apps/api/src/db/init-db.ts

@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ export function initializeDatabase(sqlite: Database) {
       customer_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES users(id),
       shipping_address_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES addresses(id),
       status TEXT NOT NULL,
+      notes TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
       created_at TEXT NOT NULL,
       updated_at TEXT NOT NULL
     );
@@ -119,4 +120,9 @@ export function initializeDatabase(sqlite: Database) {
       created_at TEXT NOT NULL
     );
   `);
+
+  // Existing local databases predate internal notes, so add the column in place.
+  if (!columnExists(sqlite, "orders", "notes")) {
+    sqlite.exec(`ALTER TABLE orders ADD COLUMN notes TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ''`);
+  }
 }

apps/api/src/db/schema/orders.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export const orders = sqliteTable("orders", {
   customerId: text("customer_id").notNull().references(() => users.id),
   shippingAddressId: text("shipping_address_id").notNull().references(() => addresses.id),
   status: text("status").notNull(),
+  notes: text("notes").notNull().default(""),
   createdAt: text("created_at").notNull(),
   updatedAt: text("updated_at").notNull()
 });

apps/api/src/orders/order-repository.ts

@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ export async function findOrderDetail(context: DatabaseContext, orderId: string)
       email: header.customer.email
     },
     shippingAddress: toAddress(header.address),
-    items: itemRows.map(toOrderItemDetail)
+    items: itemRows.map(toOrderItemDetail),
+    notes: header.order.notes
   } satisfies OrderDetail;
 }
 
@@ -174,6 +175,10 @@ export async function appendAuditEvent(
   });
 }
 
+export async function updateOrderNotes(context: DatabaseContext, orderId: string, notes: string) {
+  await context.db.update(orders).set({ notes }).where(eq(orders.id, orderId));
+}
+
 async function findCustomerSummaryByOrderId(context: DatabaseContext, orderId: string) {
   const [row] = await context.db
     .select({ customer: users })

apps/api/src/orders/order-routes.ts

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { getOrder } from "./get-order";
 import { listAuditEvents } from "./list-audit-events";
 import { listOrders } from "./list-orders";
 import { changeOrderItemQuantity } from "./update-order-item";
+import { saveOrderNotes } from "./update-order-notes";
 import { changeShippingAddress } from "./update-shipping-address";
 
 interface OrderRouteOptions {
@@ -33,6 +34,10 @@ interface CancelBody {
   reason?: string;
 }
 
+interface NotesBody {
+  notes: string;
+}
+
 type AuthenticatedRequest = FastifyRequest & { currentUser: AuthUser };
 
 export const registerOrderRoutes: FastifyPluginAsync<OrderRouteOptions> = async (app, options) => {
@@ -157,4 +162,28 @@ export const registerOrderRoutes: FastifyPluginAsync<OrderRouteOptions> = async
 
     return result.order;
   });
+
+  app.post<{ Params: IdParams; Body: NotesBody }>("/orders/:orderId/notes", {
+    schema: {
+      body: {
+        type: "object",
+        required: ["notes"],
+        properties: {
+          // Empty and length rules are measured on the trimmed notes in saveOrderNotes.
+          notes: { type: "string" }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }, async (request, reply) => {
+    const result = await saveOrderNotes(options.db, {
+      orderId: request.params.orderId,
+      notes: request.body.notes
+    });
+
+    if (result.statusCode !== 200) {
+      return reply.code(result.statusCode).send({ message: result.message });
+    }
+
+    return result.order;
+  });
 };

apps/api/src/orders/update-order-notes.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { orderNotesMaxLength } from "@orderops/shared";
+import type { DatabaseContext } from "../db/database";
+import { findOrderDetail, updateOrderNotes, updateOrderTimestamp } from "./order-repository";
+
+// Notes are allowed for every order status: follow-up work often happens
+// after an order has shipped, been cancelled, or been refunded.
+export async function saveOrderNotes(
+  context: DatabaseContext,
+  input: {
+    orderId: string;
+    notes: string;
+  }
+) {
+  const order = await findOrderDetail(context, input.orderId);
+
+  if (!order) {
+    return { statusCode: 404, message: "Order not found." } as const;
+  }
+
+  const notes = input.notes.trim();
+
+  if (!notes) {
+    return { statusCode: 400, message: "Notes cannot be empty." } as const;
+  }
+
+  if (notes.length > orderNotesMaxLength) {
+    return { statusCode: 400, message: `Notes must be ${orderNotesMaxLength} characters or fewer.` } as const;
+  }
+
+  const updatedAt = new Date().toISOString();
+  await updateOrderNotes(context, input.orderId, notes);
+  await updateOrderTimestamp(context, input.orderId, updatedAt);
+
+  return {
+    statusCode: 200,
+    order: await findOrderDetail(context, input.orderId)
+  } as const;
+}

apps/web/src/orders/order-api.ts

@@ -34,3 +34,10 @@ export function cancelOrder(orderId: string, reason?: string) {
     body: JSON.stringify({ reason })
   });
 }
+
+export function saveOrderNotes(orderId: string, notes: string) {
+  return apiRequest<OrderDetail>(`/api/orders/${orderId}/notes`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    body: JSON.stringify({ notes })
+  });
+}

apps/web/src/orders/order-detail-page.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { Address, AuditEvent, OrderDetail } from "@orderops/shared";
 import { AuditTimeline } from "./audit-timeline";
 import { OrderItemsPanel } from "./order-items-panel";
+import { OrderNotesPanel } from "./order-notes-panel";
 import { OrderSummaryPanel } from "./order-summary";
 import { ShippingAddressForm } from "./shipping-address-form";
 
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ interface OrderDetailPageProps {
   auditEvents: AuditEvent[];
   onUpdateQuantity: (itemId: string, quantity: number) => Promise<void>;
   onSaveAddress: (address: Address) => Promise<void>;
+  onSaveNotes: (notes: string) => Promise<void>;
   onCancel: () => Promise<void>;
 }
 
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ export function OrderDetailPage({
   auditEvents,
   onUpdateQuantity,
   onSaveAddress,
+  onSaveNotes,
   onCancel
 }: OrderDetailPageProps) {
   return (
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ export function OrderDetailPage({
       </div>
       <OrderItemsPanel order={order} onUpdateQuantity={onUpdateQuantity} />
       <ShippingAddressForm order={order} onSave={onSaveAddress} />
+      <OrderNotesPanel notes={order.notes} onSaveNotes={onSaveNotes} />
       <AuditTimeline events={auditEvents} />
     </div>
   );

apps/web/src/orders/order-notes-panel.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+
+interface OrderNotesPanelProps {
+  notes: string;
+  onSaveNotes: (notes: string) => Promise<void>;
+}
+
+export function OrderNotesPanel({ notes, onSaveNotes }: OrderNotesPanelProps) {
+  const [draft, setDraft] = useState(notes);
+  const [isSaving, setIsSaving] = useState(false);
+  const canSubmit = draft.trim().length > 0 && draft !== notes && !isSaving;
+
+  // Show the stored notes again whenever the order is reloaded.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setDraft(notes);
+  }, [notes]);
+
+  return (
+    <section className="rounded-xl border border-slate-200 bg-white p-4 shadow-sm">
+      <h3 className="text-sm font-semibold text-slate-700">Internal notes</h3>
+      <p className="mb-3 text-xs text-slate-500">Visible to OrderOps employees only.</p>
+      <form
+        className="space-y-2"
+        onSubmit={async (event) => {
+          event.preventDefault();
+
+          if (!canSubmit) {
+            return;
+          }
+
+          setIsSaving(true);
+          await onSaveNotes(draft);
+          setIsSaving(false);
+        }}
+      >
+        <label className="block text-sm text-slate-700">
+          <span className="mb-1 block">Notes</span>
+          <textarea
+            className="w-full rounded-lg border border-slate-300 px-3 py-2"
+            placeholder="Add context for teammates following up on this order"
+            rows={4}
+            value={draft}
+            onChange={(event) => setDraft(event.target.value)}
+          />
+        </label>
+        <button
+          className="rounded-md bg-slate-900 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white disabled:opacity-50"
+          disabled={!canSubmit}
+          type="submit"
+        >
+          {isSaving ? "Saving notes..." : "Save notes"}
+        </button>
+      </form>
+    </section>
+  );
+}

apps/web/src/orders/order-page.tsx

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import type { Address, AuditEvent, OrderDetail } from "@orderops/shared";
 import { Link, useParams } from "react-router-dom";
 import { Toast } from "../ui/toast";
-import { cancelOrder, getOrder, listAuditEvents, updateOrderItemQuantity, updateShippingAddress } from "./order-api";
+import { cancelOrder, getOrder, listAuditEvents, saveOrderNotes, updateOrderItemQuantity, updateShippingAddress } from "./order-api";
 import { OrderDetailPage } from "./order-detail-page";
 
 interface ToastState {
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ export function OrderPage() {
           auditEvents={auditEvents}
           onUpdateQuantity={(itemId, quantity) => runAction(() => updateOrderItemQuantity(order.id, itemId, quantity), "Quantity saved.")}
           onSaveAddress={(address: Address) => runAction(() => updateShippingAddress(order.id, address), "Shipping address saved.")}
+          onSaveNotes={(notes: string) => runAction(() => saveOrderNotes(order.id, notes), "Internal notes saved.")}
           onCancel={() => runAction(() => cancelOrder(order.id), "Order cancelled.")}
         />
       ) : null}

packages/shared/src/order-detail.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ import type { CustomerSummary } from "./customer";
 import type { Money } from "./money";
 import type { OrderStatus } from "./order-status";
 
+// Shared so the API and the notes panel describe the same limit.
+export const orderNotesMaxLength = 1000;
+
 export interface OrderItemDetail {
   id: string;
   productId: string;
@@ -22,4 +25,5 @@ export interface OrderDetail {
   customer: CustomerSummary;
   shippingAddress: Address;
   items: OrderItemDetail[];
+  notes: string;
 }