CustomCat

This guide walks you through integrating CustomCat with Advanced Shipment Tracking (AST) PRO, enabling you to automate tracking updates and streamline order fulfillment in your WooCommerce store.

🔄 How the Integration Works

When you use CustomCat to fulfill an order in WooCommerce:

• A tracking note is added to the order, containing the shipping carrier, tracking number, and tracking link
• The order status is updated to Completed

However, this tracking data is only stored in the WooCommerce order notes, and not directly in AST’s tracking fields. As a result, tracking details won’t appear in the shipping confirmation email or on the customer’s account page — unless AST PRO is enabled.

✅ What AST PRO Does

AST PRO enhances the CustomCat integration by:

• Automatically detecting and extracting tracking data from the WooCommerce order notes
• Saving the tracking number and carrier to AST’s Shipment Tracking Order Meta
• (Optional) Updating the order status to Shipped
• Triggering the shipping confirmation email with the AST tracking widget
• Displaying tracking details on the My Account > View Order page

This removes the need to manually re-enter tracking details and ensures your customers stay informed.

⚙️ How to Enable the Integration

1. Ensure AST PRO is installed and activated
2. Go to WooCommerce > Shipment Tracking > Integrations
3. Enable the CustomCat integration
4. (Optional) Enable Auto-complete shipped orders – AST will automatically update the order status to Shipped when tracking is added

🧩 Carrier Name Mapping (Avoid Missing Tracking Links)

CustomCat may use shipping carrier names that differ from AST’s recognized list. If unmatched, the tracking link may not appear in the customer’s email.

🔧 How to Map Carrier Names:

1. Go to WooCommerce > Shipment Tracking > Shipping Carriers
2. Click Edit next to the relevant carrier (e.g., USPS, UPS, FedEx)
3. In the Custom API Name field, enter the exact name used by CustomCat (e.g., US Postal, UPS Mail Innovations)
4. Use the ➕ icon to add multiple name variations if needed
5. Click Update to save

This ensures that AST properly identifies the carrier and includes a valid tracking link in emails and customer views.

💡 Best Practices

• Monitor order notes to ensure tracking data is properly formatted by CustomCat
• Keep your carrier mappings updated to avoid broken or missing tracking links
• Test your workflow by fulfilling a sample order to confirm tracking data appears correctly
• Inform customers that they will receive a clear shipping email with tracking information

🔚 Final Note

⚠️ Important: AST does not generate shipping labels. CustomCat handles order fulfillment and label creation. AST PRO’s role is to extract tracking info from order notes and automate customer notifications and tracking display.