How to Send Tracking Information in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction:
In today’s e-commerce landscape, transparency and excellent customer service are paramount. Customers expect to know where their orders are at all times. Providing tracking information promptly and efficiently after shipment can significantly boost customer satisfaction, reduce support inquiries, and build trust in your brand. WooCommerce, while powerful, doesn’t inherently send tracking info directly to customers. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to send tracking information in WooCommerce, covering various methods and their pros and cons. This will help you streamline your fulfillment process and keep your customers informed.
Why Sending Tracking Information is Crucial
- Reduces Support Inquiries: Customers frequently contact support to ask about the status of their order. Providing tracking details proactively addresses this concern.
- Enhances Customer Satisfaction: Knowing where their package is instills confidence and reduces anxiety about potential delays or loss.
- Builds Trust and Credibility: Learn more about How Much Does It Cost To Run A Woocommerce Store Sharing tracking information demonstrates your commitment to fulfilling orders and providing excellent service.
- Increases Repeat Purchases: A positive shipping experience encourages customers to return and purchase from your store again.
- Free: Requires no additional plugins or services.
- Simple: Easy to understand and implement.
- Time-Consuming: Manual entry can be tedious, especially for a large number of orders.
- Error-Prone: Manual data entry increases the risk of typos, leading to incorrect tracking information.
- Not Scalable: Becomes impractical as your order volume increases.
- Install and activate the “WooCommerce Shipment Tracking” plugin.
- When fulfilling an order, you’ll find a new “Tracking Information” section on the order details page.
- Select the carrier and enter the tracking number.
- The plugin automatically sends an email to the customer with the tracking information.
- Automated: Automates the process of sending tracking information.
- Integrated: Seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce.
- Carrier Options: Supports a wide range of carriers.
- Cost: It’s a premium plugin, requiring a purchase.
- Requires Setup: Requires configuration and carrier mapping.
- Install and activate the plugin (e.g., AfterShip WooCommerce plugin).
- Connect your WooCommerce store to your AfterShip account.
- Configure settings such as tracking email templates and branding.
- When an order is marked as shipped, the plugin automatically syncs the tracking Read more about How To Add Product Image In Woocommerce Programmatically information with AfterShip.
- AfterShip then sends automated tracking updates to your customers.
- Advanced Features: Offer features like branded tracking pages and detailed analytics.
- Scalability: Designed to handle large order volumes.
- Automation: Highly automated, reducing manual effort.
- Cost: Often require a subscription to a third-party service.
- Complexity: Can be more complex to set up and configure than simpler methods.
- Reliance on Third Party: Reliant on the availability and performance of the third-party service.
Main Methods for Sending Tracking Info in WooCommerce
There are several ways to send tracking information in WooCommerce, each with its own level of complexity and cost. Here are the most popular methods:
1. Manual Method: Adding Tracking Information Directly to Order Notes
This is the simplest, albeit most time-consuming, approach. When you ship an order, you can manually add the tracking number and carrier information to the order notes within WooCommerce.
Steps:
1. Go to WooCommerce > Orders in your WordPress admin.
2. Select the order you’ve shipped.
3. In the “Order notes” section, add a new note.
4. Type something like: “Shipped via [Carrier Name] with tracking number: [Tracking Number]”.
5. Select “Note to customer” in the “Type” dropdown to ensure the customer receives an email notification with the order note.
6. Click “Add Note”.
Pros:
Cons:
2. Using the “WooCommerce Shipment Tracking” Plugin (Official WooCommerce Extension)
This is a more robust solution offered directly by WooCommerce. This premium plugin integrates seamlessly with your store, allowing you to add tracking information directly to orders and automatically send it to customers.
How it Works:
Pros:
Cons:
3. Utilizing Third-Party Plugins (e.g., AfterShip, TrackShip)
Several third-party plugins are available that offer advanced tracking functionalities, including automatic tracking updates, branded tracking pages, and detailed Learn more about Woocommerce How To Prevent International Orders analytics. These plugins often integrate with multiple carriers and e-commerce platforms.
Example using AfterShip (Illustrative):
While the implementation varies per plugin, generally, you would:
Pros:
Cons:
4. Custom Code Solution (Advanced)
For developers or those comfortable with coding, a custom solution offers maximum flexibility. You can create custom functions to Learn more about How To Create A Child Theme Woocommerce retrieve tracking information from your shipping provider’s API and automatically send it to customers.
Example (Conceptual):
This example demonstrates how you might update order meta data with a tracking number. The actual implementation will heavily depend on your chosen shipping provider’s API.
<?php add_action( 'woocommerce_process_shop_order_meta', 'save_tracking_number' );
function save_tracking_number( $order_id ) {
if ( isset( $_POST[‘_tracking_number’] ) ) {
update_post_meta( $order_id, ‘_tracking_number’, sanitize_text_field( $_POST[‘_tracking_number’] ) );
// Ideally, here you would integrate with your shipping carrier’s API to fetch more detailed tracking data.
// You would then trigger an email to the customer with the tracking info. This requires significant custom coding and API integration.
}
}
add_action( ‘woocommerce_admin_order_data_after_order_details’, ‘display_tracking_number_field’ );
function display_tracking_number_field( $order ) {
$tracking_number = get_post_meta( $order->get_id(), ‘_tracking_number’, true );
?>
<input type="text" id="_tracking_number" name="_tracking_number" value="” />
<?php
}
?>
Important Considerations:
- This code would require significant additions to send the tracking information to the customer via email. You’d likely use `wp_mail()` within a custom function triggered after saving the tracking number.
- This is a simplified illustration and requires careful consideration of security and error handling.
- Direct integration with a shipping carrier API can be complex and require developer expertise.
Pros:
- Flexibility: Provides complete control over the tracking information process.
- Customization: Allows for highly customized solutions.
- Potentially Cost-Effective (Long Term): Avoids recurring subscription fees.
Cons:
- Complexity: Requires significant coding skills.
- Maintenance: Requires ongoing maintenance and updates.
- Time-Consuming: Can take a significant amount of time to develop.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Method
The best method for sending tracking information in WooCommerce depends on your specific needs and resources.
- If you’re just starting out and have a low order volume, the manual method might suffice initially.
- As your business grows, the WooCommerce Shipment Tracking plugin offers a good balance of automation and cost-effectiveness.
- For businesses with high order volumes and a need for advanced features, third-party plugins are the most suitable option.
- If you have developer expertise and require maximum flexibility, a custom code solution can be tailored to your exact requirements.
No matter which method you choose, remember that providing timely and accurate tracking information is essential for creating a positive customer experience and building a successful e-commerce business. By prioritizing order tracking, you can improve customer satisfaction, reduce support costs, and foster loyalty to your brand.
