Overview
Tracking Flows allow you to automatically send email and SMS notifications to your customers when specific events occur with their shipments. These automated messages keep customers informed throughout their order journey, from fulfillment to delivery, reducing support inquiries and improving the overall customer experience.
To begin configuring your flows, go to: Automations > Tracking Flows > Add Flow
Creating a new Flow
Flow Name: Give your flow a descriptive name that helps you identify its purpose. For example, "Delivery Confirmation" or "Package Delayed Alert." This name is for your internal reference only and won't be visible to customers.
Trigger Settings
The trigger determines when your flow will activate and send notifications to customers.
Flow Trigger Options
Pre-shipment Status: These triggers activate based on order events within your Shopify store before the package enters the shipping carrier's system.
Order Fulfilled: Sends a notification when you mark an order as fulfilled and assign a tracking number.
Custom Order Status: Triggers when an order reaches a specific custom status you define (you'll need to enter the exact status name in the "Value" field)
Shipment Status: These triggers activate based on real tracking updates from shipping carriers. The status and it's definition are described below:
Arrived at Facility: Package has reached a carrier facility
Delayed: Carrier has indicated the shipment is experiencing delays
Delivered: Package has been successfully delivered
Exception: An unexpected event has occurred (damaged package, incorrect address, etc.)
Failed Attempt: Delivery was attempted but unsuccessful
In Transit: Package is moving through the carrier's network
Return to Sender: Package is being returned to your business
Out for Delivery: Package is on the delivery vehicle for final delivery
Trigger Filters (Optional)
Filters allow you to be more specific about which orders should trigger the flow. You can add one filter per flow to narrow down when notifications are sent.
Shipment Filters:
Origin Country: Only trigger for packages shipping from specific countries
Destination Country: Only trigger for packages being delivered to certain countries
Transit Time: Trigger based on how many days the package has been in transit
Shipping Method: Filter by shipping service (Ground, Express, etc.)
Carrier Name: Limit to specific carriers (UPS, FedEx, etc.)
Order Filters:
Order Tag: Target orders with specific Shopify tags
Product Title: Trigger only for orders containing specific products
Customer Filters:
Customer Tag: Send notifications only to customers with certain tags
Actions - How Customers Are Notified
Email Notifications
When you enable Send Email, you can either:
Select an existing template from previous tracking flows
Create a new template by clicking "Create Template"
If creating a new template, you'll customize:
Subject Line: The email subject your customers will see
Email Body: The main message content
Button Text and Links: Call-to-action buttons (like "Track Package")
The system automatically creates a template name like "Order Tracking - Delivered" for future use.
SMS Notifications
Note: SMS notifications require connection to Attentive or Postscript
When enabling Send SMS, you'll create a text message with:
Body Text: Limited to 160 characters
Default Template: "{company}: Your package with {carrier} is {status}! {tracking}"
You can customize this message while staying within the character limit.
How Flows Affect Your Customers
Once activated, your tracking flows work automatically in the background:
Automatic Triggering: When the specified event occurs (like a package being delivered), the system detects this change
Filter Checking: If you've set filters, the system verifies the order meets your criteria
Notification Sending: Qualifying orders trigger the email and/or SMS to be sent to the customer
One-Time Delivery: Each notification is sent only once per status change to prevent duplicate messages