Emailing order status updates

When you confirm or ship orders, your customers can automatically receive an email that links them to their order status page. To automatically include a link to the order status page in shipping and order emails, complete the following steps.

Note

Shopify's SMS templates include a link to the order status page.

Step 1: Set up your email templates

Email templates control the information that's sent to customers. You can use Shopify's default email templates, or custom email templates. The following email templates can include a link to the order status page:

• Order confirmation
• Shipping confirmation
• Shipping update

To set up these emails so they link to your customer's order status page, select the option that best describes you:

• I haven't customized my email templates.
• I'm not sure if my email templates have been customized.
• I have customized my email templates.

I haven't customized my order confirmation or shipping email templates

If you use Shopify's default templates, then your email templates automatically include a link to your customer's order status page.

To add a tracking number, follow these steps:

1. Add tracking numbers to your orders. The order status link is emailed to your customer automatically when you update orders with tracking numbers.
2. Test the functionality.

Check if your email templates have been customized

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Notifications.
2. In the Email templates section, click the Order confirmation email template. If you have customized an email template, then there is a Revert to default button at the bottom of the template page.
   • If you see a Revert to default button, then follow the steps below for customized templates.
   • If you don't see a Revert to default button, then follow the steps above for default templates.
3. Repeat these steps for the Shipping confirmation and Shipping update email templates.

I have customized my email templates

Because you customized your order confirmation, shipping confirmation, or shipping update templates, Shopify can't include a link to the order status page in the emails.

To include a link to the order status page in a custom email template, do one of the following:

• Click Revert to default (this erases any other customizations you made).
• Manually add the order status URL to your templates.

Caution

Clicking Revert to default can't be undone and removes any email template customizations you made.

Manually add the order status URL to your email templates

To make sure that your order and shipping emails include the order status URL link for your customers, you can add some Liquid code to the Shipping confirmation, Shipping update, and Order confirmation templates.

Caution

This is an advanced tutorial and is not supported by Shopify. Knowledge of web design languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Liquid is required. We suggest hiring a Shopify Partner if you are not comfortable proceeding with the following tutorial.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Notifications.
2. Click the template that you want to edit to open it in the online editor.
3. Find the following section if it exists:

For shipping status on these items:
{% for tracking_url in fulfillment.tracking_urls %}
  {{ tracking_url }}
{% endfor %}

1. Replace it with the following:

Track the status of your order: {{ order_status_url }}.

You can change this message to fit your brand. The only requirement is to copy (ctrl + C on a PC or command + C on a Mac) and paste (ctrl + V on a PC or command + V on a Mac) the {{ order_status_url }} code exactly as it appears here.

Step 2: Add a tracking number to an order

After your email templates are set up to send a link to the order status page, you need to add tracking numbers to your orders.

Step 3: Test the functionality

After setting up your order status emails, test your checkout experience by placing a test order. This is important if you added any code to the Additional scripts box or custom code from a third-party app.

Steps:

1. Follow the instructions for placing a test order. Use your email when checking out, and select a supported shipping carrier.
2. From your Shopify admin, fulfill the order and add a tracking number to it.

If you use a third-party app and notice anything unusual, then there could be a conflict with custom code from a third-party app. Contact the app developer to resolve the issue. You can find their information by searching for the app's name in the Shopify App Store.