If you’ve ever tried to tidy up your Amazon order history, you might have been surprised to find you can’t simply archive old orders. This is a common point of confusion, especially for those who remember the feature from years past. The option to archive orders was officially removed by Amazon, leaving many of us looking for new ways to manage our digital purchase records.
Why Amazon Removed the Archive Option
Amazon phased out the archive function to streamline the shopping experience. The company found that the feature was rarely used and sometimes caused more confusion than convenience. For instance, archived orders weren’t truly hidden from all parts of the account, leading to customer service issues. By removing it, Amazon simplified its interface, focusing on features that benefit the majority of users.
What You Can Do Instead of Archiving
While you can’t archive, you have a couple of practical alternatives. The most straightforward method is to use the “Filter Orders” search bar. You can type in a specific product name, order date, or category to quickly find what you’re looking for without needing to scroll through everything. This is the recommended way to navigate a long order history.
Hiding Orders for Digital Privacy
If your main goal is to hide an order from the main history view—perhaps to keep a gift a surprise from someone who shares your account—you can still do that. On the desktop website, find the order you wish to conceal and look for the “Buy it again” button. To the right of it, you’ll find a small “Archive order” link. Clicking this will remove the item from your default order history. It’s important to know that archived items are not deleted and can be viewed again by selecting the “Archived Orders” option at the top of your order history page.
Managing Your Order History Moving Forward
Since the full archive function is gone, your best strategy is to use the search and filter tools actively. For digital privacy within a shared household, the limited archive feature for hiding individual orders is your best friend. It allows you to keep surprises secret while maintaining a complete record of your purchases for returns and warranties.
Even though the way we manage our Amazon orders has changed, a few simple tricks can help you keep your digital shopping cart feeling organized and private.