Shopify: return tracking code

About this article

This article describes how you can configure return tracking codes on Shopify.

Introduction

Some marketplaces, such as Zalando, OTTO Market, and About You, require a return tracking code with a shipment. Shopify does not support return tracking codes as a standard field, therefore, you must use a metafield to include this information.

Setup

You can use an existing metafield on Shopify to store return tracking codes or create a new one. You can also configure ChannelEngine to create a new metafield from the Shopify plugin Setup page.

On Shopify

Creating a metafield

1. On Shopify, go to Settings, Custom, Data.
2. From the list of metafield definitions, select Orders.
3. Click Add definition to create a new metafield.
   
4. In the Name field, enter the name of the metafield. E.g.: Return Tracking Code.
5. In the Namespace and key field, enter the namespace and key, separated by a dot. E.g.: order.return_tracking_code. For the synchronization between Shopify and ChannelEngine to work, the values for namespace and key must match the settings on the Setup page of the Shopify plugin. 
6. Set the Field type to Single line text.
7. You can leave the remaining fields empty, and click Save.

On ChannelEngine

To enable the return tracking code synchronization:

1. Go to the Setup page of your Shopify plugin.
2. Under Advanced settings, enable the Check for return tracking code setting.
   
3. Configure the following settings:
   
   • Return tracking code metafield namespace - the namespace for the metafield used to submit return tracking codes on Shopify. To connect to the existing metafield, this must match the metafield namespace on Shopify. The number of characters must be between 3 and 255. You can use letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. E.g.: 'order'.
   • Return tracking code metafield key - the key for the metafield used to submit return tracking codes on Shopify. To connect to the existing metafield, this must match the metafield key on Shopify. The number of characters must be between 3 and 64. You can use letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. E.g.: 'return_tracking_code'. 
     
     NB: if the specified metafield namespace or key do not match the existing metafield identifier on Shopify, ChannelEngine creates a new one based on the values you enter.
4. To enable ChannelEngine to automatically generate a metafield, configure the following setting:
   • Return tracking code metafield name - the name of the metafield used to submit return tracking codes on Shopify. Only specify this if you do not already have a metafield for return tracking codes and want ChannelEngine to create a new one. If an existing metafield matches the namespace and key you provide, ChannelEngine uses that metafield.

How it works

After you or ChannelEngine create a new metafield, it is displayed at the order level on Shopify. When fulfilling an order, you must enter the return tracking code in the corresponding field. We recommend that you do this when you create a shipment on Shopify and not afterwards. Otherwise, a shipment without a tracking code cannot be exported to the marketplaces that require return tracking code information.