Common questions about Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce (free). If your question isn’t answered here, see the documentation index.
Where will my customers see the tracking info?
The tracking info and a direct link to track the package are added to the top of the “Completed” (Shipped) order email. The same tracking info is also shown in your customer’s account, on the order details page under My Account > Orders. You can change how both look in Customize Email Notifications & Tracking Widget.
Can I add my own custom shipping carriers?
Not in the free plugin. The free version ships with 1010+ built-in carriers, and you can enable, remove and reorder the ones you use. Adding custom carriers with your own tracking URLs, setting a default carrier and overriding carrier display names are available in Advanced Shipment Tracking PRO. If your carrier is missing from the list, you can also suggest it and we’ll add it.
How do I put the tracking number into the URL of a custom carrier?
Custom carriers are a PRO feature. In AST PRO you set the tracking URL with a variable that holds the tracking number, for example https://shippingcarrier.com?tracking_number=%number%. %number% is replaced with the order’s tracking number.
Is there a way to import tracking numbers to orders in bulk?
Yes. You can import tracking info from a CSV file, or update tracking info for orders through the shipment tracking REST API. AST PRO adds scheduled FTP/SFTP imports and Bulk Paste.
Can I use custom order numbers when I import from a CSV file?
Yes. Some plugins don’t use the WooCommerce order ID and store a custom order number instead. AST resolves those, so you can put your custom order number in the order_id column of the CSV. See CSV Import for the full column list.
Can I add more than one tracking number to a single order?
Yes. You can add multiple tracking numbers to each order, each with its own carrier and shipping date.
Can guests view their shipment tracking info on my website?
Yes. Guests always get the tracking info in the order email. To let them look it up on your site, add the WooCommerce order tracking shortcode [woocommerce_order_tracking] to a page. It asks for an order number and billing email, and then shows the order status together with the AST tracking info.
Can I design how the tracking info appears in WooCommerce emails?
Yes. You have full control over the layout, content, fonts and colors, with a live preview. See Customize Email Notifications & Tracking Widget.
Can I send shipment status and delivery notifications to my customers?
Yes, with TrackShip. TrackShip is a separate service with its own plans. Once you connect it, it tracks your shipments and sends shipment status updates back to your WooCommerce store, which is also what lets orders move to Delivered automatically. See TrackShip Integration.
Can I use the REST API to add tracking info to my orders?
Yes. AST adds endpoints to the WooCommerce REST API so you can add, retrieve and delete tracking information. To add a tracking number, POST to /wp-json/wc-ast/v3/orders/<order_id>/shipment-trackings, replacing <order_id> with the ID of the order you want to update, and send the carrier and tracking number in the body. See the Shipment Tracking API page.
Does AST support HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage)?
Yes. AST declares compatibility with WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage, so it works whether your store keeps orders in the legacy posts tables or in the HPOS tables.
Does AST work with the block-based Cart and Checkout?
Yes. AST doesn’t add anything to the cart or checkout. Tracking is added after the order exists, and it’s displayed in order emails and on the My Account order page, so it works the same with the block Cart and Checkout as with the shortcode ones.
Does AST send tracking numbers to PayPal or Stripe?
Not in the free plugin. Syncing tracking numbers to PayPal and Stripe is available in Advanced Shipment Tracking PRO.
What’s the difference between the free plugin and AST PRO?
The free plugin covers adding tracking to orders, the 1010+ carrier list, the Partially Shipped and Delivered order statuses, CSV import, the REST API and the email/widget customizer. PRO adds custom carriers, carrier alias mapping, per-item tracking, FTP/SFTP import and Bulk Paste, PayPal and Stripe tracking sync, the Fulfillment Dashboard, integrations and the AI Assistant. See the full comparison on the AST documentation home page.