# Write back tracking and fulfilment to Shopify
URL: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/90200000000207-write-back-tracking-and-fulfilment-to-shopify
Canonical: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/90200000000207-write-back-tracking-and-fulfilment-to-shopify
Markdown: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/90200000000207-write-back-tracking-and-fulfilment-to-shopify.md
Updated: 2026-10-29

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.starshipit.com/llms.txt).

> Configure Shopify tracking, multiple-parcel writeback, customer notifications, partial fulfilment and transit updates.

Writeback sends tracking details and fulfilment updates from Starshipit to Shopify after you create a label or manifest an order. Use this guide to choose when updates are sent, manage customer notifications and check tracking for shipments with multiple parcels.

All writeback settings are found at **Settings > Integrations > Shopify Settings** (main tab and Advanced tab).

## When writeback fires

By default, writeback happens when a label is created in Starshipit.

To trigger writeback on manifest instead:

1. Go to **Settings > Integrations > Shopify**.
2. Enable **Write back order updates on manifest**.
3. Click **Save**.

After processing an order, open it in Shopify and check that the fulfilment and tracking details appear at the point you selected.

## Disable writeback entirely

If you do not want Starshipit to update Shopify at all:

1. Go to **Settings > Integrations > Shopify > Advanced tab**.
2. Enable **Disable Writeback**.
3. Click **Save**.

When this is on, Starshipit will not send any tracking or fulfillment updates to Shopify. Customer notifications from Shopify will also not fire.

## Customer notifications {#customer-notifications}

By default, when Starshipit writes back to Shopify, Shopify sends its own shipping notification email to the customer.

If you send your own tracking emails from Starshipit (or another system), you may want to prevent Shopify from sending a duplicate email.

To disable Shopify customer notifications:

1. Go to **Settings > Integrations > Shopify > Advanced tab**.
2. In the **Writeback** section, enable **Disable Shopify customer notification**.
3. Click **Save**.

Writeback will still update the Shopify order status and tracking details — customers just will not receive the Shopify email.

:::note
Fulfillment event writeback (transit status) requires both writeback and Shopify customer notifications to be enabled. If you disable customer notifications, transit status writeback will not function.
:::

## Classic writeback

In Shopify Classic, Starshipit can write back in two ways: tag/note writeback and fulfillment writeback.

### Tag and note writeback

Starshipit can append information to the Shopify order without creating a Shopify fulfillment. This is useful when a third-party fulfillment service manages fulfillment in Shopify, and you only want Starshipit to mark the order on the Shopify order record.

- **Order tag writeback** — Appends a tag to the Shopify order. The default tag value is `SHIPPED`.
- **Note attribute writeback** — Appends carrier tracking details to the Shopify order's note attributes.

Both options are in **Settings > Integrations > Shopify > Advanced > Writeback**.
:::important
If tag/note writeback is enabled alongside fulfillment writeback, Shopify may receive duplicate updates. Use the option below to prevent this.
:::

### Skip fulfillment creation after tag and note writeback

Enable **Do not create Shopify fulfillments after tag and note writeback** when a third-party fulfillment service will complete the Shopify fulfillment, and you only want Starshipit to tag or note the order.

Only enable this setting if another service owns the Shopify fulfillment. If Starshipit is your primary fulfillment tool, leave this off.

### Fulfillment writeback

For most Classic merchants, Starshipit creates a Shopify fulfillment record with the tracking numbers and carrier, and marks the order as fulfilled. This works for open or in-progress Shopify fulfillment orders.

## Enhanced writeback

In Shopify Enhanced, writeback targets the specific Shopify **fulfillment order** that was imported into Starshipit. This is more precise than Classic writeback, especially for split or partially fulfilled orders.

Starshipit sends:

- Tracking numbers and tracking URLs, with multiple-parcel support as described below
- The tracking company (carrier name)

The writeback creates a Shopify fulfillment against the fulfillment order ID that was stored when the order was imported.

### Partial fulfillment

Enhanced writeback can specify individual fulfillment order line items and quantities, enabling Starshipit to fulfill only part of a fulfillment order.

This allows for scenarios where:

- Only some items in a fulfillment order are ready to ship.
- You are fulfilling items in batches.

:::note
Enhanced writeback does not write back return jobs. Returns are a separate workflow.
:::

## Multiple tracking numbers for one shipment {#multiple-tracking-numbers}

Shopify Classic and Enhanced both support multiple tracking numbers for one shipment.

Starshipit sends the distinct tracking numbers for the outbound parcels in one shipment to Shopify together. Tracking links are included when available for every parcel. Each parcel needs a saved tracking number. Return labels and parcels without a tracking number are excluded; parcels sharing the same tracking number have that number listed once.

For example, if one Starshipit shipment contains two parcels with different tracking numbers, both numbers are sent to Shopify. This also works when both parcels belong to the same Shopify fulfilment.

To check a shipment:

1. Open the order in Starshipit and check the tracking number saved for each outbound parcel.
2. After your usual label or manifest writeback has completed, open the corresponding order in Shopify.
3. Compare the tracking numbers on its fulfilment with the distinct outbound numbers in Starshipit.

If a number is missing, follow [Only one parcel's tracking number appears in Shopify](/articles/90200000000210-troubleshoot-shopify-writeback-errors#only-one-tracking-number).

One Shopify order can also import as [separate Starshipit shipments](/articles/90200000000205-configure-shopify-enhanced-locations-and-fulfilment#split-fulfillment-one-shopify-order-multiple-starshipit-shipments). Each shipment writes back to its corresponding fulfilment; multiple-parcel writeback does not combine those shipments into one.

## Ready for pickup {#pickup-ready-for-pickup}

For Local Pick Up orders, Starshipit can mark the Shopify fulfillment order as **ready for pickup** instead of creating a standard shipping fulfillment.

To enable: go to **Settings > Integrations > Shopify > Advanced** and enable **Mark pickup fulfillment orders as ready for pickup**.

When this is on, processing a pickup order in Starshipit sends the "ready for pickup" status to Shopify, which can trigger Shopify's own pickup notification to the customer.

## Transit status writeback (fulfillment event writeback) {#transit-status}

By default, Starshipit writes back once — when the order is shipped. You can optionally enable **fulfillment event writeback** so that additional transit statuses (such as "Out for delivery" and "Delivered") are also sent back to Shopify as the package moves through the carrier network.

**Requirements:**

- Writeback must be enabled.
- Shopify customer notifications must be enabled (not disabled).
- The Starshipit account must have the fulfillment event writeback feature available.

**To enable:**

1. Go to **Settings > Integrations > Shopify > Advanced tab**.
2. Enable **Enable fulfillment event writeback**.
3. Click **Save**.

**Configure Shopify shipping notifications:**

After enabling in Starshipit, you also need to turn on the relevant shipping status emails in Shopify:

1. In your Shopify admin, go to **Settings > Notifications**.
2. Scroll to the **Shipping** section.
3. Enable the notification types you want customers to receive, such as **Out for delivery** and **Delivered**.

:::note
Most merchants only need a single "your order has shipped" email. Only enable fulfillment event writeback if you want Shopify to send status-by-status updates to customers. If Starshipit is already sending those emails, enabling this as well will create duplicates.
:::

## Tracking URL defaults to Google or shows incorrectly in Shopify

If a carrier is not recognised by Shopify, it falls back to a Google search URL or shows no tracking link. To fix this, update the shipping confirmation email template in Shopify to use the tracking URL provided by Starshipit directly. See [Shopify's help documentation](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/fulfilling-orders) for template editing guidance.