Tracking and statuses
Exceptions explained
Stuck, failed attempt, RTO, OFD overdue, running late, not found and delayed updates: when each one appears and when it clears.
Updated
An exception is a problem on top of a shipment's status: a parcel that has stopped moving, a delivery attempt that failed, a parcel coming back to you. Exceptions appear as small labels beside the status, and every shipment with one is listed in “Needs attention”, with a count in the sidebar.
The exceptions
| Label | Appears when | Clears when |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck (e.g. “Stuck 4d”) | The parcel is booked, in transit, returning or has a problem reported, and nothing new has happened for 3 days (you can choose 1 to 10 days). Before the courier's first scan it means booked 3 days ago with no pickup. | A new courier update arrives |
| Attempt failed (e.g. “Attempt failed ×2”) | The latest status is a failed delivery attempt, or one happened in the last 72 hours and the parcel hasn't been delivered or started returning since. The number counts the attempts. | Delivered, returning, or 72 hours with no further failed attempt |
| RTO (returning) | The parcel is returning to you, or has been returned. | Never: it stays as part of the shipment's history |
| OFD overdue (out for delivery, overdue) | Out for delivery for more than 18 hours, with no delivery or failed attempt since. | Any new courier update |
| Late (running late) | More than a day past the expected delivery date, and not delivered. | Delivered, returning, or a new expected date |
| Not found | The courier has no record of the number after repeated checks (below). | A later check that finds it |
| Delayed updates | Our checks with the courier have been failing for twice as long as the usual time between checks, so the last good result is older than it should be. | The next successful check |
Each label has its own words, and amber or red marks the urgent ones, so they can be told apart without relying on colour.
Failed delivery attempts (NDR)
Where the courier gives a reason, we sort it into one of: customer unavailable, address issue, refused, COD not ready, premises closed, rescheduled, or other. Use the “Failed attempts” view to work through them while the courier is still trying.
Choosing when a parcel counts as stuck
Owners and Admins can change the number of days in Settings → Tracking. The default is 3 days; you can choose from 1 to 10.
When a number is “Not found”
New numbers often aren't in a courier's system yet, so for the first 48 hours a new shipment shows “Waiting for courier data” rather than an error. We only call a number not found when all of these are true:
- the courier has said it doesn't know the number at least 5 times;
- at least 48 hours have passed since you added it;
- the courier has never once returned a result for it.
Then checks stop and the shipment says “Delhivery has no record of this number. Check the number or courier.” (with its own courier named). Use “Change courier” if the courier was wrong, or “Check again” to look once more: a later check that finds the number clears Not found, and checking carries on.
Statuses we check twice
- When a courier first says a parcel was delivered or returned, the shipment shows it straight away, and we check once more before we stop checking it. If the second answer disagrees, checking carries on.
- A cancellation is confirmed 12 hours after the courier first reports it.
- A status that goes backwards, such as booked again after out for delivery, only shows once two answers at least 30 minutes apart agree.
How you hear about them
Exceptions are what alerts are built on. Alerts arrive in the app: the bell and your inbox, with the rules for who hears about what in Settings → Alerts. See Alerts.
Built-in views
The shipments list has views for the common cases, which can't be deleted: “Needs attention” (any exception), “Stuck 3+ days”, “Failed attempts”, “RTO”, “Not found”, “Out for delivery today” and “Delivered 7 days”. You can filter by any exception too, under Filters → Exception. Archiving a shipment keeps its history and its exceptions; it only leaves the active list. How often each status is checked is in How often we check.