Delivery update emails
Branded transactional emails that auto-send when a shipment transitions status — in transit, out for delivery, delivered, exception, or returned.
Bonde can send branded delivery-update emails to customers when their shipment transitions status. Customers opt in from the tracking page, and emails match your tracking page's branding automatically.
How it works
When enabled, emails send automatically as the carrier reports each status change. Customers only receive emails for the specific order they opted in to — there's no marketing list.
| When it sends | |
|---|---|
| In transit | First real carrier scan (not just a shipping label) |
| Out for delivery | Carrier is out for delivery |
| Delivered | Package has been delivered |
| Exception | Delivery failure, delay, or attempted delivery |
| Returned | Package returned to sender |
Before you start
Delivery update emails depend on three setup steps. The Bonde app shows warnings in the builder until all three are done.
Verify a sending domain
Go to Emails > Settings and verify your sending domain. If you've already set this up for subscription emails, you're done — the same domain is used for delivery update emails.
Configure a default sender
In Emails > Settings, set a From name (e.g., "Acme Store") and From email (must use your verified domain).
Activate at least one template
Open the builder at Tracking > Email updates and turn on the Active toggle for at least one status template.
Setting up templates
Open the builder
In the Bonde app, go to Tracking and click Email updates in the top-right.
You'll see five tabs — one per delivery status. Each tab has its own template, so you can tailor the copy for "in transit" versus "delivered" separately.
Edit a template
Click a status tab (e.g., Out for delivery). Edit the Subject line and Preheader, then use the Add block... menu to add blocks, or edit the existing blocks. Use the up/down arrows to reorder, or Remove to delete.
Activate the template
Toggle Active on, then click Save. Customers who opt in will now receive this email when the status changes.
Send yourself a test
Scroll to Send test email, enter your email address, and click Send test. Test emails use sample order data and arrive with [TEST] prefixed to the subject line.
Block types
Status banner
Headline + body copy with the order number, customer name, ETA, and tracking details. Usually the first block in every template.
Order items
List of items in this shipment with thumbnails, quantity, variant, and optional price.
Rich text
A paragraph with variable substitution, bold, italic, and line breaks.
Button
A call-to-action button linking to the tracking page or a custom URL.
Marketing card
Image + title + subtitle + link, for banners and promotions.
Shop again
Product recommendations drawn from active Order tracking upsells. Great for delivered emails.
Divider
Horizontal line for visual separation.
Spacer
Empty vertical space.
The email footer (your business address + unsubscribe link) is added automatically — you don't need to add a block for it.
Variables
Use these in the subject line, preheader, or any text field. Wrap each variable in double curly braces, for example {{ customer.first_name }}.
| Variable | What it shows |
|---|---|
customer.first_name | The customer's first name |
customer.last_name | The customer's last name |
customer.full_name | Full name, with a fallback of "there" |
customer.email | The customer's email |
order.name | Order number, e.g., #1042 |
order.processed_date | When the order was placed |
tracking.status | Human-readable status, e.g., "On its way" |
tracking.carrier | Carrier name |
tracking.number | Tracking number |
tracking.url | Carrier tracking URL (falls back to your tracking page) |
tracking.eta | Estimated delivery date |
shop.name | Your store name |
Missing variables render as empty strings — they never show as undefined or break the email.
Branding
Delivery update emails inherit their logo, colors, and typography from your default tracking page. To change how emails look:
Open your default tracking page
Go to Tracking and open the page marked as default.
Edit the theme
Use the theme editor to set your logo, brand colors, and typography.
Save
Your changes apply to every delivery update email. There's no separate email theme to configure.
Collecting opt-ins
Customers opt in from the tracking page using the Subscribe to updates block.
Open your tracking page
Go to Tracking and open the page you want to add email signup to.
Enable the email channel
Select the Subscribe to updates block. Under Channels, tick Email.
Customize the input labels (optional)
With both Email and SMS channels enabled, customers see a segmented Email/Text picker. You can set per-channel placeholder text and button labels.
Save the page
Click Save. Customers visiting the tracking page will now see the email signup form.
The email input pre-fills with the order's customer email so most customers only need to click Sign up. Each opt-in is scoped to one fulfillment — a customer signing up on Order #1042 won't get emails about their next order unless they opt in there too.
Unsubscribing
Every email includes an unsubscribe link in the footer. Clicking it immediately stops further emails for that order. Customers can also resubscribe by submitting the form on the tracking page again.
Troubleshooting
Emails aren't sending
- Check that your domain is verified in Emails > Settings
- Check that the template for that status has Active turned on
- Make sure the customer submitted the Subscribe to updates form and picked the Email channel
A customer says they unsubscribed but still got an email
- Delivery update opt-ins are per-order. If the customer placed another order and opted in again, that's a new subscription.
Variables aren't replacing
- Variable names are case-sensitive — check spelling
- Make sure you're using double curly braces:
{{ variable }}
The email doesn't match my tracking page branding
- Emails inherit the theme from your default tracking page. If you have multiple tracking pages, the default one is the source of truth for email styling.
If you need help, reach out via our chat widget or email us at hello@conspireagency.com.