After the order confirmation, shipping emails are the messages your customers open most. They are waiting for something they paid for, so they actually read them. That makes them one of the best chances you have to build trust – or, if they are vague or missing, one of the quickest ways to create support tickets.
Here are the shipping emails worth sending, what to put in each, and a few you can skip.
The six emails that matter
1. Shipped
When: as soon as the tracking number is added.
What to include: the carrier, the tracking number, a “Track your order” button, the items in the parcel and the delivery estimate.
This is the most important one. If you send only one shipping email, make it this one – and make sure the tracking link works on a phone.
2. Partially shipped
When: an order goes out in more than one parcel.
What to include: which items are in this parcel, and that the rest will follow with its own tracking.
Without it, the customer opens the box, sees an item missing, and writes to you within the hour.
3. In transit
When: the carrier has picked the parcel up and it is moving.
What to include: a short “it’s on its way” and the tracking button.
This confirms that “shipped” was real. It matters most for longer journeys, where the first scan can take a few days.
4. Out for delivery
When: the parcel is on the delivery vehicle.
What to include: “arriving today”, plus any carrier note such as a delivery window.
Customers love this one: it lets them be home, or arrange a safe place.
5. Delivered
When: the carrier confirms delivery.
What to include: where it was left if the carrier says so (front door, parcel locker, neighbour), and how to contact you if it’s not there.
It is also the natural moment to ask for a review – the product has just arrived.
6. Problem
When: a failed delivery attempt, a parcel held at customs, an address problem or a return to sender.
What to include: what happened in plain words and what the customer should do next (rebook, collect, confirm the address).
Telling the customer about a problem before they discover it themselves turns a complaint into proof that you are on top of things.
What you can skip
- Every scan. “Arrived at sorting facility”, “Departed sorting facility” – customers don’t need an email for each one. Show them on the tracking page instead.
- Several emails on the same day. If a parcel goes from “in transit” to “out for delivery” within hours, the second email is enough.
- The same status twice. Send each status once per parcel, even if the carrier reports it more than once.
Five tips for better shipping emails
- One clear button. “Track your order” – not three links and a paragraph of tracking numbers.
- Your design, your store name. Customers should recognise the email at a glance, not wonder whether it’s spam.
- Subject lines that say it all. “Your order #1042 is out for delivery” can be understood without opening the email.
- Mobile first. Most shipping emails are read on a phone – big button, short text.
- Text messages only with permission. SMS is great for “out for delivery”, but ask for consent at checkout.
Setting it up in WooCommerce
WooCommerce on its own sends “processing” and “completed” emails, but nothing that follows the parcel. To send the emails above automatically, you need two things: the tracking number on the order, and something that checks the parcel’s status and sends the right email when it changes.
ParcelKite does both. It adds tracking to your orders, follows each parcel automatically and sends shipped, partially shipped, in transit, out for delivery, delivered and problem emails – each once per parcel, in your store’s design, and each one can be switched off or edited. Text messages work too, with consent at checkout. Try it free with 30 tracked parcels a month.