Overview
To cancel a purchase order, open the row action menu (the three-dot icon) in Inventory > Purchase Orders and choose Cancel Order; cancelled POs are listed under the Cancelled Orders view. If you instead need to remove a purchase order entirely, you delete it, as described below. Deleting a PO is a permanent action that also reverses any unreceived incoming inventory that the PO had reserved, so make sure it is the right step before confirming.
How to delete a purchase order
- In the left navigation, go to Inventory > Purchase Orders to open the list view.
- Find the purchase order you want to remove.
- Click the action menu (the three-dot or kebab icon) on that row.
- Select Delete Order (shown with a trash icon).
- A confirmation dialog will appear asking you to confirm the deletion.
- Click Confirm to proceed.
The purchase order will be removed from the list.
What happens when a purchase order is deleted
| Effect | Details |
|---|---|
| Incoming inventory reversed | Any unreceived quantities that the PO had added to your "incoming" stock are removed. Your available/incoming numbers will update immediately. |
| Already-received inventory is NOT rolled back | Stock you already received and accepted into your warehouse remains in your on-hand inventory. |
| Inventory costs recalculated | Material costs are recomputed to reflect the removal of the order. |
| Activity log entry created | A record is written showing who deleted the PO and when. |
| PO removed from the list | The order is soft-deleted and will no longer appear in your purchase order list. |
Things to check before deleting
- Partial receipts: If some items on the PO have already been received, only the unreceived (outstanding) quantities are reversed. The received inventory stays in your system.
- Bills / payments: If you have recorded payments against this PO, review those records before deleting — the bills or payment entries are separate and will need to be handled independently.
- No undo: Once confirmed, the deletion cannot be reversed through the UI.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just "pause" or "archive" a purchase order instead of deleting it? There is no "Paused" or "Archived" status, but you can remove a PO from your active list without deleting it: use Cancel Order (the PO then appears under Cancelled Orders) or Mark as Completed from the row action menu.
Will my supplier be notified if I delete a PO? No. Luminous does not automatically send a notification to your supplier when you delete a purchase order. Any communication to the supplier must be done outside of Luminous.
What if I need to recreate the order? You can create a new purchase order at any time. Deleted POs cannot be restored, so you would need to enter the information again.