There are a few different methods that you can use to update the order statuses automatically.
Shopify Tags:
The Order Status app will update the custom status when an update tag is added to the order if the option has been turned on.
On the General Settings page, look for thee General Preferences section and scroll down to Allow status changes by tagging and make sure this option is enabled.
The update tags must be added to your order with a specific format.
w3os_update:1234
where "w3os_update:" is the prefix used by our app to identify the update tag, and "1234" is the ID of the status you want to change the order to.
You can find the status ID by looking at the status page in the Order Status app.
Once the order status has been updated the update tag will be removed from the order.
Shopify Flow:
The Order Status app has a connection with the Shopify Flow app. Shopify Flow allows you to create Flows that can be triggered by other apps or by changes to the order. The Flows can then be configured to change the order status, and the due date, or set the public and private notes in the Order Status app.
A common use for this configuration is to set the initial status for an order when the order is created.
Order Status Workflows
Workflows allow the merchant to organize a group of statuses together and arrange them in a logical order. Once the Statuses are part of a workflow you can use the "Automate" option to schedule the status to change to another status at a given time.
In the screenshots below, the status is configured to automatically change to the "Pre-production" status 3 hours after the order has been set to the current status.
Order Status API
The Order Status app has an API that allows 3rd party applications to interact with the app and change the order status.