How to set up Delivery Dates for WooCommerce

Updated September 20, 2026

Delivery Dates setup starts with a clear store-processing calendar and a realistic carrier baseline. The plugin then applies product, shipping and holiday rules to that baseline. This guide explains the safest order for configuring a new store and checking the result before customers rely on it.

Delivery Dates setup checklist#

Before configuring the plugin, confirm that WooCommerce shipping zones and methods reflect the destinations you serve. Also check the WordPress timezone and date format under Settings > General. Cut-off calculations use that site timezone, including daylight-saving changes. See the WordPress General Settings guide for the authoritative timezone controls.

• WooCommerce is active and shipping zones are configured.
• The WordPress timezone represents the store’s operating location.
• Preparation and carrier times are based on working days, not calendar days.
• Representative products, variations and destinations are available for testing.

Choose a pre-address fallback zone#

Delivery Dates normally uses the shipping destination stored in the WooCommerce customer or session. If WooCommerce geolocation is enabled, its IP-based customer location can therefore influence the estimate before an address is entered. The plugin does not request precise browser location permission or send coordinates to a separate geocoding service.

For visitors whose session has no usable country, state, postcode or city, you can select a Pre-address fallback shipping zone under General > Calculation defaults. Leave it at No fallback zone if you prefer WooCommerce’s normal unmatched-zone behaviour. The fallback never replaces a usable customer destination.

Configure the calculation#

1. Open WooCommerce > Delivery Dates.
2. On General, set store preparation days, default carrier days, the global cut-off and any backorder delay.
3. In the same General tab, configure store processing days, default carrier days, customer no-delivery weekdays and any weekday-specific cut-offs.
4. Choose whether the current eligible day counts. When the cut-off has passed, processing starts on the next valid store day.
5. Add shipping-class, zone and method rules only where the baseline needs adjustment.
6. Add product, category or tag delays for goods that need extra preparation.
7. Import the national holiday calendars you use, then add any business-specific closures manually.
8. Choose customer display locations, message formats, colours and email templates.

Select Save changes on a settings tab when it is ready. The button shows saving progress and confirms success beside the button without reloading the page. If the request fails, the entered values remain on screen so you can retry after resolving the connection or server issue.

Verify a representative order#

Use the Diagnostics tab with a real product or variation, quantity, destination, shipping method and simulated date. Review the trace to confirm the cut-off, delays, working-day skips and holidays that produced the result.

Test at least one normal product, one variation, one backordered item and a cart containing products with different delays. Repeat the check before and after cut-off and across a weekend or holiday. Delivery Dates provides an estimate from configured rules. It does not guarantee a courier arrival time, and it does not show physical delivery estimates for non-shippable products.