What Is a Tracking Number and How to Use It on E-commerce Platforms
A tracking number is a unique code a shipping carrier gives a parcel so that anyone can follow it from the warehouse to the customer's door. It is printed under the barcode on the shipping label, and every scan of that barcode adds an update to the parcel's tracking history.
For online sellers, the tracking number does much more than tell a shopper where their parcel is. Marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay use it as proof that you shipped on time and that the item arrived. That proof protects you in "item not received" disputes, keeps your seller metrics healthy, and can speed up your payouts.
A tracking number is not the same as an order number. Your store creates the order number when someone buys; the carrier creates the tracking number when a label is made (Ship24).
How tracking works
The number is created the moment a shipping label is printed, and each scan along the way adds a new status to it.
Once you add the number to the order on your store or marketplace, the platform pulls in each new scan from the carrier and shows it to the shopper. On the marketplaces, the same scans also prove when you shipped and that the parcel arrived.
What a tracking number looks like
Each carrier uses its own pattern, so you can usually tell who is carrying a parcel from the number alone. Most platforms use these patterns to detect the carrier automatically when you paste a number in.
| Carrier | Typical format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| UPS | 18 characters, always starts with 1Z | 1Z999AA10123456784 |
| USPS (US) | 20–22 digits, usually starts with 9 | 9400 1000 0000 0000 0000 00 |
| FedEx | 12 or 15 digits, numbers only (longer for some Ground services) | 123456789012 |
| DHL Express | 10 digits; other DHL divisions use longer formats | 1234567890 |
| National postal services (UPU S10) | 2 letters + 9 digits + 2-letter country code | LB123456789CN, EE123456789JP |
| Asian e-commerce carriers (Cainiao, YunExpress, 4PX) | Mixed formats, often starting LP, YT or 4PX | — |
Sources: Parcel Monitor · Wikipedia
The international postal format tells you a lot. The last two letters are the origin country (CN = China, VN = Vietnam, GB = United Kingdom). The first letter hints at the service: E is express (EMS), R is registered mail, C is parcel post and L is a cheap e-commerce packet with sparse updates.
One parcel can also get a second number. International orders are often handed from an export carrier to the local postal service at the border, which may assign its own number. The first number then goes quiet, and the new one carries the rest of the journey.
How to add a tracking number on each platform
On every major platform, buying the shipping label inside the platform uploads the tracking number automatically. You only need these steps when you buy labels elsewhere, ship through a supplier, or use a fulfilment partner.
| Platform | Where to add it | Rule to know |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Orders → order → Fulfill items (or Add tracking if already fulfilled) | Shows real-time updates on the customer's order status page |
| Amazon | Manage Orders → Confirm shipment | Keep a Valid Tracking Rate of 95% or more |
| eBay | Seller Hub → Orders → Add tracking number | Upload within your handling time; up to 6 numbers per order |
| Etsy | Orders & Shipping → Complete order | US sellers need tracking on most US orders of $10+ |
| WooCommerce | WooCommerce → Orders → Shipment Tracking panel | Needs a tracking extension or plugin |
| TikTok Shop | Seller Center → Manage Orders | Must use an approved integrated carrier |
Shopify
- In your Shopify admin, go to Orders and open an unfulfilled order.
- Click Fulfill item(s) and type the number in Tracking number. Shopify usually recognises the format and picks the carrier for you.
- If the carrier isn't supported, choose Other and paste the carrier's tracking URL.
- Already fulfilled? Open the order and click Add tracking in the Fulfilled section.
You can add several numbers to one fulfilment, but they must all be from the same carrier.
Amazon (seller-fulfilled orders)
- Go to Manage Orders and click Confirm shipment on the order.
- Choose the carrier from the drop-down and enter the tracking ID.
- Only pick Other if your carrier is on Amazon's supported list but missing from the drop-down; otherwise the number won't count as valid.
Amazon measures your Valid Tracking Rate over 30 days, and a number only counts once the carrier records at least one scan. If you made a typo, fix it within 24 hours of shipping.
eBay
- In Seller Hub, open Orders, then choose Add tracking number from the order's drop-down.
- Enter the number and the carrier, then select Save. The order is marked as shipped automatically.
- In the eBay app, you can scan the barcode or QR code on your receipt instead of typing.
Uploading tracking from an integrated carrier within your handling time protects you if the buyer opens a Money Back Guarantee request. An "item not received" request can close automatically if tracking shows delivery to the buyer's postcode on time.
Etsy
- Open Orders & Shipping, click the timer icon on the order, then Complete order.
- Enter the tracking number and carrier, then confirm.
You have 3 days after completing an order to correct the number or carrier. A tracking number showing delivery automatically closes non-delivery cases on orders of $10 or more.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce has no tracking field by default, so install the official Shipment Tracking extension (or a similar plugin). Then open the order under WooCommerce → Orders, use the Shipment Tracking panel, pick the provider and enter the number. It appears in the customer's emails and in their account.
TikTok Shop
- In Seller Center, go to Manage Orders and enter the Tracking ID.
- TikTok matches the carrier from the number's format. A valid number moves the order to Ready to ship; an invalid one shows an error.
If you ship yourself, you must use one of TikTok Shop's approved carriers for your region, and late or invalid tracking counts against your shop's performance.
How shoppers use a tracking number
A shopper finds the number in the shipping confirmation email, not the order confirmation, or under My orders → Order details in the store or marketplace app.
- Click the tracking link in the email or order page; most platforms open the carrier's page directly.
- Or copy the number and paste it into the carrier's own tracking page.
- Not sure of the carrier? Paste it into a universal tracker such as Parcel Monitor, 17TRACK or AfterShip, which detects the carrier from the format.
Copy and paste rather than retyping: a 0 typed as O, or 1 as I, is one of the most common reasons a number "doesn't work".
Tracking statuses and what to do when tracking stops
Every update in the tracking history is a physical barcode scan. Between scans, the parcel is moving but nothing is recorded, so long silences are normal.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Label created / Info received | The label exists, but the carrier doesn't have the parcel yet |
| Picked up / Accepted | The carrier has scanned the parcel for the first time |
| In transit | Moving between depots; updates often come in bursts at hubs |
| Customs clearance | Being checked at the border on international orders |
| Out for delivery | On the local van; usually delivered that day |
| Delivered | The carrier scanned it as handed over or left at the address |
| Exception / Delivery attempted | A problem: wrong address, nobody home, damage or a hold |
Why a number shows nothing or stops updating (Parcel Monitor):
- Too early. The label was printed but the parcel hasn't had its first scan. Normal for 1–5 days.
- Wrong carrier site. A China Post number won't work on the DHL site.
- Typo. One wrong character returns nothing, or someone else's parcel.
- Handoff. The parcel moved to a local carrier with a new number.
- Expired. Carriers delete tracking data after a few months.
As a seller, if tracking hasn't moved for well beyond the normal transit time, contact the carrier or supplier first, then tell the customer what you're doing before they open a dispute.
Best practices for sellers
- Upload tracking on time, every time. Add it within your platform's handling or dispatch window; late uploads hurt your metrics even if the parcel arrives.
- Use integrated carriers. Platforms validate numbers against carriers they're connected to. A real number from an unsupported carrier can still count as invalid.
- Pick the right carrier in the drop-down. A correct number with the wrong carrier fails validation.
- Automate. Connect your shipping or dropshipping app so tracking syncs to the order automatically, instead of copy-pasting.
- Send the link, not just the number. A clickable tracking link in the shipping email cuts "where is my order?" messages.
- Watch for handoffs on international orders. If the first number goes quiet after arriving in the destination country, find the local carrier's new number and add it to the order.
- Never reuse or fake a number. Marketplaces check scan dates, destinations and weights; a recycled or mismatched number can get your account suspended.
- Keep tracking records until the return and dispute windows close; they are your proof of delivery.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center — Add tracking numbers to orders
- Amazon Seller Central forum — Valid Tracking Rate
- Amazon Seller Central — Ship Confirm and VTR requirements
- eBay Help — Tracking items you've sold
- Etsy Help — How to add tracking and complete an order
- Etsy Community — Tracking requirement for US orders
- WooCommerce — Shipment Tracking extension
- AfterShip — Sync tracking numbers to TikTok Shop
- Parcel Monitor — Tracking numbers explained
- Ship24 — What does a tracking number look like?
- Wikipedia — Tracking number