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How to reduce “where is my order?” emails on Shopify: a 7-step playbook

HelpDock team8 min read

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In this guide
  1. Why customers ask “where is my order?”
  2. Step 1: Measure before you fix anything
  3. Step 2: Make shipping emails do the work
  4. Step 3: Set expectations before they buy
  5. Step 4: Turn the order status page into a help page
  6. Step 5: Tell customers about delays before they ask
  7. Step 6: Make tracking findable on every page
  8. Step 7: Answer shipping questions in your FAQ
  9. Reply templates for the emails that still arrive
  10. Checklist

Most “where is my order?” emails are not about a lost parcel. They come from customers who can’t find the tracking information, don’t know what to expect, or haven’t heard from you in a while. Each of those has a fix you can set up in an afternoon:

  1. Measure how many of your emails are actually order-status questions.
  2. Make your shipping emails carry the tracking link every time.
  3. Tell customers how long processing and delivery take before they order.
  4. Turn the order status page into a help page.
  5. Tell customers about delays before they ask.
  6. Make tracking findable on every page of your store.
  7. Answer shipping questions in your FAQ, and keep reply templates for the rest.

The rest of this guide goes through each step, with what to change in Shopify.

Why customers ask “where is my order?”

It helps to sort the emails by cause, because each cause has a different fix:

What the customer is thinking Typical cause Fix
“I ordered days ago and heard nothing.” Long processing time, no message in between Steps 3 and 5
“The email says shipped, but tracking shows nothing.” Tracking not active yet, or no tracking link Steps 2 and 7
“I can’t find the email.” Spam folder, guest checkout, deleted email Step 6
“It should have arrived by now.” Expectations set too early, or a real delay Steps 3 and 5
“It says delivered, but it isn’t here.” Delivery problem A real ticket. Answer it personally.

Only the last row needs a person. Everything above it is an information problem.

Step 1: Measure before you fix anything

You will see bold statistics claiming that WISMO is 40% or even 60% of all support contacts. In reality, the published figures range from roughly 20% to 60% and almost none of them explain how they were measured. Your store is the only source that matters.

For two weeks, give every incoming email one tag:

  • Order status: where is it, when will it arrive, tracking doesn’t work
  • Changes: cancel, change address, change item
  • Returns and problems: return, exchange, damaged, wrong item
  • Pre-sale: shipping countries, sizes, stock, discounts
  • Other

Count them at the end. This tells you where to start, and gives you a number to compare against after you make the changes below. If you want to put a cost on it, our support cost calculator turns emails per month into hours and dollars.

Step 2: Make shipping emails do the work

The shipping confirmation email is the most important message you send after checkout. If it arrives with a working tracking link, most order-status questions never happen. Check three things.

Tracking is added to every fulfillment. When you add a tracking number to a fulfillment, Shopify includes it in the shipping confirmation email and shows carrier updates on the customer’s order status page. If your shipping app or warehouse adds tracking numbers after the order was marked as fulfilled, customers may get a “shipped” email with nothing to click. In that case, send the shipping update notification once the tracking number is added.

The notifications are on and say something useful. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Notifications → Customer notifications and open Shipping confirmation and Shipping update. Read them as a customer would. Add one plain sentence about timing, for example: “Tracking can take up to 24 hours to show the first scan.” That single line prevents a lot of “tracking doesn’t work” emails on day one.

There is a link to the order status page. The order status page shows the order, its fulfillment status and the tracking information in one place. Shopify’s notification templates can include it with the {{ order_status_url }} variable. Make sure it is in the shipping confirmation, not only in the order confirmation.

Also look at the Out for delivery and Delivered notifications in the same list. They give the customer a reason not to email you on the last day.

Step 3: Set expectations before they buy

A large share of order-status emails are really expectation problems. The customer assumed “3–5 days” meant 3–5 days from checkout, while you meant 3–5 days after the order ships.

Write your timeline as two numbers, everywhere the customer looks:

  • Processing time: how long until the order leaves your warehouse (for example, 1–2 business days).
  • Delivery time: how long the carrier takes, per region (for example, 3–5 business days in the US, 7–14 internationally).

Put this on:

  • the product page, near the add-to-cart button,
  • the cart or checkout shipping method names,
  • your shipping policy page,
  • the order confirmation email (“Your order ships within 1–2 business days. We’ll email the tracking link as soon as it does.”).

If you sell made-to-order, pre-order or personalized products, say so on the product page in plain words. These products are often the biggest source of WISMO emails, because the processing time is longer than customers expect.

Step 4: Turn the order status page into a help page

Customers land on the order status page from almost every email you send. It is a natural place to answer the next question before they write to you.

Shopify’s Thank you and Order status pages are customized in the checkout and accounts editor, and apps can add blocks to them on every plan. Useful things to add:

  • your processing and delivery times (the same text as Step 3),
  • a short answer to “tracking shows nothing yet”,
  • how to change or cancel the order, and until when,
  • a link to your FAQ or help center.

Step 5: Tell customers about delays before they ask

The worst order-status emails come after silence. A short message before the customer starts to worry costs you one email and saves several.

Common situations to cover:

  • Processing takes longer than usual, for example during a sale or a stock delay. Send one email to affected orders: what happened, the new estimate, and what they can do if they no longer want to wait.
  • Tracking has not moved for several days. Check with the carrier, then tell the customer what you know.
  • Peak season. Before Black Friday or the holidays, add a banner with realistic shipping times and cut-off dates. Our Black Friday support checklist covers the full preparation.

You can automate part of this. Shopify Flow is available on the Basic, Shopify, Advanced and Plus plans, and can, for example, tag orders that are still unfulfilled after a set number of days so you can contact them in bulk. Start simple: a weekly check of unfulfilled orders older than your stated processing time catches most delays.

Step 6: Make tracking findable on every page

Even with perfect emails, some customers will not find them. The email went to spam, they checked out as a guest, or they are on a different device. If the only way to track an order is to dig up that email, they will write to you instead.

Give customers a way to look up their order on your store:

  • Add a Track my order link to your header or footer.
  • Point it to a page or widget where the customer enters the order number and email and sees the status and tracking link.
  • Requiring both the order number and the email keeps other people’s orders private.

This is what HelpDock does: a help widget on every page where customers look up an order with its number and email, search your FAQ, and, if you allow it, cancel, change the address or start a return themselves. Anything that still needs you arrives as a ticket with the order attached. The free plan includes unlimited order lookups.

Step 7: Answer shipping questions in your FAQ

A good FAQ answers the questions behind the “where is my order?” email. Shipping questions worth answering:

  • How long does processing take before my order ships?
  • How long does delivery take to my country?
  • How do I track my order?
  • My tracking number isn’t working. What should I do?
  • Can I change my shipping address after ordering?
  • Can I cancel my order?
  • My order says delivered, but I haven’t received it. What now?
  • Do you ship to my country, and do I pay customs fees?

Write each answer in two or three sentences, with real numbers. “Shipping usually takes a while” answers nothing.

Reply templates for the emails that still arrive

Some order-status emails will keep coming. Save these as templates (for example in Shopify Inbox or your email client) and fill in the brackets.

Order not shipped yet

Hi [name], thanks for checking in. Your order [#1234] is being prepared and will ship by [date]. As soon as it leaves our warehouse, you’ll get an email with the tracking link. You can always check the status here: [order status link].

Shipped, but tracking shows nothing

Hi [name], your order [#1234] shipped on [date] with [carrier]. New tracking numbers can take 24–48 hours to show the first scan. Here is your tracking link: [link]. If it still shows nothing by [date], reply to this email and we’ll look into it with the carrier.

Delayed in transit

Hi [name], I checked your order [#1234]. It’s with [carrier] and the latest update is from [date]: [status]. Delays like this usually clear within [X] days. I’ll keep an eye on it, and if it hasn’t moved by [date], we’ll [send a replacement / refund you / open a claim].

Every time you send one of these, ask yourself which step above would have prevented it. That question is the best guide to what to fix next.

Checklist

  • Tag incoming emails for two weeks and count order-status questions.
  • Every fulfillment has a tracking number, and late tracking numbers trigger a shipping update.
  • Shipping confirmation explains that tracking can take a day to update and links to the order status page.
  • Processing and delivery times are on the product page, cart, shipping policy and order confirmation.
  • The order status page answers the next question and links to your FAQ.
  • Delayed orders get a message before the customer asks.
  • Customers can look up an order on your store with the order number and email.
  • Your FAQ answers the eight shipping questions above.
  • Reply templates are saved for the emails that still arrive.

Quick answers

What does WISMO mean?

WISMO stands for “Where is my order?”. It is the name support teams use for every message where a customer asks about the status, location or delivery date of an order they have already placed.

How many support emails are “where is my order?” questions?

Published figures range from about 20% to 60% of ecommerce support contacts, but none of them come with a clear method. The reliable number is your own: tag every incoming email for two weeks and count.

Does Shopify send tracking information automatically?

Shopify sends the shipping confirmation email when you fulfill an order, if that notification is turned on. It includes the tracking number and a link to the order status page when you add tracking to the fulfillment. If you add tracking later, you need to send the shipping update yourself.

Can customers track an order without the email?

Customers with an account can see their orders there. Guests need the original email, unless your store offers order lookup by order number and email, for example in a help widget or on a tracking page.

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