Onward tracks every shipment through a series of statuses that reflect its journey from your warehouse to the customer's door. This article explains what each status means and the typical flow a shipment follows.
The Shipment Lifecycle
A typical shipment moves through these stages:
Label Created → Confirmed → Carrier Picked Up → In Transit → Out for Delivery → Delivered
Not every shipment passes through every status — it depends on the carrier, shipping method, and how the carrier reports its updates. Some carriers skip certain milestones or combine them.
Before the carrier's first scan, the Track Page shows Awaiting first scan. This is a display state rather than a carrier status: the label exists, but no carrier event has come through yet.
All Shipment Statuses
There are 15 shipment statuses in total. They are listed below in roughly the order a package encounters them.
Label Printed
A shipping label has been generated and printed. The package has been prepared for shipping but hasn't been handed off to the carrier yet.
What the customer should know: Your order is being prepared for shipment.
Label Purchased
A shipping label has been purchased through the carrier. Similar to "Label Printed" — the package is ready to ship but hasn't been picked up.
What the customer should know: Your order is packed and a shipping label has been created.
Confirmed
The carrier has confirmed that they've received the shipment information. The package may or may not be physically in the carrier's possession yet.
What the customer should know: The carrier has confirmed your shipment. It will be picked up soon.
Carrier Picked Up
The carrier has physically picked up the package from the merchant's warehouse, fulfillment center, or drop-off location.
What the customer should know: Your package has been picked up by the carrier and is heading to a sorting facility.
In Transit
The package is moving through the carrier's network — between sorting facilities, distribution centers, or transportation hubs.
What the customer should know: Your package is on its way! It's moving through the carrier's delivery network.
Delayed
The carrier has reported a delay. This could be due to weather, high volume, customs processing, or other logistical reasons.
What the customer should know: Your shipment is experiencing a delay. The carrier is working to get it back on track.
Action Required
The carrier needs something from the customer before the package can move forward — for example a customs or duties payment, a delivery appointment, an address correction, or a signature arrangement.
What the customer should know: The carrier needs information or action from you before your package can be delivered. Check the carrier's tracking page for details.
Out for Delivery
The package has arrived at the local delivery facility and is on the delivery vehicle. It should be delivered today.
What the customer should know: Your package is out for delivery and should arrive today!
Attempted Delivery
The carrier attempted to deliver the package but was unable to complete the delivery. Common reasons include: no one home, access issues, incorrect address, or security gate restrictions.
What the customer should know: The carrier tried to deliver your package but couldn't complete the delivery. They may try again or leave instructions for pickup.
Available for Pickup
The package has arrived at a pickup location (post office, parcel locker, retail location, etc.) and is waiting for the customer to collect it.
What the customer should know: Your package is ready for pickup at the designated location.
Ready for You to Pick Up
A distinct status some carriers use to signal that the package is being held specifically for the recipient — a hold-at-location request, a locker assignment, or a will-call hold. Functionally similar to "Available for Pickup", but reported separately by the carrier.
What the customer should know: Your package is being held for you to collect. Check the carrier's tracking page for the location and any deadline.
Picked Up
The customer has collected the package from the pickup location.
What the customer should know: You've picked up your package. Enjoy your order!
Delivered
The package has been successfully delivered to the shipping address.
What the customer should know: Your package has been delivered. Check your mailbox, porch, or designated delivery area.
Returning to Sender
The package is on its way back to the merchant. This usually follows repeated failed delivery attempts, an incorrect or incomplete address, or a customer refusal.
What the customer should know: Your package is being returned to the store. Contact us so we can help arrange redelivery or a refund.
Delivery Error (Failure)
The carrier has reported a delivery failure. This could mean the package was returned to sender, couldn't be delivered due to an address issue, or was damaged in transit.
What the customer should know: There was an issue with delivering your package. Contact the store for assistance.
International vs. Domestic Shipments
International shipments may experience:
Longer transit times — Packages pass through customs, which can add days.
Additional statuses — Some carriers report customs clearance as a separate event.
Different exception thresholds — Onward uses longer thresholds for international shipments when detecting stalled or stuck packages.
How Statuses Are Determined
Onward uses two sources of tracking data:
Shopify fulfillment data — When you fulfill an order in Shopify and add a tracking number, Onward captures the fulfillment information.
Multi-carrier tracking enrichment — Onward uses specialized tracking services (primarily Ship24, with 17Track as an additional source for carriers Ship24 doesn't cover) to pull detailed carrier events that go beyond what Shopify provides. This includes location data, carrier messages, and more granular status updates.
The combination of both sources gives you the most complete picture of each shipment's journey.