Shopify Order Tracking: How Customers and Merchants Track Orders
How tracking moves from fulfillment to the shipping email, order status page, customer account and Shop app, how shoppers track a Shopify order, and how merchants give customers a tracking page.
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Shopify order tracking starts when the store fulfills an order with a tracking number. Shopify then emails the customer a shipping confirmation with a tracking link, and the same shipment appears on the order status page, in the customer's account on that store and, for shoppers who use it, in the Shop app. For supported carriers, the status updates on its own, from On its way to Out for delivery and Delivered. If you bought from a Shopify store, track the order with the link in your shipping email, by signing in to that store's account page, or in the Shop app. Shopify doesn't sell the products itself; the store does, so if there's no tracking number yet, contact the store.
Steps below follow Shopify's Help Center as of October 2026. Admin labels change often, so expect small differences.
How Shopify order tracking works, step by step
Every tracked Shopify order passes through the same chain. Shopify's order tracking overview and its notification guides describe the pieces:
- The customer places an order. The order confirmation, sent by email, or by SMS if the customer checked out with only a phone number, links to the order status page.
- The merchant fulfills it with a tracking number. Buying a label in Shopify adds the number and carrier automatically. Otherwise the merchant enters the number, or a fulfillment app adds it.
- Shopify sends the shipping confirmation. It carries the tracking number and a link to follow the parcel.
- The carrier sends scan events. For supported carriers, Shopify updates the order status page and the order in admin, and can send Out for delivery and Delivered emails.
- The order shows as delivered. Either the carrier reports delivery, or the merchant marks the order as delivered when the carrier doesn't track it.
Where customers can see tracking
| Where | How the customer gets there | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping confirmation and shipping update emails | Sent when the order is fulfilled or its tracking changes | Tracking number and link |
| Order status page | Link in order emails, the customer account, or a check with order number and email or phone | Live status and map for supported carriers, a carrier link otherwise |
| Customer account | The store's sign-in link | Every order, each opening its full order status page |
| Shop app | Automatic for Shopify orders with a matching email | Status updates, push notifications, live map |
| Carrier website | The tracking link or number | The carrier's own scan history |
How to track a Shopify order as a customer
When you buy from a store that runs on Shopify, Shopify's guide for shoppers says you are ordering directly from that business, and Shopify doesn't sell products to shoppers itself. The store fulfills your order, so the store holds your tracking details. Here is where to find them.
Use the links in your order emails
Open your order confirmation email and click View your order to reach the order status page. Once the order ships, the shipping confirmation email gives you the tracking number and a link to follow it. Many stores' emails also include a Track order with Shop button.
The link works without signing in for a limited time. Shopify's order status page guide says customers can open it from the confirmation email for 3 weeks in the same browser, or for 2 weeks across up to 5 different browsers. After that, the page asks you to sign in, or to enter your order number and the email or phone number you used at checkout. Until you do, it shows only limited details, such as the items and order total, and hides your name, addresses and tracking number.
Sign in to the store's customer account
Many stores show a Sign in link or an account icon in the header. Shopify's customer accounts send a one-time 6-digit code to your email instead of asking for a password, according to its customer accounts overview. Once signed in, you see every order you placed with that store and can open each one's full order status page.
Track it in the Shop app
The Shop app adds orders from Shopify stores automatically when the order email matches an email on your Shop account, according to the Shop Help Center. You can also add a parcel by hand: in the Orders tab, open the menu, choose Add order manually and enter the tracking number and carrier. Shopify's delivery tracking guide says Shop shows real-time status updates, delivery notifications and live map tracking.
No tracking number, or no reply from the store?
- No shipping email yet. The store may not have fulfilled the order. Check its shipping policy for the processing time, then contact the store with your order number.
- Tracking hasn't moved. Some postal services include no tracking at all, and update timing varies by carrier. Check the carrier's site directly, then ask the store.
- The store doesn't answer. Shopify asks you to contact the store first. If it has been at least 30 days with no response or resolution, Shopify points to its Report an issue with an order form, submitted with the email address you used for the order.
How merchants add tracking to an order
Tracking reaches customers only when a fulfillment has a tracking number. Shopify's order tracking overview lists three ways to add one:
| Method | How tracking gets added | Typical fit (our view) |
|---|---|---|
| Buy a label in Shopify | Number and carrier added automatically, and the order is marked as fulfilled | Stores in countries where Shopify sells labels |
| Enter it manually | Type the number when you mark the order as fulfilled, or add it later | Labels bought from a carrier or another platform |
| Fulfillment app or service | The app or service supplies the tracking | Warehouses, print-on-demand and dropshipping apps |
For a number you enter yourself, Shopify's fulfillment guide gives the short version: open the order in Orders, click Mark as fulfilled, enter the Tracking number, check the carrier Shopify selects, and keep Send a notification to the customer selected so the shipping confirmation goes out. If the order is already fulfilled without a number, click Add tracking in its Fulfilled section; with the notification option selected, saving sends a shipping update email.
Shopify says it recognizes tracking numbers from hundreds of carriers, but some services, such as USPS First Class Mail, carry no tracking at all. Each fulfillment also sends its own shipping confirmation, so an order shipped in two parcels produces two emails.
Our guide to the Shopify tracking number covers the full steps, custom tracking URLs, editing and multiple numbers. Our guide to Shopify shipping labels covers buying, printing and voiding labels.
Which emails send tracking to customers
Shopify's customer notifications guide lists four shipping emails:
| Notification | Sent when | Can you stop it? |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping confirmation | An order is fulfilled | Per fulfillment, by clearing the notification option |
| Shipping update | Tracking information is updated | Per edit, by clearing the notification option |
| Out for delivery | The carrier or fulfillment app reports the parcel is out for delivery | Yes, in notification settings |
| Delivered | The carrier or fulfillment app reports delivery | Yes, in notification settings |
You edit these templates in Settings > Notifications > Customer notifications. The Out for delivery and Delivered emails depend on events from the carrier, and Shopify notes that the sources, accuracy and timing of those events vary by carrier. They aren't available for local delivery orders, which you mark as delivered yourself.
Two details catch stores out:
- Customized templates can lose the order status link. Shopify's order status updates guide says the default order confirmation, shipping confirmation and shipping update templates include the link automatically, but customized ones don't.
- Phone-only customers get fewer updates. Shopify's SMS notifications guide says shoppers who check out with only a phone number receive the order confirmation by SMS, in supported countries, but no shipping notifications by SMS. Unless they opt in to email shipping updates, which Shopify's order status page overview says the order status page offers them, the link in that first text is their main way to follow the parcel.
Our guide to Shopify notifications covers which customer emails to edit first, how to restore a missing order status link and how to test each email.
What the order status page shows
The order status page is where customers land from order emails and from their account. Shopify's order status page guide lists these statuses, which update in real time, with the parcel's location on a map, for supported carriers:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Confirmed | The order exists, but the shipment isn't in transit yet |
| On its way | The order is fulfilled and the carrier reports it in transit |
| Out for delivery | The parcel has reached the customer's area |
| Delivered | The customer received the shipment |
| Attempted delivery | The carrier couldn't complete delivery |
For carriers Shopify doesn't support, the page shows a link to the carrier's tracking page but no live status or map. An order shipped without a tracking number never reaches Delivered on its own: open the order and click Mark as delivered in the Fulfilled section once the customer has it. Shopify's fulfillment guide says that button appears only when the carrier doesn't report delivery status, and not for labels bought in Shopify.
To preview the page, open the order in admin and click More actions > View order status page. You'll see limited details, because the page protects customer information.
To brand the page or add content, you use the checkout and accounts editor, reached from Settings > Checkout. The old Additional scripts route no longer applies: Shopify's upgrade guide says 26 August 2026 was the deadline to upgrade the Thank you and Order status pages, and its additional scripts guide says additional scripts for page customizations aren't supported on the new pages. If a tracking widget used to live in those scripts, check that it still appears. Our guide to the Shopify order status page covers the editor, app blocks and what each plan can change.
How to give customers a tracking page
Every Shopify order already has an order status page. What differs is how easily customers find it again without digging out an email:
| Option | Where you set it up | What the customer does | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order status links in emails | Included in Shopify's default templates | Clicks the link in the email | Needs sign-in or verification after 2 to 3 weeks |
| Customer account orders list | Settings > Customer accounts | Signs in with an email code | Customers must find the sign-in link |
| Track with Shop | Settings > Checkout | Taps the button and uses the Shop app | Requires the Shop app |
| Carrier tracking link | Comes with the tracking number | Follows the carrier's page | Leaves your store for the carrier's site |
| Tracking page app | The app's own settings | Enters order details on a page in your store | Features, carriers and privacy vary by app |
Set up the built-in route
- Show sign-in links. Go to Settings > Customer accounts, turn on Show sign-in links in the Sign-in links section and click Save, as described in Shopify's customer accounts setup guide. Shopify's developer docs say the theme's standard account sign-in link takes customers to their order list after they sign in. If your store still uses legacy customer accounts, which Shopify deprecated in February 2026, upgrade before relying on this route.
- Add a "Track your order" menu item. Go to Content > Menus, open your main or footer menu and click Add menu item, following Shopify's menu guide. Name the item, paste your store's address followed by
/account/logininto Search or paste a link, click Add, then Save menu. Shopify says it redirects legacy account URLs such as/account/loginto the new customer accounts, where signed-in customers see their orders. Test the link in a private window. - Decide on Track with Shop. It's on by default. Shopify's delivery tracking guide puts the switch in Settings > Checkout, under Customer contact method: Show a link for customers to track their order with Shop.
- Explain it once, in writing. State how and when tracking is sent in your shipping policy, and repeat the short version on your FAQ page.
When a tracking page app makes sense
A dedicated tracking page is worth a look when:
- Many customers don't sign in to accounts, and you want a lookup on your own site that doesn't depend on an old email.
- You ship with carriers Shopify doesn't fully support, so the order status page shows only a link.
- You want tracking shown in your store's design, next to your own help content.
When comparing apps, check how a lookup is verified (an order number plus email is harder to guess than an order number alone), which carriers are covered, and whether tracking comes from your Shopify fulfillments or needs a separate import.
ShopOpsy is building Order Tracking, an app that gives customers a tracking page in your store's design showing shipment status from the carrier; it is in development and not on the Shopify App Store.
How merchants check deliveries in admin
Shopify's order statuses guide gives every order a fulfillment status, such as Unfulfilled, Partially fulfilled or Fulfilled, so you can see what still needs shipping. Where a shipped parcel is now comes from its tracking:
- Filter orders by delivery status. In Orders, add the Delivery status filter. Shopify's order filter list offers In transit, Out for delivery, Attempted delivery, Delayed, Failed delivery, Delivered, Tracking added and No status. Saving Delayed and Failed delivery as views gives you a short list to work through before customers write in.
- Check labels you bought in Shopify. Orders > Shipping labels shows a Delivery status for each shipment, from Picked up by carrier to Delivered, according to Shopify's shipment tracking guide. No status yet means the carrier hasn't scanned the parcel.
- Look for proof of delivery. Some carriers, such as FedEx, photograph the parcel on delivery. Shopify's fulfillment guide says the photo appears under Proof of delivery photos in the order's Fulfilled section for up to 90 days.
Why isn't Shopify order tracking working?
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Customer got no shipping email | Notification option cleared, or no email address on the order | Check the order timeline, then send the tracking link yourself |
| Status page shows a link but no live updates | Carrier not supported for live status | Expected; the carrier's page has the scans |
| Order never shows Delivered | No tracking number, or a service without tracking | Click Mark as delivered once the customer has it |
| No Out for delivery or Delivered emails | Carrier sends no events, or the emails are turned off | Check Settings > Notifications, then test with a supported carrier |
| Shipping email has no order status link | The template was customized | Revert it, or add the order status link back |
| Customer can't see the tracking number | The email link's no-sign-in window has passed | Sign in, or verify with order number and email or phone |
| Customer received two shipping emails | The order was split into two fulfillments | Expected; each fulfillment sends one |
If the tracking number itself won't save, opens the wrong carrier or needs changing, the troubleshooting table in our Shopify tracking number guide covers those cases.
If a parcel is confirmed lost, your shipping and refund policies decide what happens next, so make sure they say how long to wait and what you offer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I track a Shopify order with just the order number?
Not on its own. Once the email link has expired, a store's order status page asks for the order number together with the email or phone number used at checkout. Shopify directs shoppers to the store that sold the item, and the Shop app finds Shopify orders by matching your email rather than an order number.
Do customers need an account to track an order?
No. Shopify's order status page guide says accounts aren't required: the email link works for a limited time, then customers can verify with their order number and email or phone. An account makes it easier to find every order again later.
Can I stop the Shop app from sending tracking notifications?
Not directly. You can hide the Track with Shop button in Settings > Checkout and remove it from your email templates, but Shopify's notifications guide says Shop app tracking notifications can't be turned off or edited by merchants. Only the customer can turn them off in Shop, and customers can still track any order with a valid tracking number there.
Sources
- Order tracking at Shopify — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Understanding order status pages — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Setting up order status updates — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Fulfilling your own orders individually — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Setting up customer notifications — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Setting up SMS notifications — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Order status page — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Delivery tracking with Shop — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Tracking your orders with Shop — Shop Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Contacting a Shopify store about an order — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Customer accounts — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Setting up and managing customer accounts — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Upgrading to customer accounts from legacy customer accounts — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Legacy customer accounts are deprecated — Shopify Changelog, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Customer sign-in links and redirects — Shopify developer documentation, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Using the checkout and accounts editor — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Upgrading and replacing your Thank you and Order status pages — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Reviewing and replacing additional scripts on your Thank you and Order status pages — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Understanding your order statuses — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Filtering orders — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Scheduling pickups, creating shipping manifests, and tracking shipments — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
- Add, remove, or edit menu items in your online store — Shopify Help Center, accessed 26 October 2026.
