AIWorkDex
Ecommerce Practice

Set a human-reviewed order-risk gate

Route risky orders through a documented decision before fulfilment while preserving a tested path for genuine buyers.

Preparation
One policy session, one rule test, and ongoing case review.
Difficulty
Advanced
Task
Review suspicious orders
Back to the Task: Review suspicious orders

Before you start

Get what you need before you start

  • Restrict the review to authorised staff and the minimum necessary order and payment evidence.
  • Gather recent risky and legitimate cases without exporting full payment details.
  • Confirm current payment capture, fulfilment, cancellation, and provider escalation options.

Steps

Work through the method

Use the listed inputs and tools. Check the evidence when you need to verify a step.

  1. Define entry to review

    List the supported signals that place an order on hold, the evidence reviewers may inspect, the maximum review time, and the conditions that require provider escalation.

    Why it matters: A defined entry rule prevents one risk label from becoming an automatic accusation or cancellation.

    Input
    Shopify risk indicators, provider terms, store losses, legitimate cases, and fulfilment timing.
    Output
    A review-entry policy with authorised evidence, owner, deadline, and escalation path.
    Tools in this stepShopify

    Evidence for this step

  2. Write the decision record

    Create approved outcomes for release, hold, cancel, or escalate. Require the reviewer to record observed signals, missing evidence, reason, action, time, and second review where policy demands it.

    Why it matters: A complete record lets the store audit decisions and correct an overbroad rule.

    Input
    The entry policy, provider guidance, fulfilment cut-offs, and access controls.
    Output
    A minimum decision template and outcome-specific action checklist.
    Tools in this stepShopify

    Evidence for this step

  3. Configure one narrow control

    Apply the least broad available hold, capture, notification, or Flow rule that implements the approved entry policy. Keep final cancellation or release with an authorised person.

    Why it matters: A narrow rule limits effects on genuine orders while ensuring risky cases pause before fulfilment.

    Input
    The signed policy, supported platform controls, reviewer queue, and rollback condition.
    Output
    A draft control with owner, destination, human decision point, and rollback instruction.
    Tools in this stepShopify

    Evidence for this step

  4. Test risky and legitimate paths

    Run permitted test cases for review entry, queue delivery, reviewer access, release, hold, escalation, and normal checkout. Record false entries and missed handoffs.

    Why it matters: The rule must reach reviewers reliably without silently blocking the legitimate path.

    Input
    The draft control, approved test cases, reviewer accounts, and expected outcomes.
    Output
    A signed test record and a launch, revise, or stop decision.
    Tools in this stepShopify

    Evidence for this step

Success checks

Check the result before you finish

  • The policy treats risk signals as review inputs and assigns a named human decision maker.
  • Every test case preserves evidence, records a reason, and reaches the intended outcome.
  • Legitimate checkout and release cases pass without an unexplained block.
  • The store tracks false entries, missed handoffs, review delays, and provider escalations separately.

Failure modes

Watch for these problems

  • The rule cancels solely from a risk label. Disable it and restore human review.
  • Reviewers can see unnecessary payment or identity data. Reduce fields and access before launch.
  • A held order reaches fulfilment. Stop the route and repair the fulfilment gate.
  • A genuine test case is blocked. Narrow the entry rule and repeat the complete test.

Tools

Choose the tools you need

Sources

Read the sources behind this practice

Check what each source supports and where the advice has limits.