eCommerce Tips

How to Use AfterShip For Shopify in 5 Minutes

Andrew Chan

Jan 1, 2017 • 5 min read

Table of Content. Click for direct access:

Install AfterShip via Shopify App Store
Install AfterShip via our Website
Video — How AfterShip Works
Video — How to Fulfil an Order and Add Tracking Number at Shopify?
How to add Tracking Page at Shopify?
Video — How to Insert AfterShip Track Button to my Shopify Store

It is easy to install AfterShip on your Shopify store. It takes less than 2 minutes. But what is most important is you have different options to enjoy AfterShip for your Shopify store and offer the best post-purchase experience for your customers.

AfterShip has been and still is among the best Shopify apps to help you run successfully your online store.

We help you track all your packages in one place, auto-import your order information from your Shopify store to your AfterShip account, and let you send email and SMS updates to your customers about delivery updates.

AfterShip supports more than 980 couriers all over the world, including top couriers like FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, or China Post, China EMS.

In this little guide, we will show you how to make the most of AfterShip to your Shopify store so you can enjoy one of the best Shopify apps for free—when you are tracking below 100 shipments per month.

It includes how to install your own Track Your Order page, how to fulfil your orders on Shopify so it synchronises on AfterShip, how to insert our Track Button, to enable and customise email or SMS delivery updates.

We give you all the keys you need to unlock the potential of AfterShip for your Shopify store.

1. Install AfterShip via Shopify App Store

From there, click on GET, then click on Authorise so AfterShip can see your orders information.

Once you've clicked on it, you will be redirected to AfterShip webpage. There, you need to click on Login via Shopify and get through the basic questions we ask.

We will ask you a couple of basic information such as the couriers you work with, the number of shipments you plan to send per month, your store name, the username you want for your tracking page etc.

Next, you are on AfterShip Trackings page and you can safely synchronise all your shipments. Click on the synchronise button on the top right, see image below and patiently wait for your tracking numbers to appear in AfterShip.

Please note that for first-time connection, AfterShip will only import your orders that were created in the past three days. You also need to make sure to select your active couriers first in AfterShip.

In order for the synchronisation to work, you need to fulfil your orders properly.

That's all there is for you to know when it comes to install AfterShip via the Shopify App Store.

2. Install AfterShip via our website

Besides installing AfterShip on your online store via the Shopify App Store, you can also [sign up free](https://secure.aftership.com/signup/" target="_blank) at AfterShip and the select our Shopify connector.

To do so, after you signed up or logged in AfterShip, you need to click on AppS and choose Shopify Connector. From there, simply write your Shopify username and click on Connect.

The same conditions, active orders only created in the past three days and active couriers selected before the sync, apply.

3. How AfterShip Works

Congrats, you've successfully installed AfterShip on your Shopify store. Now you can track all your packages in one place and send email and delivery updates to your customers via email or sms. You can also add a tracking button to your website and a branded tracking page.

We explain in the video below how AfterShip works:

4. How to fulfil an order and add a tracking number at Shopify?

AfterShip helps you track all your shipments in one place and synchronises your order information from your Shopify store back to your AfterShip account.

But it all begins with you updating your Shopify store and fulfil the orders you receive. AfterShip can't fulfil your orders for you. And AfterShip will work only if you fulfil your orders the right way. In this little video below, we explain you how to do so:

5. How To Add Tracking Page at Shopify?

Your new tracking page will help your customers to easily view the latest delivery status, expected delivery date, courier’s name and contact details in the same format, no matter which courier you are using.

You have two options depending if your are a regular user, or a premium user. For regular users, your tracking page format can only be under this format:

username.aftership.com

When you are a Premium user of AfterShip, you can customise the URL of your Tracking Page and match it with your domain name to have for example:

track.yourdomain.com

For Regular

You need to go to Settings, then click on Tracking Page. Select first your username, then by-default pick the Basic theme. Upload your logo, your favicon, and enter your Twitter and Facebook usernames.

Add your contact email address for support, and a custom message to your customers. We support markdown. You can even add your Analytics tracking ID if you want to measure how much traffic and how your traffic behaves on that page with Google Analytics.

For Premium

You can use your own URL to display the tracking info instead of using http://username.aftership.com/tracking_number like above.

Do note that tracking URL only works for the tracking numbers added or imported to your AfterShip account.

Step 1: Pick a username

Step 2: Create a CNAME with your DNS provider

a. Login to your DNS provider, and create a CNAME
b. Enter a host name or subdomain (we suggest track for example as it is straightforward)
c. Enter the destination URL as domains.aftership.com

For GoDaddy, you can refer to [this guide](https://hk.godaddy.com/en/help/add-a-cname-record-19236/" target="_blank) to add a CNAME.

Step 3: Wait for 24-72 hours

We will validate if your DNS provider has propagated that custom domain to AfterShip. It can take up to 24-72 hours for it to propagate and properly point to AfterShip. In the meantime you can check it using this website https://www.whatsmydns.net/#CNAME/

What's a DNS provider you may ask?

In most cases, your DNS provider is where you registered your domain name. For example, Hover or GoDaddy.

How do I know if I set up custom domain properly?

When you visit the subdomain, you should see a Track Button where you can enter a tracking number.
The Track Button will make use of the carrier settings you set up at Settings > Couriers

6. How to Insert AfterShip Track Button to my Shopify store

With AfterShip for Shopify, you can also insert a Track Button at your website to simply enable shipment tracking at your website.

You can insert the Track Button to a new page, or to your Order History page. It's up to you. You can watch the videos below.

To add the Track Button to a new page

To add the Track Button to Order History Page