---
title: "Order numbers"
description: "Choose the pattern your order numbers follow, how the sequence counts and when it starts again."
url: "https://docs.poltura.com/en/orders/order-numbers/"
lang: en
alternates:
  en: "https://docs.poltura.com/en/orders/order-numbers/"
  hu: "https://docs.poltura.com/hu/orders/order-numbers/"
---

# Order numbers

Choose the pattern your order numbers follow, how the sequence counts and when it starts again.

- Where: Settings → Store settings → Order numbers

By default every order gets a plain serial number. On the **Order numbers** page you can give your orders a number of your own design, for example `WEB-2026-00042`. The number appears in the admin, in customer emails, on invoices, in courier references and in notifications.

This is useful when you move to Poltura from another system and want to continue your numbering, or when your accountant asks for a number that restarts every year.

![The Order numbers settings page with the Use custom order numbers switch off, the Draft orders choice, the Sales channels switch and the Next number table](https://docs.poltura.com/screenshots/en/orders/order-numbers.webp)

_While the switch is off, new orders keep the plain serial number._

## Set up custom order numbers

1. Open **Settings** and choose **Order numbers** under **Store settings**.
2. Switch on **Use custom order numbers**.
3. Enter the **Pattern**, for example `WEB-{yyyy}-{number}`. See the tokens below.
4. Set **Padding**: the minimum number of digits of the number. With 5, the number 42 is written as 00042. With 0 nothing is added.
5. Set **Start**: the first value of a fresh sequence.
6. Set **Step**: how much the number grows with each order.
7. Choose **Reset**: **Never**, **Yearly**, **Monthly** or **Daily**.
8. Choose the **Timezone** that the date tokens and the reset follow.
9. Check the **Example** to see what the next number looks like.
10. Select **Save**. The page confirms with **Settings saved**, and the next order gets a number in the new pattern.

## Pattern tokens

The pattern is free text with tokens in curly brackets. Each token is replaced when the order is placed.

| Token      | Replaced with                                                 |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `{number}` | The running number. It has to be in the pattern exactly once. |
| `{yyyy}`   | The year with four digits, for example 2026.                  |
| `{yy}`     | The year with two digits, for example 26.                     |
| `{mm}`     | The month with two digits.                                    |
| `{dd}`     | The day with two digits.                                      |

Examples: `WEB-{yyyy}-{number}`, `{yy}{mm}-{number}`, `ORD{number}`.

## Draft orders

Under **Draft orders** choose how drafts are numbered:

- **Same as other orders**: drafts use the default pattern and sequence.
- **Own sequence**: drafts get their own pattern and sequence.
- **Plain serial number**: drafts keep the plain serial number.

## A separate sequence for a sales channel

Under **Sales channels** you can give a sales channel its **Own sequence** with its own pattern. Orders from that channel then count separately from the rest. Use a different pattern for each sequence, for example a different prefix.

## Set the next number

Under **Next number** you see the current **Period** and the next value in it.

1. Enter the number the next order should get under **Next number**.
2. Select **Set**.
3. The next order placed in this period gets that number.

Use this when you continue the numbering of a previous system.

> **Warning**
>
> Do not set the next number below a number that is already in use, so that no two orders end up with the same number.

## Good to know

- Existing orders keep the number they have. A change only affects orders placed after you save.
- When **Use custom order numbers** is off, new orders get the plain serial number.
- A pattern can be at most 64 characters long.
- **Padding** is a whole number from 0 to 12, **Start** at least 1, **Step** from 1 to 1000.
- With a reset, the count starts again from **Start** at the beginning of each year, month or day in the chosen time zone. Put the matching date token in the pattern, for example `{yyyy}` for a yearly reset, so that numbers stay unique.
- A new sequence starts in the time zone of the store. See [time zone](https://docs.poltura.com/en/settings/store/#time-zone).
- Returns have their own numbers. See [Return numbers](https://docs.poltura.com/en/returns/return-numbers/).

## If something goes wrong

- **"The pattern must contain {number} exactly once."** Add `{number}` to the pattern, or remove the second one.
- **"That token is not recognised."** Only the five tokens above work. Check the spelling and the brackets.
- **"The pattern has a character that is not allowed."** Besides tokens, a pattern can hold unaccented letters, digits, spaces and the characters `-`, `_`, `/`, `.` and `#`.
- **"Two sequences share the same pattern."** Give the sales channel or the draft sequence a different pattern.
- **"This counter no longer exists."** A new period has started. Reload the page and set the number again.

## Related

- [Orders](https://docs.poltura.com/en/orders/)
- [Return numbers](https://docs.poltura.com/en/returns/return-numbers/)
- [Store details](https://docs.poltura.com/en/settings/store/)
- [Sales channels](https://docs.poltura.com/en/developer/sales-channels/)
- [Billingo](https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/billingo/)
- [Számlázz.hu](https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/szamlazz/)