: Run the following tools:
* “Rebuild order data”
* “Recalculate dates”
* “Clear transients” (optional)
* (Optional) “Clear customer sessions”
WooCommerce will then force a synchronization of the data and recalculate the status counters.
After completing these steps, the number of pending orders should be displayed correctly or disappear if there are no such orders.
Additional tip (for advanced users): Checking in the database
If you have access to phpMyAdmin or your website’s database, you can check if there are any orders with a “pending” status:
“`
SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type = ‘shop_order’ AND post_status = ‘wc-on-hold’;
“`
If the result is zero rows, the counter in WooCommerce is incorrect.
If the result returns data, it means that there is an invisible or damaged order that you should check or delete manually.
Will this affect the store’s operation?
No – this error will not cause a shop crash. However:
* It may mislead the administrator or employee of the store who thinks some order is waiting for realization.
* It may indicate a minor inconsistency in the database caused by plugins or manual actions.
How to prevent it in the future?
To avoid similar situations:
* Regularly run the “Rebuild order data” and “Recalculate dates” tools in WooCommerce.
* Avoid manually deleting orders from the database.
* Be cautious when testing and deploying plugins that automatically remove or cancel orders.
* New integrations (e.g., payment gates, CRM systems) test them first on a test version of your website.
