Commerce & Order Messages

Delivery Update WhatsApp Templates

Delivery update messages tell the customer where their order is — shipped, out for delivery, delivered, or delayed — with a live tracking link in the chat. Proactive WhatsApp tracking updates cut "where is my order?" tickets by half or more, and the out-for-delivery message alone meaningfully reduces failed delivery attempts.

Meta billing category

Templates on this page are typically approved as Utility, billed at ~₹0.115 per message (India).

Transactional — tied to an order, account, or appointment the customer already has. Cheapest category. Adding promotional lines risks Meta reclassifying it as Marketing at ~7.5x the cost.

Copy-ready templates

Replace the {{placeholders}} with your platform’s variables before submitting to Meta for approval.

1. Order shipped

Good news {{name}} — your order {{order_id}} has shipped! 🚚 Courier: {{courier_name}} AWB: {{awb_number}} Expected delivery: {{delivery_date}} Track live: {{tracking_link}}

Best for: The moment the courier picks up the shipment.

2. Out for delivery

Your order {{order_id}} is out for delivery today, {{name}}! 📦 It should reach you by {{eta_time}}. Please keep your phone reachable — the delivery partner may call. Not home today? Reply RESCHEDULE and we will arrange another day.

Best for: Morning of the delivery day; reduces missed deliveries.

3. Delivered confirmation

Delivered! 🎉 Your order {{order_id}} reached you today, {{name}}. We hope you love it. If anything is not right — wrong item, damage, missing piece — reply here within 48 hours and we will fix it, no forms, no call centres. Thank you for shopping with {{store_name}}! 🙏

Best for: Within an hour of the courier marking it delivered.

4. Delay apology with new ETA

Hi {{name}}, an update on order {{order_id}} — and an apology. 🙏 Your shipment is running late due to {{delay_reason}}. The new expected delivery date is {{new_delivery_date}}. Track here: {{tracking_link}} We are sorry for the wait. If the new date does not work, reply here and we will help.

Best for: Owning the delay before the customer notices it.

5. Failed delivery — reschedule

Hi {{name}}, our delivery partner could not deliver order {{order_id}} today ({{failure_reason}}). No stress — reply with a number to reschedule: 1️⃣ Tomorrow 2️⃣ Day after 3️⃣ Change delivery address We will attempt delivery again on your chosen day.

Best for: Same evening as a failed attempt, before the courier triggers RTO.

6. Pickup ready (store pickup orders)

Hi {{name}}, your order {{order_id}} is packed and ready for pickup! 🛍️ 📍 {{store_name}}, {{store_address}} 🕒 Pickup hours: {{store_hours}} Show this message at the counter. We will hold it for {{hold_days}} days.

Best for: Click-and-collect and hyperlocal stores.

When each Delivery Update message goes out

Courier pickup scanOrder shipped, with tracking as a URL button.
Out-for-delivery scanOut for delivery, early in the morning.
Delivered scanDelivered confirmation within the hour.
Delay or failed attemptDelay apology with the new ETA, or the reschedule message the same evening.

Before you send

Fire each message from your courier’s scan events, not from your own manifest. “Out for delivery” sent because a parcel was manifested — not scanned onto a van — is how customers wait at home for a parcel still sitting in the hub.
A reply to “out for delivery” — “call before coming”, “leave it with the guard” — opens a 24-hour window. Pass it to the delivery partner and confirm it back in free text, at no charge.

What each variable means

These 14 placeholders appear in the templates above. Map each one to the matching field in your WhatsApp platform before you submit for approval.

Variable	What to put in it
`{{name}}`	The customer's first name.
`{{order_id}}`	Your order reference, as the customer sees it.
`{{courier_name}}`	Courier partner handling the shipment.
`{{awb_number}}`	Airway bill / consignment tracking number.
`{{delivery_date}}`	Expected or scheduled delivery date.
`{{tracking_link}}`	Live courier tracking URL.
`{{eta_time}}`	Expected arrival time.
`{{store_name}}`	Your business name, exactly as it appears on your WhatsApp profile.
`{{delay_reason}}`	The real reason for the delay, in plain language. No jargon.
`{{new_delivery_date}}`	Revised delivery date after a delay.
`{{failure_reason}}`	Replace with the failure reason for this message.
`{{store_address}}`	Your street address, as a customer would need it to find you.
`{{store_hours}}`	Replace with the store hours for this message.
`{{hold_days}}`	Replace with the hold days for this message.

Frequently asked questions

Which delivery events should trigger a WhatsApp message?

Four events cover 95% of the value: shipped (with tracking link), out for delivery, delivered, and any exception (delay or failed attempt). Avoid messaging every courier scan — "reached Bhiwandi hub" updates train customers to ignore your messages. Quality over frequency protects both your open rates and your WhatsApp quality rating.

Are delivery updates Utility or Marketing templates?

Utility — they relate to an existing transaction, so they are approved under the Utility category at roughly ₹0.115 per message in India. Keep them purely informational; adding promotional lines ("check out our new collection!") risks Meta reclassifying the template as Marketing at ~7x the cost.

Go deeper

Browse the full library

90 template sets and 488 copy-ready messages — across commerce, Indian festivals, finance, and industry starter packs. All free, all written for Meta approval.

All WhatsApp templates