How to Send WooCommerce Shipment Tracking Emails That Build Trust (2026 Guide)

WooCommerce shipment tracking emails do not go out on their own, which catches most store owners by surprise.

You print the label at nine in the morning and add the tracking number to the order at 9:02.

By 2:00 that afternoon, the customer is emailing to ask whether their order has shipped yet.

Nothing has actually broken here. WooCommerce saves the tracking number exactly where you put it, but it only passes that information to the customer when the order status changes and an email fires.

If no status change happens, the tracking number sits in your dashboard, and the customer hears nothing at all.

Below, we will walk through the free plugin setup that closes this gap for most stores.

Then we will cover the automation layer that handles what the free version cannot reach: delayed follow-ups, delivered notifications, and SMS running on the same trigger.

Let’s dive in.

What Is a WooCommerce Shipment Tracking Email? (And Why It Matters)

A shipment tracking email, also called a shipping confirmation or an order shipped email, tells the customer that their parcel has left you.

It includes the carrier name, the tracking number, a link to the carrier’s tracking page, and an estimated delivery date.

It is worth separating this from the order confirmation email, because stores routinely conflate the two and then wonder why customers are still asking questions.

The second email does the heavy lifting, and it is also the one most stores never configure.

Customers go looking for that information whether you send it or not.

A national survey of more than 1,000 US consumers commissioned by Verte found that 91% of shoppers actively track their packages, and 70% would rather keep refreshing a tracking page than contact anyone about it.

They are going to refresh something, so the only decision you actually control is whether that something is your email or your support inbox.

Let’s look at Chewy’s WooCommerce shipping email example. It’s beautifully designed and conveys all the information clearly.

The email effortlessly reflects the brand’s cheerful and approachable personality, creating a tone that resonates with its audience. A visible order timeline and a CTA button make it even more elegant.

This consistent voice strengthens the brand’s identity and leaves a lasting impression on the customer.

Lead with vibrant, engaging visuals to elevate the message, creatively showcase the product, and add an attention-grabbing touch.

3 Ways to Send Tracking Details in WooCommerce

Before we get to the build, it helps to know which of these you actually need, because most stores over-buy at this stage.

1. The built-in completed order email

WooCommerce already sends an email when an order is marked Completed, so adding a tracking plugin means that existing email includes the tracking details.

There is no new template to design, no automation to configure, and no additional cost. For a store shipping a few dozen orders a week, this is the entire answer.

2. Add a dedicated shipped status

Completed and Shipped describe two different events, and treating them as one is the most common cause of the problem we opened with.

Adding a Shipped status notifies the customer the moment the parcel leaves, while Completed goes back to meaning the order has arrived. That build is still free.

3. Build an automated post-purchase sequence

Here the tracking email becomes the first message in a series rather than the only one.

A follow-up fires when a parcel stalls in transit, a delivered notification lands when it arrives, and SMS runs alongside email on high-value orders.

This is where a marketing automation tool earns its place, though only once your volume makes manual follow-up impossible.

Options one and two are the same build, so that is where we will start. Option three sits on top of it.

Method 1: Send a Shipping Confirmation Email With a Tracking Number (Free)

We will use Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce, which is free on WordPress.org, covers more than 1,010 carriers, and currently runs on over 70,000 stores.

To keep this concrete, we will follow a single order all the way through to going out with USPS.

Every step below acts on that order, and the last step puts the resulting email in your own inbox.

Step 1: Install the plugin and enable your carriers

Install and activate the Advanced Shipment Tracking plugin.

Once done, go to the Shipment Tracking menu under WooCommerce. Open the Shipping Carriers tab and enable only the carriers you actually ship with.

Choose from the list of shipping carriers.

The plugin builds the customer’s tracking link from the carrier you select, so picking the wrong regional variant of USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, or Royal Mail produces a link that opens on an error page.

Enabling 40+ carriers you never use only slows the dropdown and makes that mistake more likely.

If your carrier is not in the list, you can add it under Add Custom Carrier by entering the carrier name and the full tracking URL format.

Step 2: Choose which emails carry the tracking widget

Open the General Settings inside AST and select which order status emails should display the tracking block; for most stores, that means only the Shipped email.

A tracking widget on a Processing email renders empty, and an empty tracking box generates more questions than no tracking box at all.

The live preview lets you set the widget’s colors and layout to match your branding before anything ships, so spend two minutes on it.

This block is the most-looked-at element in the entire email.

Step 3: Add the tracking number to the order

Open WooCommerce ⇨ Orders and find the Shipment Tracking panel in the sidebar, then select USPS, paste the tracking number, and confirm the shipped date.

Once done, click on the 'Fulfill Order' button.

Use the preview link before you move on, since it opens the exact URL the customer will receive and is the fastest way to catch a carrier mismatch.

Every order needs its own tracking number, because a duplicate breaks tracking for both of the customers who received it.

Step 4: Ship it and read the email yourself

WooCommerce will now send the customer an email for that status with the carrier, tracking number, and link attached.

Now do the version of testing that catches real problems. Place a test order using your own email address, add a genuine tracking number, and mark it as shipped.

Then read the email in your actual inbox, not a preview pane, because previews tell you nothing about deliverability.

Open it on a phone as well. The tracking link needs to be a button a thumb can hit, not a forty-character string that customers are expected to copy by hand.

If it renders as raw text, go back to Step 3 and fix the widget layout before this reaches anyone real.

That is the free build from start to finish. For a store shipping under a few hundred orders a month, it is genuinely all you need.

There is no reason to pay for something a free plugin already does this well.

When the free method stops being enough

The free setup attaches tracking to an email WooCommerce already sends, i.e., one message with the same template.

For most stores, that is enough. It stops being enough at four points, all checkable against your own store:

• Nothing follows up on day five when the parcel has not moved.
• The delivered moment passes with no review request or replenishment offer.
• You want an SMS alongside the email on high-value orders.
• You cannot see which of those sends produced revenue.

Those are workflow jobs, not tracking jobs, which is why they need automation software rather than a bigger tracking plugin.

Method 2: Why Your Orders Jump Straight to “Completed” (and How to Add a Shipped Status)

If customers get an order confirmation and then silence, this is your actual problem, not the email template.

What causes auto-completion

Orders skip Processing and land on Completed for four common reasons.

1. The products are virtual and downloadable, so WooCommerce completes them automatically.
2. The gateway marks paid orders complete.
3. An auto-complete snippet or plugin is running
4. Auto-complete is enabled inside your tracking plugin.

In every case, the Completed email fires at payment time, hours before anything is packed, so by the time a tracking number exists, there is no email left to send.

The order is complete in the only sense the store cares about and none of the senses the customer does.

Create a Shipped status customers actually get emailed about

Turn off auto-completion first. Then, go to WooCommerce ⇨ Shipment Tracking ⇨ Settings and click on the 'Order Statuses & Notifications' tab.

Enable the "Rename Completed status to Shipped" setting, or switch on the separate Shipped status if you would rather Completed keep meaning delivered.

This step fixes orders that jump straight to Completed the moment payment clears, which is the most common version of this complaint in WooCommerce communities.

Once a Shipped status exists, the customer gets a distinct notification when the parcel leaves, and Completed goes back to meaning what it says.

Stores that split orders across multiple parcels should enable Partially Shipped here as well.

For what every status does and which email fires alongside it, see our guide to WooCommerce order statuses.

Method 3: Automate Shipped, Delayed, and Delivered Emails

To send perfectly designed, automated shipment tracking emails in WooCommerce, we'll use FunnelKit Automations.

Here, you can send customized transactional and marketing emails, broadcasts, SMS texts, and more.

It has everything you need to create automated emails with timed delays and smart conditions.

FunnelKit Automations is available in free (lite) and premium versions. We’ll use the Pro version here to set up WooCommerce shipping emails.

If shipment tracking is your top priority, set expectations in your order confirmation emails first.

• An order confirmation email confirming the order placement and asking customers to wait a few days for shipping details
• A WooCommerce shipment tracking email providing the tracking number, ID, URL, etc.

FunnelKit Automations is compatible with popular shipment tracking plugins, including Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce and WooCommerce Shipment Tracking.

Follow the instructions below to send WooCommerce shipment tracking emails to your customers. This will make the order fulfillment process more transparent.

Step 1: Click on the shipment tracking email and add a subject line

Go to FunnelKit Automations ⇨ Emails and open the 'Completed Order' Email.

Enter the From Name (which can be your name or team), From Email, Reply-to Email, subject line, and preview text.

Next, scroll down and hit 'Edit'. This will open the drag-and-drop editor to customize your shipment tracking email.

Step 2: Pull tracking data into the email body

Customize the email with your brand logo, heading, text, colors, background, padding, and more.

You can drag and drop any content block into the editor and start designing it the way you want.

To provide all the shipping information, click ‘Merge Tags’ and look for ‘WooCommerce Advanced Shipment Tracking Details’.

Here, you’ll find all the shipment-tracking fields as merge tags you can copy and paste into your email.

It has a tracking number, tracking provider, tracking link, and date shipped.

Let’s say you want to include the tracking number in your email.

For that, copy the tracking number merge tag.

Paste this merge tag into your email body content.

You can also include all these shipment tracking fields in your email.

Once everything is done, hit the ‘Save & Close’ button.

Make sure to optimize for mobile devices as well.

Step 3: Activate your shipment tracking email

Turn your transactional email toggle to ‘Active’ to make it go live.

You can even add a five-day delay after the shipped email, then a condition checking whether the order reached Delivered.

If not, send a short “still in transit, reply if it has not landed by Friday” message.

For this, you need our automated emails guide that covers a broader playbook.

Add Tracking Numbers in Bulk (CSV Import and API)

Past roughly twenty orders a day, entering tracking one order at a time stops being reasonable.

AST’s CSV importer maps four fields, and one row equals one tracking number:

1. Order ID or order number
2. Tracking number exactly as the carrier issued it
3. Carrier by name or slug
4. Shipped date in your store’s format.

Export it from your label provider or supplier, upload it, and choose whether to replace existing tracking or append.

Split orders need one row per package.

Programmatically, tracking is pushed to the order’s shipment tracking endpoint in the WooCommerce REST API, which is how ShipStation, ERPs, and label generators write numbers back without anyone opening the admin.

If you take PayPal, enable tracking sync for the PayPal transaction. It releases payment holds sooner and gives you evidence in an item-not-received dispute.

AST PRO and TrackShip both automate it.

5 Best WooCommerce Shipment Tracking Plugins Compared

Find the top shipment tracking plugins that help you generate shipping details. Use this information to provide tracking details to your customers.

We reviewed all the shipment tracking plugins, and here are the top three we liked the most.

We reviewed all the factors, including the features it covers, how easy it is to use, and its value for money.

1. Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce

The WooCommerce Advanced Shipment Tracking plugin has all the tools you need to manage and automate your WooCommerce fulfilment process.

• Features of Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce:

It lets you add tracking information and fulfil orders on time. With this plugin, you can enable custom order statuses ‘shipped’ and ‘partially shipped’ for orders shipped in separate packages or at different times.

Furthermore, the Advanced Shipment Tracking plugin extends its support to over 300 shipping providers to track shipments.

Moreover, you can use the Shipment Tracking API endpoint to update tracking numbers generated by third-party services and fulfil orders from external systems.

• Pricing:

It’s available in a free version on the WordPress repository. To upgrade to its premium features, it’ll cost $129 a year to use on a single website.

• Reviews:

4.5 out of 5 stars with 346 reviews and 60,000+ active installations (WordPress.org).

2. Shipment Tracking by WooCommerce

1This Shipment Tracking plugin by WooCommerce provides customers with an easy way to track their order shipments.

• Features of Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce:

Once you add details to an order, the tracking information appears in emails, on the order tracking page, and on the order view page.

The best part about this WooCommerce extension is that it supports custom and automatic tracking links from major shipping providers, including FedEx, DHL, Australia Post, UPS, Parcelforce, Canada Post, USPS, and more.

• Pricing plan:

This WooCommerce shipment tracking plugin is only available as a premium version, costing $4.92 monthly or $59 yearly.

• Reviews:

3.1 out of 5 with 30 reviews and 60,000+ active installations (WooCommerce.com).

3. ParcelPanel

ParcelPanel gives you access to the order tracker, improves customer satisfaction, and drives sales by offering the best post-purchase experience.

• Features of ParcelPanel:

It allows you to add a tracking number widget to add shipment tracking numbers and fetch details from the courier’s official website. This helps you send WooCommerce shipment tracking emails to your customers.

You can easily create a WooCommerce shipment tracking API to create, retrieve, and delete order shipment tracking information.

The best part about ParcelPanel is that it integrates with various plugins, such as Ali2Woo, WooCommerce Shipping, and WPML, to enhance the user experience.

• Pricing structure:

A free version is available. For $11, you can upgrade to the premium version, unlocking extensive features for 200 fixed monthly orders.

However, the cost varies depending on the features you want. You must upgrade to a higher plan for the number of orders placed in your store.

• Reviews:

4.9 out of 5 with 517 reviews and 8,000+ active installations (WordPress.org).

4. AfterShip Tracking - All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking

• Features of AfterShip:

AfterShip simplifies order tracking by automatically importing tracking numbers and providing real-time updates.

It supports 900+ shipping carriers and integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce.

Customers can access their order tracking information through a branded tracking page, enhancing their post-purchase experience.

• Pricing plan

There is a free version available. Premium plans start at $11/month, depending on the number of shipments tracked.

• Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars with 8,000+ active installations (WordPress.org).

5. Orders Tracking for WooCommerce

• Features of Order Tracking for WooCommerce

Orders Tracking for WooCommerce helps you send tracking information to customers via email and WooCommerce order pages.

It supports 85+ shipping carriers and allows you to upload tracking details in bulk, saving time for high-volume stores.

• Pricing plan

Starts at $89/year for a single site license.

• Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars with 10,000+ active installations (WordPress.org).

6 Revenue-Generating Tips to Get the Most Out of Shipment Tracking Emails

Sending order shipment tracking emails is more than just a notification today. It’s an opportunity to engage with your customers and create a memorable brand experience.

Here are some great tips for crafting a perfect WooCommerce shipment tracking email.

1. Concise email subject line

An email subject line is the first thing a person sees when they get an email. This text helps a user decide whether to open the email.

That’s why your email subject line should be concise and informative. Use words like “Track Your Order Here” to grab your customer’s attention.

2. Content personalization

Personalized emails are opened 82% more often than usual generic emails.

Include the customer’s name in your emails to make it more personal. This is a simple yet effective way to significantly increase customer engagement.

3. Clear tracking information

The main aim of sending shipping confirmation or tracking emails is to keep your customers informed about the status of their orders.

Clearly display the tracking number and the shipping carrier’s name in your emails.

You can also include a tracking link so customers can receive real-time order updates.

4. Delivery date estimation

Clearly communicate the estimated delivery date to manage expectations effectively. 

You can also include any relevant information about order delays, if any.

5. Honest feedback

Asking your customers for honest feedback on the shopping experience helps you improve your processes.

This way, you can better serve them and your future customers, leading to big conversions in the long run.

You can also include your customer support email or phone number so customers can reach you with questions or concerns.

6. Upselling opportunities

Since transactional emails like these shipping emails are more likely to get a high open rate, you can use this to your advantage. 

You can use it to showcase related products, offer discount coupons, and encourage future purchases, thereby increasing your customers’ lifetime value.

Shipment Tracking Emails Not Sending? Fix These 6 Things First

Work down this list in order. In our experience the first two account for most of these reports.

1. Why am I not receiving my WooCommerce order email?

Go to WooCommerce ⇨ Settings ⇨ Emails and confirm the email for that status is enabled with a recipient.

Custom statuses have their own toggle, and a disabled toggle sends nothing regardless of what tracking data exists

Check that WordPress sends through SMTP rather than PHP mail.

Unauthenticated mail from a shared host gets filtered or silently dropped, which hits every transactional email you send.

See our guide to WooCommerce emails not sending.

2. Tracking number not showing in the email

Confirm the tracking widget is enabled for that specific status email in your plugin’s display settings.

The setting is per-email, and the one you are testing may be off.

Look for a template override at woocommerce/emails/customer-completed-order.php in your theme or child theme.

An override written before you installed the plugin renders the old markup and strips the widget.

3. Tracking link goes to the wrong carrier page

Check the carrier saved on the order. A number saved against Custom Provider with no tracking URL shows a button that goes nowhere, and one saved against the wrong courier shows a working page with someone else’s parcel.

4. Emails landing in spam

Publish SPF and DKIM records for your sending domain, and send from that domain rather than a Gmail address.

Test with a real order, not a preview button, since previews bypass the delivery path.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Ready to Send Tracking Emails Your Customers Actually Act On?

The tracking number is already sitting in your store. Everything above is really about the twenty minutes between it living in your dashboard and it landing in someone’s inbox, and most of that work costs nothing.

Build the free version or custom shipment tracking email first.

Add the automation layer when your order volume outgrows a single shipping confirmation.

The signal is usually the same in every store: you start needing delay follow-ups, delivered notifications, and SMS running off the same trigger.

FunnelKit Automations is one of the most effective CRM plugins, helping you automate your business processes.

You don’t have to worry about when to schedule an email - it takes care of everything once you’ve configured it.

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