Can customers track orders using tracking number entered manually by the admin

Shopify Discussion
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1

I am starting a dropshipping business in the Home and Kitchen category. I have a limited budget, so to test out the store and products, I will send an Excel file or orders to my supplier at the end of each day. Once the orders are fulfilled, my supplier will start the shipping process and send back the Excel file to me with a column of tracking numbers added against each order.

My question is:

  1. If I enter those tracking numbers manually for the orders fulfilled, will the customers be able to track their orders? I have not installed any shipping apps, my supplier takes care of shipping.

  2. If they can’t track their orders then should I remove the tracking feature from my online store?

  3. My online store will be based in India, let’s say my supplier uses one of the shipping apps listed on shopify that uses several courier services, then can I install that on my shopify store and enter the tracking number on the app? Will that work out?

2

Hi, @OHMYMUGS

If your store does not currently offer tracking but offers customers tracking numbers, they can check the order status through the logistics service provider’s official website. However, this can easily inconvenience customers and affect the customer experience.

To improve customer experience and enhance brand loyalty, I suggest you consider using a shipping tracking app like TrackingMore. It allows customers to check the status of their packages directly on your store’s dedicated tracking page, providing a more personalized and convenient service.

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TrackingMore provides a comprehensive real-time order-tracking solution for e-commerce, especially dropshipping. It integrates with more than 1,200 logistic carriers, and customers can manage and monitor their shipments through a unified dashboard.

By the way, TrackingMore’s CSV order bulk import feature allows you to easily track all shipments with one click, without having to operate them one by one.

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More than 43,000 users have chosen TrackingMore until now, most of whom are dropshipping stores like yours. We are ranked in the top five in the “Order Tracking” software category and are the preferred logistics solution for e-commerce and enterprises.

Don’t hesitate to try TrackingMore’s 14-day free trial now to experience and enjoy your Dropshipping trip.

3

Hey @OHMYMUGS,

Yes, if you manually add tracking numbers in Shopify (Orders → Fulfilled order → Add tracking), customers will get an email with a link to track. But Shopify just redirects them to the courier’s site. If the carrier isn’t supported, the link might not work properly, and the experience won’t look great.

Since you’re dropshipping and working with multiple couriers, I think a tracking app is usually the smoother route. Something like ParcelPanel Order Tracking auto-syncs the tracking numbers you add in, recognises the carrier, and then shows the customer real-time updates on a branded “Track My Order” page right on your store. That way you don’t have to worry if the supplier uses different couriers, ParcelPanel supports 1,400+ carriers worldwide.

It’s built for exactly your kind of setup (low overhead, multiple couriers, dropshipping). You can just keep uploading the tracking numbers manually, and the app handles the rest.

Hope this helps a bit! If it does, feel free to mark it as a solution so others can find it too :slightly_smiling_face: