Customize shipment statuses
Last updated July 1, 2026
Between the moment a customer places an order and the moment the carrier scans the package, there’s a silent gap — the shipment just sits in Pending. For stores with longer processing times (print-on-demand, made-to-order, dropshipping), that gap can last days and generates a flood of “has my order shipped yet?” emails.
Custom statuses fill that gap. Parcel Track lets you add up to 3 custom statuses that appear on the tracking page timeline before the first carrier event, so customers see progress from day one.
Examples
| Store type | Custom statuses |
|---|---|
| Print-on-demand | Ordered → In Production → Quality Check |
| Handmade / made-to-order | Order Received → Being Crafted → Ready to Ship |
| Dropshipping | Ordered → Processing at Warehouse → Handed to Carrier |
| Standard retail | Ordered → Order Ready |
If you run a dropshipping store, the dropshipping guide covers a recommended full setup.
Add a custom status
- From your Shopify admin, go to Apps → Parcel Track → Tracking Page.
- Open the Custom statuses section.
- Click Add status (up to 3).
- Configure each status:
- Name — what customers see on the timeline, e.g. “In Production”.
- Icon — pick from the icon library (box, gears, checkmark, printer, and more) so each step is visually distinct.
- Estimated duration — how long this stage typically takes, in days. Parcel Track uses the order date plus these durations to time when each status becomes active.
- Description (optional) — a short line shown under the status, e.g. “Your item is being printed and assembled.”
- Click Save.
The statuses take effect immediately for all orders that haven’t been picked up by a carrier yet.
How the timeline behaves
- Custom statuses activate automatically based on the estimated duration you set. For example: “Ordered” (day 0) → “In Production” (after 1 day) → “Order Ready” (after 3 days).
- As soon as the carrier registers the first scan, the shipment moves to real carrier statuses — Info Received, In Transit, and so on — and your custom steps show as completed.
- Custom statuses never override live carrier data; they only cover the pre-pickup window.
Tip: Be slightly generous with durations. A status that flips to “Order Ready” a day early looks great; one that’s late invites support tickets. Check your real processing times under Order-to-delivery time analytics to set realistic values.
Reorder statuses
Drag the handle on the left of each status card in the Custom statuses list to change the order, then click Save. The timeline updates instantly.
Translate custom statuses
If your tracking page is multilingual, custom status names and descriptions can be translated too:
- Go to Tracking Page → Translations.
- Select a language.
- Your custom status names and descriptions appear alongside the built-in strings — enter the translated text for each.
- Click Save and repeat for other languages.
Untranslated statuses fall back to the default (primary) language text.
Custom statuses and notifications
Custom statuses appear on the tracking page timeline. Shipping notifications are triggered by carrier events, not custom statuses — see How notifications work for the list of triggers and Customize notifications to adjust the emails themselves.
Note: Custom statuses are store-wide. If different product lines need different pre-shipment flows, use names generic enough to fit all of them (e.g. “Preparing your order”), or contact support@parcel-track.com to discuss your setup.