---
title: "Orders overview"
slug: "orders-overview"
abstract: "An overview of the complete order flow process."
---
# Orders overview
With Sitecore Experience Commerce (XC), the life cycle of an order starts with a successful checkout, which triggers the [create order process](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/103/sitecore-experience-commerce/orders-overview.html#UUID-8e936406-eef2-4c22-233e-3847b25cea14_section-idm253103451917000 "The create order process"). The Commerce Engine then begins the [post-order capture process](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/103/sitecore-experience-commerce/orders-overview.html#UUID-8e936406-eef2-4c22-233e-3847b25cea14_section-idm253103449324448 "The post-order capture process"), which, in the normal course of events, results in a completed order.
## The create order process
The checkout process captures all the information that the Commerce Engine requires to create the order (for example, customer-related information, date of purchase, currency used, tax information, shipping details, and so on). The create order process starts with a successful checkout. During the create order process, pipelines perform a series of actions resulting in the creation of a *pending order*.
The following diagram provides an overview of the create order process flow:
The pending order, which is the output of the Create order process, is the starting point of the post-order capture process.
## The post-order capture process
The post-order capture process begins with a *pending order* (the output of the create order process). During the post-order capture process, [order minions](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/103/sitecore-experience-commerce/orders-minions.html "Orders minions") move the orders through their various [status](https://doc.sitecore.com/xp/en/developers/103/sitecore-experience-commerce/orders-status.html "Orders status") and perform predefined business functions (determined by order pipelines), until the order reaches the *completed* status.
The following diagram provides an overview of how the Commerce Engine processes an order, from *pending* to *completed* status:
## Orders entity and components
The Orders plugin (`Sitecore.Commerce.Plugin.Orders`) defines the following entities and components.
| **Entity** | **Components** |
| --- | --- |
| Orders
SalesActivity | OnHoldOrderComponent
OrderComponent |