Shopify Order Tracking: How It Works and How to Set It Up

Shopify order tracking works through the tracking number you add when you fulfill an order: Shopify then sends shipping emails, shows shipment updates on the order status page, and syncs the order to the Shop app. Labels you buy in the Shopify admin add the tracking number and carrier automatically; for any other carrier you paste the number yourself.

Three facts decide how smooth it is for your customers. Shopify recognizes tracking numbers from hundreds of carriers, including DHL, UPS, FedEx and Canada Post. An order shipped without a tracking number stays “On its way” until you mark it delivered. And the “Track with Shop” button on the order status page is on by default, with the Shop app link supported on mobile in 28 countries, according to the Shopify Help Center, checked on November 11, 2026.

• Most stores: Shopify’s built-in tracking is enough once every order has a number and carrier.
• Many “where is my order” emails: add a branded tracking page app.
• Customers pay with PayPal: send the tracking to PayPal too.

This guide covers how Shopify order tracking works, how to add tracking to an order, how customers find it, how to fix common problems, when a tracking app is worth it, how to cut tracking questions before they start, and an FAQ.

How Shopify order tracking works

Shopify order tracking is built in: once an order has a tracking number, customers can follow it in three places, the order status page, shipping notification emails and the Shop app. The three are covered below in that order.

Order status page

The order status page is the last page of your checkout, and customers can come back to it at any time to see shipment progress (Shopify Help Center: Order status page). For supported carriers it shows the shipment’s location as the carrier scans it. You can add your own content to it in the checkout and accounts editor.

Shipping notification emails

Shopify emails the customer at key delivery points, starting with the shipping confirmation that carries the tracking link. You can edit or turn off each email in Settings > Notifications > Customer notifications. The default order and shipping confirmation emails also show a “Track order with Shop” button.

Shop app

Orders from Shopify stores sync to the buyer’s Shop account automatically when the order email matches, with push notifications, a live map and delivery estimates (Shop Help Center). When Shop’s date differs from the carrier’s, it is labeled “Predicted by Shop.”

How to add tracking to a Shopify order

There are four steps: buy a label or ship with your carrier, enter the tracking number at fulfillment, confirm the carrier, and add one number per package. Labels bought in Shopify skip the second and third steps.

Step 1: Ship with a Shopify label or your own carrier

If you buy the shipping label in the Shopify admin, the tracking number and carrier are attached to the order for you. If you ship through a carrier account, a 3PL or a fulfillment app, you or the app must add the number.

Step 2: Enter the tracking number when you fulfill

Open the order, click Fulfill item, and paste the tracking number. You can also add it after fulfillment from the order details page. Fulfillment apps often add numbers automatically; if an order shows “Requested” with no number, check with that app.

Step 3: Check the carrier

Shopify usually detects the carrier from the number’s format. If the carrier is blank or wrong, pick it from the dropdown. If it is not listed, choose Other and paste the full tracking URL so the link opens the right page.

Step 4: Add one tracking number per shipment

When items in one order ship in separate boxes, fulfill each box with its own tracking number so the customer can follow every package (Shopify Help Center: Delivery tracking with Shop).

If you only fix one thing, fix Step 3: a wrong carrier sends customers to a dead tracking page, which is the fastest way to get a “where is my order” email.

How customers find their tracking

Customers find their tracking through the link in the shipping email, by signing in to their customer account, or by entering their order number with a verified email or phone number. Each route opens the same order status page.

• Shipping email: the quickest route and the one most buyers use.
• Customer account: signed-in customers see every order and its status.
• Order number lookup: buyers without an account confirm their email or phone plus the order number from the confirmation email.
• Track with Shop: a button on the order status page that opens tracking in the Shop app on mobile. Turn it on or off in Settings > Checkout > Customer contact method.

Shopify’s help pages describe no standalone “Track your order” lookup page for the online store. A common fix is a menu link to customer account sign-in; stores that want a branded lookup page with a search box use a tracking app.

How to fix common Shopify tracking problems

Most tracking problems come from a missing number, a wrong carrier or a carrier that has not scanned the parcel yet. These six cases come from Shopify’s troubleshooting guide:

• No tracking number on the order: add it from the order details page; if the order is with a fulfillment app, ask that app.
• Number differs from the label: USPS numbers in the admin can have extra digits; both versions track the same parcel.
• Old or unrelated events: carriers sometimes reuse numbers in busy periods; the history corrects after the carrier scans your label.
• Wrong carrier: select the right one, or choose Other with the tracking URL.
• Link opens the carrier’s home page: some smaller carriers make customers paste the number themselves; add a short note to the shipping email.
• Tracker shows the wrong country: a city name without region data can map to the wrong country; it usually fixes itself after the next scan.

Some low-cost services, such as USPS First Class Mail and some Canada Post small packet services, include no tracking at all. Those orders stay “On its way” until you mark them delivered.

When a Shopify order tracking app is worth it

A tracking app is worth it when built-in tracking is not enough: you want a branded lookup page, delivery dates before purchase, or tracking sent to PayPal. Shopify’s tracking covers the order status page, emails and Shop; apps add the rest.

Disclosure: Orichi builds Madgic Estimated Delivery Date and Trustio PayPal Tracking Sync. We compare them with other apps using public Shopify App Store data checked on November 11, 2026.

Our two apps cover the jobs around tracking rather than the tracking page itself. Madgic Estimated Delivery Date shows an estimated delivery date, cut-off timer and processing time on product pages and in the cart drawer, with weekends and a holiday calendar. Trustio PayPal Tracking Sync sends each fulfilled order’s tracking number to PayPal. You connect it by logging in with your PayPal account; it syncs within 1–2 minutes of fulfillment and can sync older orders from the last 60 days. If you need a branded “Track your order” page, the dedicated tracking apps below are the better fit.

Data checked November 11, 2026 on the Shopify App Store listings and the order tracking category.

Where others are stronger: 17TRACK, CWILL and Track123 each have thousands of reviews and offer the branded lookup page our apps do not. Madgic Estimated Delivery Date launched on July 21, 2026 and has no reviews yet.

• Low order volume, one tracked carrier: built-in tracking plus clear shipping emails.
• Dropshipping or long transit times: a branded tracking page and a delivery date on the product page.
• PayPal is a big share of payments: sync tracking to PayPal so PayPal can see the shipment.

How to cut “where is my order” emails before they start

Set the delivery expectation before the customer pays, so fewer buyers need to check tracking at all. Shopify has a native option, and apps fill its gaps.

• Native delivery dates: go to Settings > Shipping and delivery > Estimated delivery dates, choose Manual and set a fulfillment time. The order cut-off is 12 pm in your shipping origin’s time zone, and dates show at checkout only for in-stock items (Shopify Help Center: Setting up delivery dates).
• Where native dates stop: they do not work with shipping rates from third-party apps, including dropshipping apps, or with negotiated FedEx rates. That is the case for a date widget on the product page; our guide to the Shopify estimated delivery date walks through both routes.
• PayPal orders: PayPal looks for a tracking number on the transaction; our explainer on the PayPal tracking number shows what to send and when.
• Delivered but not marked: for untracked services, mark the order delivered so the customer’s page stops saying “On its way.”

FAQ

Can customers track a Shopify order without the Shop app?
Yes. The tracking link in the shipping email and the order status page both work in any browser. The Shop app is optional.

Why does my order still say “On its way” after delivery?
Orders shipped without a tracking number stay “On its way” until you mark them delivered on the order details page.

Does Shopify have a “Track your order” page?
Shopify’s help pages describe the order status page and customer accounts, not a standalone lookup page. Link your menu to customer account sign-in, or use a tracking app for a search-box page.

How soon does tracking update after I add the number?
Updates appear when the carrier scans the parcel. Until the first scan, the tracker can be empty or show old events on a reused number.

Is there a reviewed app for a branded tracking page?
Yes. Our 17TRACK order tracking app review covers setup and pricing for one of the most-reviewed options.

Start with the tracking number

Every part of Shopify order tracking runs on the number and carrier you add at fulfillment, so get those right first. Then add what your customers still ask for: a delivery date on the product page with Madgic Estimated Delivery Date, tracking in PayPal, or a branded lookup page.