Add a tracking number to an order in Shopify
The parcel left before the tracking number came back from the courier. Shopify lets you add the number after fulfilment, on the fulfilled order, and the customer gets a shipping update email. Order 1048 shipped in 2 parcels, both with UPS, so it needs 2 numbers.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 4 minutes read
The worked example
| Order | 1048 |
| Parcels | 2 |
| Tracking 1 | 1Z999AA10123456784 |
| Tracking 2 | 1Z999AA10123456793 |
| Carrier | UPS, both parcels |
| Status | Fulfilled |
Download the log: tracking-numbers-log.csv (97 bytes).
A tracking numbers log for order 1048: 2 parcels, 2 tracking numbers, both with UPS. It is a planning record, not a file Shopify imports.
1Open the order
From your Shopify admin, go to Orders and click order 1048. The order is already fulfilled, so the tracking goes on the Fulfilled section, not the Unfulfilled one.
2Click Add tracking
In the Fulfilled section where you want to add a tracking number, click Add tracking. The tracking form opens.
3Enter the tracking number
In the Tracking number field, enter the number from your shipping provider: 1Z999AA10123456784. Shopify may recognize the number format and select the shipping carrier for you.
4Check the carrier
If no carrier is selected, or the wrong one is, pick the right carrier from the Shipping carrier drop-down menu. A wrong carrier sends the customer to the wrong tracking page.
5Add the second number
Click Add another tracking number and enter the second parcel's number: 1Z999AA10123456793. All tracking numbers on one fulfilment must be from the same carrier, so both numbers here are UPS.
6Choose whether to notify
If you do not want a shipping update sent to the customer, deselect Send a notification to the customer. Left on, the customer gets a shipping update email with the tracking numbers.
7Click Save
Click Save. The numbers show on the fulfilment, on the order timeline, and on the order status page the customer can visit.
The arithmetic
Order 1048 has 2 parcels and 2 numbers.
| Parcel | Tracking number | Carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Parcel 1 | 1Z999AA10123456784 | UPS |
| Parcel 2 | 1Z999AA10123456793 | UPS |
| Total tracking numbers | 2 | 1 carrier |
The two numbers differ in the last two digits, so they are easy to tell apart on the order and in the customer's email. Both must be from the same carrier: a UPS number and a FedEx number cannot share one fulfilment.
Held at the counter
An order with no shipping address cannot take a tracking number. Shopify cannot add a tracking number where there is no shipping address. Pickup orders have no address, so they have no tracking field at all.
Adding tracking later does not always resend the confirmation. The shipping confirmation email went out when the order was fulfilled. Adding a number later sends a shipping update, not a second confirmation, so a customer waiting on the number may need a direct reply.
A wrong number can be fixed in place. To change a tracking number that is already there, open the same Fulfilled section, use the menu, and click Edit tracking. There is no need to cancel the fulfilment for a typo, but check the carrier again after the fix.
Sources
- Fulfilling your own orders individually — Shopify's help pages: the Add tracking steps, the add-another-number rule, the same-carrier rule, and the no-address limit.