Overview
AfterShip automatically imports shipments from your eCommerce store when you connect it with AfterShip Tracking. After the initial import, new shipments get imported to your Shipments dashboard automatically based on the CSV and app import settings. You can also manually add shipments to AfterShip Tracking.
If there are instances when your shipments are not importing to AfterShip Tracking or tracking numbers are not getting synced, this may be because of the following reasons.
Case 1: App import conditions not yet met
For every app connection, you can configure shipment import settings that allow the automatic import of shipments to the Shipments dashboard for tracking based on pre-defined conditions. If the new shipments have not yet synced, it may be because they have yet to meet the configured conditions.
Case 2: Carrier(s) not configured in AfterShip
You may not have configured the carrier of the shipment you are trying to import in AfterShip Tracking. Merely activating the carrier(s) on your eCommerce platform will not work unless you have activated them in your AfterShip account. Once activated in AfterShip, even if the shipment lacks carrier information, our carrier auto-detection feature will automatically detect the carrier based on your list.
Case 3: Invalid tracking number format
The tracking number format differs with every courier. DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS, and others follow their own Tracking number format rules for domestic as well as international shipments. If your shipment is not getting synced to AfterShip Tracking, consider checking your tracking number format.
Case 4: Tracking numbers already exist in your AfterShip account
Duplicate tracking numbers from the same carrier will not be imported to AfterShip.
Duplicate or identical tracking numbers can be imported to AfterShip from your store only when they have different carrier slugs following the same format as mentioned below.
courierSlugX#trackingNumber
courierSlugY#trackingNumber
For example:
ups#04569400023091U
usps#04569400023091U
Case 5: Incorrect CSV format
If you are using AfterShip Tracking’s CSV upload feature to bulk-import trackings, you need to take note of the following errors you must avoid doing. Check out this list of common CSV import errors.
Case 6: Incorrect carrier slug assigned to tracking number
If AfterShip shows "tracking does not exist" or no shipment details, the issue may be due to an incorrect carrier "slug" assigned to the tracking number. AfterShip suggests possible carriers when you add or edit a shipment. If tracking details do not appear:
Switch to another suggested carrier slug.
Ensure the selected carrier matches the one handling the shipment. This simple adjustment often resolves the issue and populates tracking details correctly.
Case 7: Multi-leg shipment tracking not supported on current plan
For shipments handled by multiple carriers (multi-leg shipments), tracking details may not fully display unless you have multi-leg tracking support. Note:
Multi-leg tracking visibility is available only with the Enterprise plan.
Without this feature, certain tracking details may remain unavailable on your tracking page.
Case 8: Tracking number not added to AfterShip account
If you encounter a "Tracking does not exist (4004 NotFound)" error when testing tracking numbers, it means the tracking number has not been added to your AfterShip account. To resolve this:
Method 1: Using the API
Use the Create Tracking endpoint to add the tracking number to your account.
Call the Get Tracking endpoint to retrieve updates.
Method 2: Using the Dashboard
Import the shipment via the Shipments section in the AfterShip dashboard.
Use the tracking ID/number to query updates via the API. Until the tracking number exists in your account, the API will return a "NotFound" error.