[NEW] Managing Shipments and Your Monthly Tracking Limit
See every shipment in one place, catch the ones that need attention, and keep an eye on your monthly allowance.
Once the Order Tracker app is enabled, every order you fulfill with a tracking number appears in the app, and its status updates as the carrier scans the parcel. This article covers the Dashboard and Shipments tabs, what each status means, and how the monthly tracking allowance works.
The Dashboard tab
At the top of the app you'll see three figures, labelled Results for last 30 days:
- Shipments tracked — shipments that received tracking updates in the last 30 days.
- Delivered — the share of tracked shipments delivered in the last 30 days.
- Exceptions — shipments with a delivery issue or no recent carrier updates.
Below them:
- Tracked shipments this month — how many of this month's free tracked shipments you've used, shown as "used / allowance", with the date it resets. The bar turns to a warning colour when you've used most of your allowance.
- Recent shipments — your latest shipments. Click View all shipments to open the full list.
The Shipments tab
The full list of shipments, 25 per page, with these columns: Order, Tracking number, Courier, Status and Last update.
- Use Search shipments to find a shipment by order number or tracking number.
- Use the filter buttons to narrow the list: All, Preparing, In transit, Arriving, Delivered, Needs attention and Not tracked.
- Click the order number to open the order in your Shopify admin.
- Click View page to open the tracking page exactly as your customer sees it for that shipment.
What each status means
Each filter groups one or more statuses. The row shows the precise one.
| Filter | Status on the row | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing | Preparing shipment, Info received | The shipment exists and the carrier has its details, but hasn't scanned the parcel yet. |
| In transit | In transit | The carrier has the parcel and it's on its way. |
| Arriving | Out for delivery, Available for pickup | The parcel is out for delivery today, or waiting at a pickup point. |
| Delivered | Delivered | The carrier has confirmed delivery. |
| Needs attention | Exception, Expired | The carrier reported a delivery problem, or there have been no tracking updates for a long time. |
| Not tracked | Not tracked | The shipment arrived after this month's free allowance was used up, so it isn't tracked. See below. |
Your customers see friendlier wording for the same statuses on the tracking page (for example "Delivery issue — check the latest update below"), and you can change it in Settings → Translations.
Your monthly tracking allowance
Every plan currently includes 50 free tracked shipments per month. The count starts again on the 1st of each month, and Tracked shipments this month on the Dashboard always shows where you stand.
When all 50 are used:
- A banner appears across the app: "You've used your 50 free tracked shipments this month".
- New shipments show as Not tracked and don't receive tracking updates until the count resets. Customers who look up those orders on your tracking page won't see tracking updates either.
- Shipments that were already being tracked keep updating as normal.
A customer looking up a tracking number that Vitals hasn't seen before, for example from an order placed before you turned Order Tracker on, also uses one of your 50.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a shipment stuck on "Preparing"?
The carrier hasn't scanned the parcel yet. If it stays there after the parcel has been handed over, check the carrier and tracking number on the fulfillment in Shopify: shipments marked with the carrier "Other", or with some smaller regional couriers, often can't be tracked automatically. Choosing the carrier from Shopify's list when you fulfill the order gives the best results.
What does "Not tracked" mean?
The shipment came in after this month's free allowance of 50 tracked shipments was used up, so Vitals isn't following it. Tracking starts again for new shipments when the allowance resets on the 1st of the month. Hover over the badge to see the reason.
Can I get more than 50 tracked shipments a month?
Not yet. Every plan includes the same 50 free tracked shipments for now. If you need more, contact our support team and let us know, as it helps us plan what comes next.
Why don't older orders appear in the Shipments list?
Order Tracker follows shipments from the day you turn it on and doesn't import earlier orders. Customers can still look up an older order on your tracking page by its tracking number.
How can I see exactly what my customer sees?
In the Shipments tab, click View page on any row. It opens that shipment on your tracking page in a new tab.