Tracking and Completing Orders on Your Etsy Shop
Monday, March 31, 2025
Customer experience should be one of the main focuses of any business. Part of that experience is due to the dependability and predictability of Order Management. Giving consumers accurate delivery information and tracking updates shows them that they can rely on your Etsy business. It is essential for client retention and it’s a strong tool for enhancing the purchasing experience of your customers.
There are two methods for adding tracking to an order:
- You can buy Etsy shipping labels. When you use these, tracking is immediately included, and your order is finalized when the label is scanned by your shipping carrier.
- When you finish an order, manually enter the tracking information. If you manually add tracking, you must finish your transaction in order to notify your buyer that their product is on its way.
When you include tracking to your order or utilize shipping labels purchased on Etsy, you help deliver an outstanding customer care experience for your buyer by keeping them updated on the progress of their shipment.
Steps to add tracking and complete an order
- Go to your Shop Manager, then Orders & Shipping.
- Go to the Open orders tab where you will see a list of all the sales you haven’t completed yet.
- On the right side of the order you’re interested in, click the timer icon. Then complete the order.
- Select a ship date. You can pick a Ship Date that is up to two days in the future. Etsy will not give your buyer a Shipping Notification until the package’s Ship Date. Ship dates are calculated using Eastern Time.
- Make a customized Note to Buyer. You may save up to ten different versions of your Note to Buyer. Select the message bubble in the Note to Buyer section to save a note.
- To view the shipment notification that will be sent to your customer, choose Preview Email. Check the box Send me a copy of this email if you wish.
- Then submit.
When does a tracking number become necessary?
If you are a US seller and are sending an order to a US customer, a tracking number may be required if the sale is worth at least $10 USD (excluding shipping, taxes, gift wrap, and discounts).
Tracking is not necessary for the following situations:
- Digital items, customized included
- Order additions that are customized and connected to another order
- Orders that will not be shipped (local pickup/delivery)
- Heavy and oversized items
If you need to specify an exception that isn’t already stated, you’ll see an option to indicate This order doesn’t have tracking underneath the tracking number box. You can next provide a brief reason for why you are unable to add tracking to an order.
As a reminder, one of the prerequisites for earning the Star Seller badge is adding tracking to your physical orders. Completing an order without adding tracking does not count as a monitored order in the Star Seller program.
When should you complete your order?
If you aren’t utilizing an Etsy shipping label, remember to complete your order once it has been sent to the shipping carrier.
When you complete a purchase, Etsy immediately sends an email to your customer informing them that their item is on its way.
When a seller completes an order before the shipment is on its way to the customer, the buyer has an inaccurate expectation of when they will get their order.
How to Change an Order’s Tracking Number
When you complete an order and manually enter tracking information, you have three days to update the tracking number or delivery carrier.
- Go to Shop Manager, then Orders & Shipping
- Choose Completed.
- Choose the order with the tracking information you want to change and scroll down to the order you wish to edit.
- To the right of the original tracking number, click Edit tracking.
- Change the tracking number or shipping carrier if necessary.
- Choose Save.
If you need to modify the tracking number after three days, notify your customer via Etsy Messages with the proper tracking number, and add the tracking number to your private notes on the order for your records. Keeping your buyer informed can assist in avoiding any potential miscommunication or disagreements.
How to Add Tracking Information to an Order After It’s Completed
You can add tracking information after you have completed an order.
- Go to Shop Manager and then Orders & Shipping.
- Choose Completed.
- Choose the “…” symbol next to the order to which you wish to add tracking information.
- Choose Add tracking.
- From this point, you can:
- Select a Ship Date. You can choose a Ship Date that is up to two days in the future. We will not give your buyer a Shipping Notification until the package’s Ship Date has passed. Ship dates are calculated using Eastern Time.
- Make a customized Note to Buyer.
- If your shipping company gave a tracking number, enter it here. If you already supplied a tracking number to the order, this new tracking number will display alongside the prior number(s) you submitted.
About Charles Curry
Charles founded his Etsy shop Wall Decal Source in 2012. He opened his decal shop and decided to create a nursery decal for his sisters new baby. Funnily enough he published the decal as an item for sale on his Etsy shop and people really liked it. Well a few years later and his shop has been almost completely taken over by nursery wall decals. He must still be a kid at heart. As Charles tested and tried all sorts of methods to expand his shop he stumbled upon a few simple formulas for consistently growing Etsy sales and views.
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