How to Add Tracking to Your Etsy Orders

How to Add Tracking Numbers to Your Etsy Orders (Beginner’s Guide)

If you’ve just made your first sale on Etsy and are wondering how to upload a tracking number — don’t worry. It’s extremely simple once you know where to look.

Whether you fulfil your orders yourself or use PrintShrimp to print and ship your posters, adding tracking keeps customers informed and reduces “Where is my order?” messages.

Here’s your quick step-by-step guide.

📦 Why You Should Always Add Tracking on Etsy

Adding tracking:

• Gives customers peace of mind
• Reduces customer service workload
• Helps Etsy trust your shop
• Protects you during disputes
• Improves your on-time delivery score

If you're using PrintShrimp, tracking is provided for every shipment — you just need to upload it.

🔎 Step 1: Go to Your Orders Page

On desktop:

• Log in
• Click Shop Manager
• Go to Orders & Shipping

This shows all of your unshipped, in-progress, and completed orders.

📤 Step 2: Select the Order

Find the order that is ready to be shipped and click on it to expand the details.

🚚 Step 3: Click “Mark as Shipped”

When you’re ready, click:

Mark as Shipped → Enter Tracking Info

You’ll see fields for:

• Courier
• Tracking number
• Optional message

But here’s something most beginners don’t know…

⭐ 💡 You Don’t Have to Add Tracking Immediately

Etsy lets you add tracking after marking the order as complete.

If you don’t have the tracking number yet — for example, if you’re waiting for PrintShrimp to dispatch — you can still safely mark the order as shipped without entering it.

Then later, once the tracking arrives:

• ✔ Go back to the completed order
• ✔ Click “Add a package”
• ✔ Enter the courier + tracking number
• ✔ Save

This updates the tracking for your customer.

Etsy does NOT punish you for doing this.

There is no penalty, no ranking consequences, and no account warnings for adding tracking later.

Etsy fully supports this workflow — many POD sellers use it since their print partner sends tracking after dispatch.

So don’t stress if you don’t have the tracking number immediately.

🔢 Step 4: Add the Tracking Number

Once you have the number from PrintShrimp, copy it into Etsy:

• Select the courier
• Paste the tracking number
• Hit Submit

📧 Step 5: Etsy Notifies the Customer Automatically

Etsy sends your customer:

• A dispatch confirmation
• Their tracking number
• A clickable tracking link

This keeps everything clean, professional, and automated.

🎉 That’s It — Tracking Is Now Attached to the Order

The order now shows as Completed, and the customer receives updates directly from Etsy.

📝 A Note About Tracking Accuracy

Some couriers — especially Royal Mail and USPS — often don’t scan parcels at pickup.

So customers may see:

• “We’re expecting it”
• or “Label created”

This is normal.

Tracking updates once it reaches the next processing centre.

⭐ Bonus Tips for Etsy Beginners

• ✔ Add tracking when you have it — whether immediately or later
• ✔ PrintShrimp provides tracking for every order
• ✔ Keep wording friendly if you leave a message inside “Mark as Shipped”
• ✔ Use “Add a package” anytime you need to update tracking

🚀 Grow Your Etsy Shop With PrintShrimp

We print posters domestically in:

• UK
• USA
• Canada
• EU
• Australia

Fast dispatch, clean packaging, tracking included — everything you need to run a smooth Etsy business.

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