How to Track Etsy Orders and Know When They’ve Arrived
Marking an order as sent is not the end of the job. Knowing when it arrives – and when it doesn’t – is what lets you check in at the right moment and fix problems before the buyer has to ask.
Tracked parcels
If you add a tracking number when you mark the order as sent, you can follow it with the carrier, or with a tracking service that understands hundreds of carriers. Watch for these milestones:
| Status | What to do |
|---|---|
| Delivered | Send your check-in message the same day. |
| Out for delivery | Nothing yet – tomorrow is check-in day. |
| Delivery attempted | Message the buyer with what happens next. |
| Waiting to be collected | Message now – uncollected parcels go back. |
| Carrier problem | Contact the carrier, then reassure the buyer. |
| No update for days | Treat as late – a reassuring message helps. |
Untracked post
Cards and small prints often go untracked. Estimate arrival from the posting date and the usual delivery time to that country – a few working days within the UK, longer for Europe and further afield – and check in on the expected day.
Suite 13 tracks your Etsy orders – including replacements and parcels sent by your printer – and alerts you on arrival, delays and failed deliveries.
Replacements and parcels sent by your printer
If you print through a production partner, or you send a replacement as a separate order, the parcel the buyer receives may have a tracking number that isn’t on the Etsy order. Keep that number (and the printer’s order number) against the original Etsy order, so:
- you know when the replacement actually arrives;
- your check-in goes out at the right time, not when the first parcel was due;
- you can see at a glance which orders needed a second parcel – useful for spotting a packaging or carrier problem.
A simple daily routine
- Check what was delivered since yesterday and send check-ins.
- Check problems: attempted deliveries, parcels waiting at the post office, late parcels.
- Add tracking for anything sent outside the original order.
Ten minutes a day, and almost no delivery problem reaches a review. Pair it with our check-in message templates.
Frequently asked questions
Does Etsy tell sellers when an order is delivered?
Etsy records that you marked an order as sent and any tracking number you added, but it doesn’t reliably tell you when the parcel arrived. Following the tracking number with the carrier does.
How do I track a replacement I sent outside the original order?
Keep the new tracking number against the original order, so you know when the replacement arrives and can check in with the buyer.
Suite 13 tracks your Etsy orders – including replacements and parcels sent by your printer – and alerts you on arrival, delays and failed deliveries.