Shopify Where Is My Order Emails Automation: 3 Levels
Shopify where is my order emails automation works on three levels. First, set up Shopify’s own shipping notifications so every order sends tracking without anyone touching it. Second, add proactive emails for the moments Shopify doesn’t cover, like delays and parcels that stop moving. Third, set up automatic replies for the “where is my order?” emails customers still send.
This guide is only about the emails: what Shopify sends, what it skips and what to write. For the full ticket workflow, step by step, read our guide on how to automate WISMO tickets on Shopify.
If you answer these emails yourself today, see how Relay answers order status tickets for Shopify stores. Relay finds the order in Shopify, applies your rules and replies, and brings in your team when needed.
Order status vs order tracking: two different answers
Customers mix these two up. Your emails shouldn’t.
- Order status is where the order stands inside Shopify: paid, unfulfilled, partly fulfilled, fulfilled, canceled, refunded. It’s your data.
- Order tracking is where the parcel is with the carrier: label created, in transit, out for delivery, delivered, exception. It’s the carrier’s data, and it only reaches Shopify if the carrier sends tracking events.
A good WISMO email answers both: “Your order shipped on Monday (status). Here is the carrier’s tracking link (tracking).” If you only give one, the customer often writes back.
Level 1: the emails Shopify sends on its own
Shopify comes with automatic emails for orders, shipping and accounts, and you can edit them. Go to Settings > Notifications > Customer notifications. These are the ones that matter for WISMO:
| Notification | When it goes out | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Order confirmation | Right after checkout | It includes the order number and a realistic shipping time |
| Shipping confirmation | When you mark the order fulfilled | The tracking number and link are filled in |
| Shipping update | When you change the tracking details | It’s turned on if you often fix tracking numbers |
| Shipment out for delivery | When the carrier reports it | It only works if your carrier sends tracking events to Shopify |
| Shipment delivered | When the carrier reports delivery | Same condition. You can turn it off if it confuses customers |
To check what one customer actually got, open the order and scroll to the timeline. It lists every notification sent. If a customer says “I never got an email,” look there before you reply. If confirmations are missing for every customer, our guide on why Shopify confirmation emails go missing covers the causes on the store’s side.
What Level 1 doesn’t do: Shopify’s shipping emails react to events. There’s no email for “your parcel is late,” “your parcel hasn’t moved in days,” or “it was delivered, did it arrive safely?” Many WISMO emails start in those silent gaps.
Level 2: proactive emails for the gaps
Proactive emails go out before the customer asks. You can add them with a tracking app or your email marketing tool, since either one can read tracking events and trigger a message. Start with these three.
Parcel delayed
Send this when the carrier’s estimated date moves, or when you know about a backlog. We’ve already written four ready-made delay messages in our shipping delay email templates, so use those.
Parcel stuck in transit
Send this when the tracking hasn’t changed for longer than is normal for your carrier and route. Set the threshold from your own past orders, not from a guess.
Subject: Your order #1042 is taking longer than usual
Hi Sam, your parcel hasn’t had a new tracking scan since Tuesday. That usually means it’s waiting at a sorting depot, not that it’s lost. We’re keeping an eye on it. If nothing changes by Friday, we’ll contact the carrier and email you with next steps. You don’t need to do anything for now.
The Northwind team
Parcel delivered
Send this a few hours after the carrier marks the parcel delivered. It catches “it says delivered but I don’t have it” early, while the customer can still check with neighbors.
Subject: Your order #1042 was delivered
Hi Sam, the carrier marked your parcel as delivered today. If it isn’t at your door, check with neighbors, your building’s mailroom or a safe spot near the entrance. Still can’t find it after a day? Reply to this email and we’ll look into it with the carrier.
The Northwind team
Change the order number, name, dates and signature for each store. Keep the structure: what happened, what it means, what you’ll do, and when the customer should get back to you.
Level 3: automatic replies to “where is my order?” emails
Some customers will still write in, however good your proactive emails are. An automatic reply has to confirm that the email really is about delivery, match it to the right order, and turn the order data into plain words with a date or a next step. Our WISMO automation guide covers each step. Here is what the reply itself should look like for an order that’s in transit:
Hi Sam, your order #1042 shipped on Monday. You can follow it with the carrier here: tracking link. Their current estimate is Thursday. If it hasn’t arrived by Friday, reply to this email and we’ll chase it.
The Northwind team
This is the level Relay handles. It understands the email, finds the order in Shopify, applies your rules and replies, and brings in your team when needed.
When an automatic email should hand off to a person
Most order status emails can be answered from the order data. These three can’t, because they come from the email flows above:
| Situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Customer replies to the “delivered” email to say it never arrived | Hand off | It leads to a carrier claim, a reship or a refund |
| Stuck-parcel email sent, and still no tracking update by the date you gave | Hand off | Someone has to open a case with the carrier |
| Third message from the customer on the same order | Hand off | Another template will only frustrate them |
For the other edge cases, like high-value orders or confirmed lost parcels, see when a human should step in on WISMO tickets. When a customer asks for a person, give them one. Our guide to replying when a customer asks for a human agent has the exact wording.
How to tell if your WISMO emails are working
Check these four numbers every month, and compare the month before and the month after each level goes live:
- WISMO tickets per 100 orders. This shows whether Levels 1 and 2 stop questions before they start. Counting per order removes seasonal swings.
- First response time on WISMO tickets. This should drop once Level 3 is live.
- Reopen rate. If customers reply “that doesn’t help,” your wording or your order matching needs work.
- Handoff rate. If it’s too high, your rules are too strict. If it’s close to zero, check that the three cases above aren’t slipping through.
Start the 14-day trial and see what Relay can resolve on your own order status tickets.
FAQ
Where can I see the emails Shopify sends to customers?
To see the templates, go to Settings > Notifications. To see what went to one customer, open the order and check its timeline, which lists every notification sent.
Can Shopify send “out for delivery” and “delivered” emails automatically?
Yes, if your carrier sends tracking events to Shopify. Both notifications are under Settings > Notifications, and you can turn them off. Shopify has no built-in email for a delay or a stuck parcel.
Should I automate replies when a customer says their order was delivered but not received?
Not completely. Send the delivered-check email automatically. Once the customer confirms the parcel is missing, a person should decide whether to open a carrier claim, reship or refund.
What’s the difference between a tracking app and an AI support agent?
A tracking app sends emails when tracking events happen. An AI support agent answers the emails customers send: it finds their order, then replies or hands off by your rules. Most stores need both.