What where-is-my-order questions look like
Stores call these WISMO questions, short for where is my order. They are easy for a person to answer and tiring at volume.
- Where is my order?
- Has my order shipped yet?
- I ordered two things and only one arrived.
- My tracking number has not changed in days.
- I never got a confirmation email. Did my order go through?
- When will it get here?
Each one starts with finding the right order, and most end with a tracking link and a sentence about what happens next. That is the part the agent does. The sentence about what happens next comes from your own policies, which is why your knowledge matters as much as the Shopify connection.
Questions that need a decision, such as a refund or a new address, still need your team.
What the customer gets
- Order status
Whether it is paid, and whether it is unfulfilled, partly shipped or shipped.
- Tracking
The carrier, the tracking number and the tracking link for each shipment.
- The order itself
The order date and the items on it, so the customer knows it is the right one.
The email check
Order numbers are matched exactly too, so #1005 never brings back #10050.
The agent asks for the email used at checkout. It never guesses it or takes it from elsewhere.
Shopify search is fuzzy, so every result is checked again for that exact email.
With an order number it shows that one order. Without one, it lists their recent orders, up to 10.
A wrong email and a missing order get the same reply, so the chat never confirms that an order exists.
Three replies, three order states
Here is how the agent answers each fulfilment status for a fictional candle shop.
Has order #2210 shipped? Email is jo@example.com.
Not yet. Order #2210 is paid and waiting to be packed. Our candles are poured to order and leave within 3 business days, so it should ship by Thursday.
Only half my order came. #2187, sam@example.com
Order #2187 is partly shipped. One parcel went with Evri, and here is its tracking link. The rest has not shipped yet, and you will get a separate tracking email when it does.
Where is my parcel? lee@example.com
You have one recent order, #2203. It shipped with DPD, tracking number 1550 2203 9921. The tracking link has the latest delivery estimate.
The order status and tracking come from Shopify. The lines about pouring to order and separate tracking emails come from the store's own knowledge, which the agent uses alongside the order.
The agent can't tell which items are in which parcel, because Shopify gives it tracking per shipment, not the items inside each one. It doesn't see delivery events either, so for where the parcel is now, it sends the customer to the carrier's tracking link.
What to put in your knowledge for delays and returns
Add your shipping and returns pages to the knowledge base, or paste the text in. Write each policy so it makes sense on its own, with the numbers in it.
- Shipping times
How long packing takes, your daily cut-off, and delivery times by region and service. This is how the agent turns "unfulfilled" into a date the customer can plan around.
- What unfulfilled means for you
Made to order, pre-order, back-ordered or waiting for stock. Say how long each one usually takes.
- When tracking stalls
After how many days without an update a customer should contact you, and how. The agent can repeat that rule word for word.
- Returns and exchanges
The window in days, the condition items must be in, who pays postage and how to start a return. Write it as steps.
- Damaged or missing items
What photos you need and where to send them. Your team handles the refund or replacement.
- Changes and cancellations
Whether an address can still be changed and until when. The agent cannot change an order, so tell it who can.
Set it up in the Shopify app
Then add the chat to your storefront from the theme editor, and answer chats from the inbox inside your Shopify admin.
- Step 1Install the app
Find ChatterMate in the Shopify App Store and approve the access it asks for.
- Step 2Pick an agent
Choose which AI agent answers your store. The Shopify tools are turned on for that agent.
- Step 3Add your policies
Add your shipping, returns and FAQ pages to its knowledge.
- Step 4Test with a real order
Ask about one of your own orders with the right email, then with a wrong one, and check both replies.
Order tracking and human handover
Today an agent with handover on doesn't load the Shopify tools, so one agent can't both look up orders and hand a chat to your team. For most stores the order agent is the right choice, because order questions are the bulk of the volume.
Your team still sees every chat in the inbox and can take over any of them. If a customer asks for a person, the agent says it can't put them through from the chat and keeps helping. If you use tickets, it can open one for your team instead. Put your support email in your knowledge, so the agent can always tell the customer how to reach you.
Where it works
| Channel | Order tracking | Product carousels |
|---|---|---|
| Website widget | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger | Yes, as text | No |
| Telegram, LINE, Slack, email, SMS | Yes, as text | No |
Order tracking questions
What does the customer need?
The email they used at checkout. If they have the order number, the agent uses it to go straight to that order.
Can someone see another customer's order?
No. The agent only shows orders placed with the exact email the customer gives, and a wrong email gets the same reply as a missing order.
Can it hand off and track orders in the same chat?
Not today. An agent with handover on does not load the Shopify tools, so choose one per agent.
Can it change or cancel an order?
No. It only reads order status and tracking. It never changes, refunds or cancels orders.
Does it know when the parcel will arrive?
It gives the carrier and the tracking link, which has the carrier's estimate. Your own delivery times come from your knowledge.
Do order replies count toward my plan?
Each AI reply is one message, whether it is about an order or anything else.
What if they used a different email?
Ask them to check their order confirmation email. The agent matches the email on the order or the one on their customer account, and nothing else.
Does it work with custom order numbers?
Yes. Order names with a prefix or suffix, such as SHOP-1001-UK, are matched exactly.
Does it work with WooCommerce?
Not yet. Order tracking is for Shopify stores. The chat itself works on WooCommerce through our WordPress plugin.