Your AliExpress order hasn’t moved in a week. Or the tracking just says “Shipment information received” and nothing else. Or it disappeared somewhere between China and your country and the tracking went silent for ten days.
If any of those sound familiar, you’re not alone. Tracking AliExpress orders is one of the more confusing parts of the platform for new buyers, mainly because the shipping journey involves multiple carriers across multiple countries and the tracking updates don’t always arrive in neat, reassuring increments.
Here’s exactly how to track your order, what every status means, and when you actually need to take action.
Quick Answer
To track an AliExpress order: go to My Orders in the app or website, select the order, and click View Logistics or Track. Your tracking number is shown on the order detail page. For more detailed tracking, especially the international transit leg, enter the number at 17Track.net, which aggregates data from multiple carriers. Status updates can go quiet for days during international transit. This is normal. The status to watch for is “Delivered” without you actually receiving the package, which is when you need to act.
Where to Find Your AliExpress Tracking Number
Every AliExpress order that has shipped comes with a tracking number. Here’s how to find it:
In the app: Open AliExpress, tap the person icon, then tap My Orders. Select the relevant order. Scroll down to the logistics section. Your tracking number is displayed there, along with the carrier name.
On the website: Log in, hover over your account icon, click My Orders. Find the order and click View Detail or Track Order. The tracking number and carrier are shown on the order detail page.
If the tracking number field is empty, the seller hasn’t dispatched yet. The order is still in the processing stage. Processing time varies by seller, typically one to five business days, but sometimes longer for custom or made-to-order items. Once the seller uploads tracking information, you’ll receive a notification.
How to Track Your Package Properly
Using AliExpress’s Built-in Tracking
The most convenient option for basic tracking is through the AliExpress app itself. The “Track” button on your order page pulls tracking updates directly and shows a simplified timeline of your package’s journey. The app-based tracking is good for the China-side and final domestic delivery stages, but sometimes lags on updates during the international transit period.
Using 17Track.net for Better Coverage
17Track is a third-party tracking aggregator that supports hundreds of carriers worldwide, including all the Chinese postal carriers AliExpress uses. Enter your tracking number at 17track.net without selecting a carrier manually, and it identifies the carrier automatically and pulls data from both the sending carrier in China and the receiving carrier in your country.
17Track often shows updates hours or even days before the AliExpress app updates. It’s the tool experienced AliExpress buyers use for any order where tracking accuracy matters.
Using Your Country’s Postal Carrier Directly
Once your package enters your country’s postal network, tracking often appears on your national carrier’s website using the same tracking number. This works for:
- United States: USPS at usps.com
- United Kingdom: Royal Mail at royalmail.com
- Canada: Canada Post at canadapost.ca
- Australia: Australia Post at auspost.com.au
The same tracking number the Chinese carrier assigned often transfers to the domestic carrier’s system once the package clears customs. If it doesn’t work immediately, try again 24 to 48 hours after it shows as arrived in your country.
What Every AliExpress Tracking Status Actually Means
This is the section most buyers need, because the status messages on AliExpress are often vague or translated in ways that don’t clearly communicate what’s happening.
“Shipment information received” or “Seller has shipped” The seller has uploaded tracking information to AliExpress. The package may not have physically left the seller’s premises yet. Sometimes sellers upload tracking numbers when they print the label, before actually handing the package to the carrier. Give it 24 to 48 hours before expecting the next update.
“Package picked up” or “In transit to sorting centre” The package is physically with the carrier in China. This is the beginning of real movement.
“Departed from facility” or “Departed country of origin” The package has left China. It’s now in international transit, either by air or sea. This is one of the quietest stages for tracking updates because the package is in transit with no intermediate scan points.
No updates for 5 to 15 days Normal during international transit. This is the most anxiety-inducing stage for buyers but also the most benign. The package is on a plane or ship. Updates resume when it reaches its destination country’s customs facility.
“Arrived at destination country” or “In customs” The package has reached your country and is in customs processing. This is where clearance happens for compliant shipments, typically taking one to five business days for standard packages.
“Customs cleared” or “Released by customs” Customs processing is complete. The package is now moving through your country’s domestic logistics network.
“Out for delivery” The package is with a local delivery driver and scheduled for delivery today. This is the last update before it arrives.
“Delivered” The carrier has marked the package as delivered. Check your mailbox, front door, any neighbours who might have taken it in, and building reception if applicable. If you can’t find it after checking all of these, keep reading below.
Why Tracking Goes Silent (and When to Worry)
The most common tracking scenario for AliExpress buyers is watching updates stop after “Departed from country of origin” and seeing nothing for a week or two. This is the standard experience with international postal shipping, not a sign something has gone wrong.
Here’s the typical timeline for standard shipping:
- Days 1 to 3: Seller processing and domestic China logistics
- Days 4 to 7: International transit (quiet period)
- Days 8 to 14: Arrival at destination country, customs
- Days 15 to 25: Domestic delivery
The exact timeline varies by destination country, shipping method, and time of year. During peak periods like November 11.11 sales, all timelines extend.
When silence should prompt action:
If you’re well past the estimated delivery window shown on your order, say more than five days beyond the latest estimate, and tracking still shows no domestic activity, that’s worth investigating. Don’t wait until the buyer protection window is about to close. Act a few weeks before it expires.
The “Delivered” but not received problem:
If tracking shows delivered and you haven’t received the package, check everywhere first. If it’s genuinely not there, contact AliExpress support and the seller immediately. Open a dispute within your buyer protection window. “Delivered” scans sometimes happen when a carrier scans a package as delivered before physically delivering it, and the actual delivery follows within 24 hours. Wait one full business day before escalating, but then escalate promptly.
How Risky Is This Really?
Tracking going quiet is alarming but rarely indicates a lost package. The vast majority of AliExpress packages that show no tracking updates during international transit do eventually arrive. The system is less transparent than Amazon’s domestic shipping, but the underlying delivery rate is solid for standard shipping methods.
The genuine risk is missing the buyer protection window while waiting to see if something turns up. Don’t let passive waiting burn your protection deadline. If an order is significantly overdue, open a dispute with time to spare rather than waiting until the last possible moment.
Country-Specific Tracking Notes
United States
US orders typically transfer to USPS once they arrive domestically. The same tracking number works on usps.com. Standard shipping from China arrives in 15 to 30 days. USPS Informed Delivery lets you see photos of incoming mail, which is occasionally useful for anticipating when a package is due.
United Kingdom
UK orders typically transfer to Royal Mail for domestic delivery. The same tracking number works at royalmail.com once it’s in the UK network. Some AliExpress Choice orders are handled by Evri (formerly Hermes). Tracking sometimes activates on the UK carrier’s site 24 to 48 hours after appearing as arrived in the UK on 17Track.
Canada
Canada-bound packages transfer to Canada Post for domestic delivery. The tracking number usually works at canadapost.ca once the package clears customs. Standard shipping to Canada from China takes 20 to 35 days. If Canada Post has a duty to collect on your package, they’ll notify you via the tracking portal or by card to your address.
Australia
Australia Post handles most AliExpress final deliveries. The tracking number often works at auspost.com.au once the package enters Australia Post’s network. Standard shipping takes 20 to 40 days to Australia. If you’re not home when the package arrives and it doesn’t fit in the letterbox, Australia Post leaves a card and the package is held at your nearest post office for collection.
Step-by-Step: How to Track Your AliExpress Order
1. Find your tracking number. Open the AliExpress app or website, go to My Orders, select the order, and find the tracking number in the logistics section. If no tracking number is shown, the seller hasn’t dispatched yet.
2. Check the AliExpress in-app tracking first. Tap Track on the order page. This shows a simplified timeline with the most recent status.
3. Enter the tracking number at 17Track.net. For more detail, especially during the international transit leg, 17Track often shows updates before AliExpress does.
4. Check your country’s postal carrier website. Once the package is in your country, try the tracking number on USPS, Royal Mail, Canada Post, or Australia Post. It often works and gives more granular domestic tracking.
5. Calibrate your expectations against the shipping method. Standard shipping from China: 15 to 35 days depending on destination. Express courier (DHL, FedEx): 7 to 14 days. Choice shipping from local warehouse: 3 to 10 days.
6. Note the buyer protection deadline. Find it in My Orders next to the order. Set a calendar reminder two weeks before it expires for any order with a long shipping window.
7. If overdue, message the seller first. Send a polite inquiry through My Orders. Give them 48 hours to respond. They can check the carrier’s internal tracking data which sometimes has more detail than public tracking.
8. Open a dispute if needed. If the protection window is approaching and the package still hasn’t arrived, open a dispute selecting “Package Not Received.” Don’t wait until the last day.
Tips for Tracking AliExpress Orders
Bookmark 17Track.net. If you order from AliExpress regularly, 17Track becomes your primary tracking tool. It handles every carrier AliExpress uses without you needing to know which carrier is which.
Save your tracking numbers separately. Copy tracking numbers into a notes app or spreadsheet when you place orders. If there’s ever a dispute, having tracking numbers immediately accessible speeds up the process.
Check during weekdays. Carrier tracking systems update most actively during business hours. Checking on a Sunday after a long quiet period and seeing no update doesn’t mean the package is lost.
Don’t check every hour. This sounds obvious but it genuinely creates unnecessary anxiety. International shipping doesn’t update by the hour. Check once or twice a day during the active tracking periods and once every two or three days during the international transit quiet period.
For express shipments, check the courier’s own site. DHL, FedEx, and UPS each have their own tracking portals with more detailed status than 17Track for their own shipments. Use dhl.com, fedex.com, or ups.com directly for express courier orders.
If tracking shows “Return to sender,” act immediately. If your package is being returned to China due to an address error or failed delivery attempts, contact AliExpress support and the seller straight away. Returned packages typically result in a refund once they’re received back by the seller, but this can take weeks.
Takeaway
AliExpress tracking feels less transparent than Amazon because it is. International postal shipping involves multiple handoffs between carriers across different countries, and not every handoff generates a scan update. The quiet periods are normal. The wait is normal.
What matters is knowing your buyer protection deadline, monitoring that deadline as the estimated delivery window passes, and acting with enough time to spare if the package genuinely doesn’t arrive.
For most orders, tracking resolves itself. The package shows up, updates resume, and the long quiet period turns out to have been completely uneventful. Using 17Track instead of relying only on AliExpress’s built-in tracker fills in most of the gaps during that quiet period and reduces the uncertainty considerably.
FAQ
Why hasn’t my AliExpress tracking updated in a week? This is almost certainly the normal quiet period during international transit. Once a package leaves China, there are no intermediate scan points for several days. Updates resume when it arrives at your country’s customs facility. Give it another week before considering it late.
How do I find my AliExpress tracking number? Go to My Orders in the app or website, select the order, and look for the tracking number in the logistics or shipment detail section. If it’s not there yet, the seller hasn’t dispatched the order.
What’s the best tracking site for AliExpress orders? 17Track.net is the most reliable third-party aggregator for AliExpress shipments. It handles all the Chinese carriers AliExpress uses and shows both the China-side tracking and your domestic carrier’s tracking in one view.
My AliExpress tracking says “Delivered” but nothing arrived. What do I do? Check your mailbox, front door, building reception, and with any neighbours who might have taken in a parcel. If you still can’t find it 24 hours after the delivered scan, contact AliExpress support and the seller, and open a dispute through My Orders before your buyer protection window closes.
How long does standard AliExpress shipping take to my country? US: 15 to 30 days. UK: 15 to 30 days. Canada: 20 to 35 days. Australia: 20 to 40 days. These are standard shipping estimates. Express courier options are 7 to 15 days. Choice products from local warehouses are 3 to 10 days.
Can I track my AliExpress order without an account? You need an AliExpress account to access My Orders. However, if you have the tracking number, you can track it on 17Track.net or your country’s postal carrier website without logging into AliExpress.
What does “In customs” mean for my AliExpress order? The package has arrived in your country and is being processed by customs. For compliant packages, this typically takes one to five business days. Once cleared, tracking resumes with your domestic carrier.
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