Customer order tracking for custom work

A customer order tracking page for custom work shows which order it is, the stage it is in, the estimated date, what the customer needs to do next, and the updates and photos that explain the progress. It answers "how is my order going?" before the customer has to ask.

What the page should show

• The order: the shop's name, the order reference and a short title the customer recognizes.
• Where it is now: the current stage in plain words, its position ("step 4 of 8") and the estimated date.
• What the customer needs to do: a proof to approve, if there is one, at the top.
• The whole path: every stage, with the ones already done and when.
• Updates and photos: short notes posted when something happens, not one for every click.
• A way to ask: a conversation about this order, kept with the order.

What stays off it: prices, addresses and the shop's internal notes.

Not package tracking

Package tracking follows a parcel after it ships. Order tracking for custom work covers what happens before that: design, approval, production and getting the job ready. That is where customers have the most questions and the least information.

How the customer opens it

In the portal we are building, the shop shares a private link by email or however it likes. No account is needed to view the order. The link shows only that order, and the shop can replace it with a new one if it was shared by mistake.

Try it

• Play the business in the order tracking demo.
• Keep your own orders by stage today with the job tracking template, and read how to track custom orders.

What we're building

We are building this tracking page into OrderFlow, with emails to the customer when the stage changes. It is in development and not available yet. The forms, the tracking sheet and the demo on this site work on their own and will stay free.

Common questions

What should a customer order tracking page show?

Which order it is, its current stage and estimated date, what the customer needs to do next, all the stages with the ones already done, recent updates and photos, and a way to ask a question. Prices and internal notes stay off it.

Is customer order tracking the same as package tracking?

No. Package tracking follows a parcel after it ships. Order tracking for custom work covers what happens before that: design, approval, production and getting the job ready.

How does a customer open their order tracking page?

In the portal we are building, with a private link the shop sends by email or shares itself. No account is needed to view the order; approving a proof or writing a message needs a code sent to the customer's email.